FIA
I pushed through the infirmary doors. The hinges gave a soft groan that seemed too loud in the quiet hallway behind me.
The room opened up before me. Bright lights. The steady beep of monitors. The mechanical hiss of the ventilator breathing for someone who couldn't do it themselves.
Cian sat beside his mother's bed. His shoulders hunched forward. His elbows rested on his knees and his hands hung loose between them. He looked up when I entered. His eyes found mine and something flickered there. Surprise maybe. Or exhaustion so deep it had worn grooves into his features.
Thorne stood on the other side of the bed. He adjusted an IV line with careful fingers. Two medic omegas moved quietly near the far wall. They checked equipment and made notes on clipboards. Their movements were precise. Practiced.
No sign of Aldric.
I moved closer to the bed. My feet felt heavy. Each step took effort I didn't think I had left in me.
