13. Alone Alone Alone

The two days following Penelope's exit from my hospital room spiraled into a relentless storm of rage and despair. Her absence created a void, a noticeable emptiness that seemed to echo off the sterile walls, each hour stretching longer, amplifying my sense of abandonment and fury.

The hospital staff, unwittingly thrown into my turbulent rotation, became targets of my unrestrained anger.

To the nurses who dared enter, I became increasingly belligerent. "What's her excuse, huh? Too busy to care about me now?" My voice would rise, a growl of frustration and hurt, demanding answers I knew they couldn't give.

One nurse, a young woman with a stoic expression, adjusted my IV, her voice steady but distant. "Mr. Lane, I'm sure she has her reasons for not being here."

Her diplomatic responses served only to fuel my spiraling frustration. "Reasons? What possible reasons could justify abandoning me like this?" I'd spit back, each word a bullet shot from a gun of anger and betrayal.

"Get the hel