The soft glow of the morning sun spilled through Aurora’s curtains, painting her apartment in warm, hopeful gold. A new day, a new feeling. For the first time in what felt like forever, the heavy weight in her body had almost completely lifted.

It was like a thick fog finally clearing, leaving her feeling lighter, more awake. Tomorrow, she would finally go back to the hospital. Back to the operating room, with its bright lights and sharp tools. Back to the busy, sometimes crazy, twelve-hour shifts that, surprisingly, she had started to miss.