“I told them you’d hear me.”

Emily lifted her trembling hand and gently brushed a loose strand of hair away from his forehead, just as she had done since he was a toddler.

Dr. Collins quietly turned away for a moment. She had witnessed medical recoveries before.

She had celebrated impossible surgeries. She had watched patients survive against extraordinary odds.

But nothing ever prepared a doctor for moments like this. Officer Hayes removed his glasses and wiped his eyes before anyone noticed.

Outside the room, word quietly spread through the department. Nurses who had cared for Emily during the previous three days stopped by the doorway one after another.

Not to interrupt.

Simply to witness hope returning.