“I… I need help,” I said, trying to stay upright, my shoulder pressed to the wall. “Something’s wrong. My head hurts so bad and I can’t… I can’t—”
The phone slipped from my hand.
The last thing I heard was the operator calling my name over and over, her voice fading as everything went dark.
---
Bright lights burned my eyes when I woke up. A steady beeping filled the room. The smell of disinfectant made my stomach turn. I was in a hospital bed. Alone.
A nurse rushed in when she saw my eyes open. “Ms. Colombo, you’re awake. Thank God. How are you feeling right now?”
My throat felt like sandpaper. “How long… how long was I out?”
“You were brought in late last night,” she said softly. “Paramedics found you unconscious at home. You had a severe migraine episode and a nosebleed. Is there anyone we should call for you? Your husband? Family?”
Family.
The word hurt more than my head.
I gave a small, broken laugh. “No,” I said quietly. “There’s no one left to call.”
The nurse looked at me like she wanted to say something, then thought better of it. She just nodded.
The next morning, they discharged me. I went home alone.