To Love Again | LingOrm AU

Chapter 14A: She's My Beating Heart

Notes: I hope this chapter makes up for everything you've endured in the previous one.

Initially, I considered splitting this into two chapters, but I felt it would be more rewarding to deliver the full experience—over 10k+ words—at once.😅

Thank you again for your incredible support throughout this story. I truly appreciate your trust and enthusiasm.💜

P.S. I did took myself out for a run. My good boi brought the receipt for me. - https://i.imgur.com/lkAl4Sr.jpeg

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A gentle pressure on her hand tugged at the edges of Ling's consciousness, slowly pulling her from the depths of her nightmare. The haunting flatline tone that had echoed through her dreams began to fade, its dreadful finality giving way to a steady, rhythmic beeping. The transition was gradual, reality and dream blurring together in a hazy limbo.

Ling's mind struggled to make sense of the shift. The beeping grew clearer, more insistent, anchoring her to the waking world. With effort, she forced her heavy eyelids to open, blinking against the soft morning light filtering through the hospital blinds. The white ceiling came into focus, a blank canvas onto which her mind still projected fragments of her nightmare.

As the fog of sleep began to lift, Ling became acutely aware of her surroundings. The antiseptic smell of the hospital filled her nostrils, and she could feel the stiff sheets beneath her. Her body ached, evidence to the stress and tension of the past hours – or was it days? Time had lost all meaning in the wake of the shooting.

The warm pressure on her hand registered again, more firmly this time. It was a lifeline, drawing her further from the lingering tendrils of her nightmare. Ling's heart began to race, hope and fear warring within her chest. She held her breath, almost afraid to look, terrified that if she did, the touch would prove to be just another cruel trick of her subconscious.

Gathering her courage, Ling slowly turned her head. Her gaze fell upon Orm's face, and for a moment, time stood still. The world narrowed to this single point of focus, everything else fading into insignificance.

Pale but alive.

The words echoed in Ling's mind, a mantra of relief and disbelief. She drank in the sight of Orm, noting every detail as if to convince herself that this was real. The soft rise and fall of Orm's chest, the warmth of her hand, the flicker of life in her eyes – each observation was a precious gift, a refutation of the nightmare that had gripped Ling's psyche.

Orm offered a weak smile, her fingers giving Ling's hand another gentle squeeze. "Hey," Orm whispered, her voice hoarse but unmistakably real. "You okay? Looked like you were having a bad dream."

Relief washed over Ling in a dizzying wave. The nightmare receded, reality solidifying around her.

Orm was here.

Orm was alive.

In an instant, Ling's world shifted. The relief that had washed over her transformed into a surge of adrenaline, propelling her upright with such force that her chair screeched against the linoleum floor.

"Orm!" she exclaimed, her voice a mix of joy and panic. "You're awake! Oh my god, you're really awake!"

Orm winced at the sudden movement and noise, her body tensing reflexively before relaxing. Despite the pain that flared in her side, a warm smile spread across her face at Ling's reaction. "Easy there," she murmured, her voice still rough from disuse. "I'm not going anywhere."

Ling's hands fluttered over Orm, afraid to touch her yet desperate for contact. Her eyes darted across Orm's form, cataloging every visible inch for signs of pain or discomfort. Orm could see the worry etched in every line of Ling's face, in the trembling of her hands.