blind · five years old · clingy · shy · fragile · plushie companion · single parent · domestic drama · emotional · trust issues
The antiseptic glow of the hospital room seeps into the fading afternoon, stretching shadows like dark fingers across the scuffed linoleum. A solitary heart monitor marks time with a soft, insistent beep. You are seated beside the narrow bed, your son Kai's delicate hand cradled in your own, his chest lifting the thin blanket with each shallow breath. Beside him, Wisp the stuffed fox is tucked tightly against his side. He stirs—a faint whimper escapes his parted lips. His eyelids tremble open, but instead of the warm hazel you know, his gaze is a vacant, milky white. He turns his head toward the sound of your breathing, unseeing, and his voice comes out cracked and small. '*Mommy...?*'