Last Days

Abby stood outside the hospital room, her heart pounding in her chest as she gathered the courage to face the inevitable. She had spent hours agonizing over what to say, how to act, but now, as she stood on the threshold, all her carefully rehearsed words seemed to evaporate into thin air.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door and stepped inside, the familiar scent of antiseptic mingling with the sound of beeping machines and hushed whispers. Her father lay in the hospital bed, his face drawn and weary, yet his eyes lit up with a spark of recognition as he saw her enter.

"Dad," Abby said softly, her voice trembling with emotion as she crossed the room to his bedside.

Her father's eyes brightened at the sight of her, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Abby, sweetheart," he rasped, his voice frail but filled with warmth. "It's so good to see you."