**Chapter 10: A Glimmer of Hope**

"You're not understanding me, Guard Thane," Nurse Elara said, her voice firm but controlled. "The only way to ensure that a coma is permanent is to induce brain death. The brain would have to be completely, irreversibly damaged. The body would live on life support, but the person would be gone. That's not something I'm willing to do, and it's certainly not something that I think is justified in this situation." Guard Thane's face twisted in frustration. "I don't care about the details, Nurse. I just want to make sure that no one gets hurt." Meanwhile, Zelda was growing increasingly impatient. She had managed to loosen the strap that bound Link's wrist to the bed, but she was having trouble getting it off completely. She looked up at Nurse Elara, who was still arguing with Guard Thane. "Nurse, please," she said, her voice urgent. "Can you help me get this off him?" Nurse Elara nodded, not taking her eyes off Guard Thane. "Yes, of course, Your Highness." She walked over to Link's bed and began to work on the strap. As she worked, she continued to argue with Guard Thane. "I'm not going to let you do this, Guard Thane. It's not right, and it's not just. Link is a hero, and he deserves to be treated with dignity and respect." With a final tug, the strap came free, and Link's wrist was no longer bound to the bed. Zelda and Nurse Elara quickly worked to remove the rest of the restraints, and Link sat up, rubbing his wrists. He looked around, taking in his surroundings, and his eyes landed on Zelda. For a moment, he just stared at her, his expression blank. Then, something seemed to spark in his eyes, and he looked away, his face twisted in a mixture of emotions. Nurse Elara smiled at Zelda. "I think he's going to be okay, Your Highness. Let's get him out of here and somewhere more comfortable." Zelda nodded, and together, they helped Link out of the room and down the hall to the hero quarters. Link's room was a cozy space, filled with familiar comforts and mementos from his adventures. As he sat down on his bed, he looked around, taking it all in. For a moment, he just sat there, his eyes scanning the room. Then, a small smile played on his lips, and he looked up at Zelda and Nurse Elara. "Thanks," he said, his voice rough but sincere. "I think I'm going to be okay." As he spoke, some of the tension in his body seemed to ease, and he looked more like himself. Nurse Elara smiled, relief written across her face. "I'm glad to hear that, Link. You take care of yourself, and we'll make sure that Guard Thane doesn't bother you again." Zelda smiled, feeling a sense of hope that she hadn't felt in a long time. Maybe, just maybe, Link was going to be okay after all.