Estelle's eyes slid shut, as if closing them might somehow send the plea out into the world, and he could somehow hear her.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and Estelle's eyes flew open, hope flaring instantly, but it died just as fast.
Vance stepped in, and the air shifted with him. Her pulse spiked again, hard and fast against her ribs as he moved to her bedside, his expression set, unreadable.
"There will be consequences," he said evenly, "if you try to speak to any of the nurses again."
Estelle's face tightened, confusion and frustration flashing across it. "I don't understand," she said, her voice strained. "Then why is she here? I'm paralyzed, not mute. I need to talk to someone, or I'll lose my mind in here."
Vance didn't soften, didn't waver. "Don't push your luck, Estelle," he replied, his tone firm, final.
The machines continued their steady beeping in the silence that followed, the sound suddenly louder than before.
