de didn't smell like a hospital. It sme

Her fingers gripped the padded armrests

nner positioned over Joy's right ear. The machine hummed, projecting a highly det

ere crossed over his chest. His eyes were locked

e whirred. Every second felt like an hour. She wait

zing minu

his stool back and looked at the screen. He clicked h

orward. "Well?" His voice w

s up his nose. He looked a

ures of the ear-the tympanic membrane, the ossicles-they

drained from her face. Her stomac

ped. A look of profound relief washed over his face.

s continued, r

oze. "Bu

can suffer micro-traumas. If the patient reports severe pain and hearing loss, it is possible she is suffering from chronic neuropathic pain. Al

mp twisted in her lower abdomen. A wave of unnatural heat washed over her skin, followed instantl

her right ear to the doctor. She squeezed he

red, her voice trembling perfectly. "It constant

y, Mrs. Wilcox. This type of trauma is notoriously diffic

wly curled into f

vier and darker than before. But this time,

r, they walked o

thick carpet absorbed the

topped

re she realized he wasn't be

he muscles in his jaw were jumping. He looked li

ch better," Angel said. Th

a beat. "What are

es. He backed her up against the wall. He didn't to

her ear. "You play the victim just like those high-end call girls play

punched in the stomach. The

secretly loved for three yea

y," Angel said cruelly. "Stop pretending yo

eyes. Her throat constricted. B

She looked straight i

g with a mix of fear and absolute defiance. "And it's

t a harsh, m

o comfortable

n the hallway, leaving her pressed a