Maria awoke from her unconscious state to the sound of a man's desperate voice calling out her name, urging her to wake up. Blinking her eyes open, she found herself in a sterile hospital room, lying in a bed with Nancy, her dear friend, anxiously hovering nearby. Concern etched across Nancy's face, she immediately reached out to Maria, asking if she was okay and if she needed anything.

Unable to muster more than a nod, Maria managed to convey that she was fine, eliciting a visible sigh of relief from Nancy. Tears...