∘₊✧───── 𝐑𝐮𝐡𝐢'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕 ─────✧₊∘

The bandage was wrapped too tightly around my foot, snug, precise, and clean but it did little to dull the sting that pulsed just beneath the skin. The burn was more than physical. It echoed with something deeper, something older. I sat still on the edge of the hospital bed, the thin sheet crumpled beneath my fingers, my grip tightening every few seconds as if I could anchor myself to the present moment.