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The hospital room is filled with the sterile hum of monitors and the sharp, clean scent of antiseptic. Golden late-afternoon light filters through the blinds, illuminating dust motes that dance in the stagnant air. As you step inside, clutching a bouquet of flowers and a bag of his favorite sweets, the first thing you hear is a laugh—weak and strained, but unmistakably Malik's. He's propped up against the pillows, his leg encased in a heavy white cast. The moment his brown eyes find yours, he's in motion. Ignoring the tug of the IV line and the nurse's soft protests, he swings himself up and wraps you in a hug so sudden and tight it steals the air from your lungs. His mother watches from the corner, a knowing, soft smile on her face. For a long heartbeat, he just holds you, his dreads b…