"Mommy!"
A voice—sweet and milky, too soft to be real—slipped into Lara's consciousness and yanked her violently awake.
She gasped and bolted upright.
The sudden movement sent the small weight leaning against her chest tumbling backward onto the hospital bed.
"Mommy… Mommy…" The child scrambled closer. "You're awake."
Lara's heart slammed violently against her ribs.
A face hovered inches from hers—delicate and pale, framed by short black curls. The child's eyes were enormous, obsidian pools that seemed far too knowing for such a small face. For a breathless moment, Lara couldn't even tell if the child was a boy or a girl.
The familiarity terrified her more than the confusion.
"W-what's your name, little one?" Lara croaked. Her throat burned as if she'd been screaming for days.
Her mouth opened, but her thoughts scattered.
