Page 40 - DeepRestFlipFinal

NICHOLAS BOOTHMAN
He sat up, taking a deep breath. He looked around
the room. His gaze landed on Evelyn.
"Doctor…" His voice was still weak, but it held a
new resonance, a tremor of wonder. "What… what
was that?"
She smiled, a genuine smile that reached her eyes
for the first time in months. "That, Liam, was Deep
Rest."
He stood up, slowly, testing his limbs. He walked
to the window, pulling back the blinds. The afternoon
sun streamed in, illuminating his face. He looked at
his hands, then at the bright sky, a look of wonder on
his face.
"I… I feel… light," he whispered. “All that
weight… it's gone. I can… I can feel again."
She watched him. This was it. The proof. The
undeniable, human proof.
But the relief was short-lived.
As he stood by the window, a sudden, sharp rap
echoed from the outer door of the clinic. Not a polite
knock. A demand.
Evelyn froze. Her eyes darted to the clock. Her
next patient wasn't for another hour.
Liam turned. "Who's that?"
The rap came again, louder, more insistent. Three
sharp, distinct knocks. A pattern.
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