Alaric's eyelids fluttered, his gaze turning glassy as exhaustion clawed at him.
Lara blinked, and when she looked again, she saw that the soldier had fallen fast asleep.
Relief washed over her like a wave. He was finally asleep. It must just be his reflexes, right? With injuries like that and without anesthesia, how could one remain conscious?
Unbeknownst to her, pain had been the only thing tethering Alaric to wakefulness. Now, he let himself slip into feigned slumber, waiting for her to lower her guard.
Fatigue gnawed at Lara as well. She pulled a thin mat from the shelf and lay down beside the bed, close enough to hear his breathing. If anything happened, she needed to be near him. His injuries were too severe to leave him unattended.