The IV line was a red ribbon on the white floor.
Arthur had tried to sit up, his movements clumsy and desperate. The needle had pulled, causing blood to drip onto the tile. Sarah caught him before he could fall.
"Careful! You’re bleeding!" she warned.
She guided him back to the bed and applied a fresh bandage. Arthur looked defeated, his face pale against the white pillow.
""I couldn’t save her," he whispered, his eyes fixed on the blood on the floor. "I just watched. I sat right there in that chair and watched her life drain away, and I didn't do a thing to stop it.""
Sarah took his hand, her grip firm and reassuring. "You did everything you could, Arthur. You were there. That's what mattered."
"It didn't feel like enough," he murmured. "It still doesn't."