Then sensation flooded in, not as sharp pain but as a deep, spreading ache that lived everywhere at once. Her shoulders throbbed with a dull, bone-deep pulse, as if they had borne the full weight of the world for hours. Her arms lay heavy and overused against the sheets, muscles twitching faintly from some remembered strain. Her ribs constricted with every breath, a vise of bruised tenderness that made her wince inwardly. Even her fingers, resting loose and trembling against the cool fabric, felt strained, as though they had been locked white-knuckled around something vital for far too long and only now dared to unclench.
Her eyelids fluttered.
Heavy as lead.
Reluctant as a confession.
