Chapter 213

Nolan

The morning light filters through the blinds of Ashlynn's hospital room, casting striped shadows across the floor. I blink, stiff from spending the night in a chair that was clearly not designed for sleeping. Across from me, Annabelle is curled up in a similar chair, her hair falling across her face, her hand still resting on the edge of Ashlynn's bed.

The night was long, nurses coming in every hour to check vitals, administer medication, adjust the IV. Ashlynn's fever had spiked again around 3 AM, and I'd watched, helpless, as they'd placed cooling blankets around her tiny body. Through it all, Annabelle had stayed awake with me, soothing Ashlynn when she cried, getting ice chips when her throat hurt too much to swallow, simply being there when I felt like I might fall apart.