An ode to burned bridges

ISAAC'S POV

I pulled into the hospital parking lot, my tires screeching as I braked too hard. Just as I hoped, it was back to thinking about my mother.

As I hurried through the sterile corridors, the smell of disinfectant burning my nostrils, I tried to prepare myself for whatever I might find.

But nothing could have prepared me for the sight of my mother's empty bed.

A lone nurse stood in the room, her posture tense as if she'd been expecting me. My steps faltered as I approached the vacant space where my mother should have been.

"Where is she?" I asked, my voice tight with barely controlled panic.

The nurse's eyes darted nervously around the room before settling on me. "Dr. Chen asked me to wait for you," she said, her words careful and measured. "Your mother is awake."

A light chuckle escaped my lips, born more from disbelief than humor. "That's great, but it doesn't answer my question. Where is she?"