That evening, after yet another test, she returned to her room exhausted—emotionally and physically. Her legs ached from stillness, her ribs sore from the panic. She didn’t speak. She simply pointed to the bed. The nurse helped her lie down and began updating her file at the bedside tablet.
Then the phone buzzed at the nurse’s hip. She stepped out to take the call, leaving the file open. Tula turned her head. The report was there, highlighted in yellow: HCG levels abnormally elevated. Her heart dropped. She blinked, and read it again. HCG. Her hands went cold. Something was very, very wrong.