Suddenly, the heavy wooden door of my hospital room rattled.

The brass handle turned slowly.

Rachel and I both froze, our eyes locked on the door.

The lock clicked, and the door began to swing open.

The door swung open fully, revealing a young police officer in a dark blue uniform.

He had a silver badge pinned to his chest and a leather utility belt that jingled as he walked.

Rachel let out a breath she had been holding.

My own heart slowly returned to its normal rhythm, though the pulse still throbbed in my bandaged hands.

“Mrs. Brooks?” the officer asked, keeping his voice low.

“Yes,” I said.

“I’m Officer Harris,” he said, stepping inside and letting the heavy door click shut behind him. “Detective Sullivan asked me to stand guard outside your room.”

“Thank you, Officer,” Rachel said.

He nodded politely, his eyes lingering for a second on the white bandages wrapping my arms, before he stepped back out into the corridor.

The room fell silent again, save for the hum of the wall monitor.

I looked out the window.