After Anna left, David spoke again with his wife's doctors, who could report nothing encouraging. He spent several hours searching for Dr. Crow on the internet—without result. Then Miller called Max, whom, as he found out during his study of this reality, he had invited to head one of his companies two years ago, and since then they had been inseparable. David instructed Max to use all resources to find Elias Crow, and Max promised to do everything possible.
David didn't reach the bedroom until close to midnight. He dismissed the doctor who was on duty by Sofia's bed, undressed, and lay down beside her.
She was sleeping with a book in her hands. Pale, with hollow cheeks, dull gray hair scattered across the pillow, a thin shoulder with a sharp collarbone peeking out from under the blanket.
He gently took the book from Sofia's hands. She opened her eyes.
"Everything hurts," confessed Sophie, who usually tried not to complain about her health. But here, she burst into tears. "My bones hurt, my veins... I was so nauseous again today."
David wanted to cry himself. He was doing everything he could, but it wasn't enough. He felt his powerlessness.
"We have very little time," Sophie added. "Crow writes that the people he found information about burned out in about 3 months after the transition. He only treated one of them. After that person's death, Crow began searching for others with such symptoms, and most importantly, those who claimed to have arrived from another universe. Two died very quickly. One woman fell into a coma for many years. Another patient is conscious but has been paralyzed for several years. Three disappeared without a trace... I'm scared, David."
"Me too," he said in the darkness. And after a pause, he added: "I'm looking for Crow. I hope he can help. But I don't really believe it. We have to try opening a portal. I don't see any other way... I understand," he quickly added, anticipating her possible objections, "that you have no strength at all. But it's the only option."
"Okay, I'll think about how to do it," she said quietly. "But for now, I want to go out on the terrace. To get some fresh air."
He put on a robe and lifted her into his arms. Sophie was so light. On the terrace, he sat her in a rocking chair and covered her with a blanket. She looked at the stars, and he looked at her.