Emily, her head wrapped in a patterned scarf, adjusts her blanket. The faint beeping of the monitor blends with the distant sounds of life outside. She sighs, tracing patterns with her finger on the sheet, longing for the freedom she once had.
"I wonder what it's like to just… feel normal again," she whispers to herself.
Jenna, a classmate with a mischievous smile, waves Emily over. The sun glimmers on a metallic vape pen in her hand. She flicks it and the device lights up, catching Emily’s eye.
"Hey Em, want to try? It’s not a big deal—everyone does it,"
Emily glances at the vape, her heart pounding in her chest. She wants to fit in, to feel the rush of something forbidden, if only for a moment. With trembling hands, she takes the device, the world narrowing to the small object in her palm.
"Maybe… just once," she says, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.
The edges of her sight darken, and a wave of dizziness overtakes her. Her knees buckle, and she collapses to the ground, the vape slipping from her grasp. The distant chatter hushes abruptly as Jenna and others rush to her side, panic replacing their carefree smiles.
Jenna backs away, tears streaming down her face, as onlookers whisper nervously. An oxygen mask is pressed to Emily’s face, and the paramedics lift her onto a stretcher, their movements swift but gentle. The crowd parts, silent with fear and regret, as the ambulance doors close.
Emily’s eyelids flutter as she awakens, confusion giving way to shame. Her mother’s eyes glisten with worry and love, her grip unwavering. Emily squeezes back, the weight of her choices settling in her chest.
"I’m sorry, Mom. I just wanted to feel alive again,"
Her mother brushes a tear from her cheek, leaning in to whisper, "You are alive, Emily. And you are so loved. That’s all that matters."
