Chapter 17

As the first rays of sunlight peeked through the delicate fabric of the curtains, a warm and gentle glow began to fill the hospital room. As the haze of unconsciousness began to dissipate, I found myself gradually reawakening to a world of sensations.

The first thing that caught my attention was a throbbing, relentless ache arising from my broken ankle, a painful remembrance of the injury I had sustained. It seemed as though every movement, every shift of my body, only served to intensify the discomfort. But that was not all. There was another lingering discomfort, a dull twinge that resonated from the depths of my foot. It reminded me of the bullet that had found its way into my flesh, requiring a surgical intervention to remove it. Though the physical evidence of the bullet's presence was gone, its recollection lingered, embedded into my consciousness like a haunting ghost.

As I lay there, my mind slowly piecing together the fragments of my surroundings, I couldn't h