A knee against my thigh.
His foot seeking warmth beneath my leg.
That night he curled around himself with Marlowe pressed to his back.
I lay awake listening.
At dawn, I touched his shoulder.
“Noah.”
He opened his eye.
The focus was wrong.
Not absent.
Delayed.
“Morning.”
He stared past me.
“Can you look at me?”
His gaze moved slowly.
His right eyelid drooped.
Cold spread through me.
“Smile.”
Nothing.
“Noah, show me your teeth.”
His mouth parted slightly.
No response.
I sat up.
“Can you lift both hands?”
He did not move.
Every fear I had been holding back surged forward at once.
I called emergency services before I had time to negotiate with myself.
Chapter 34
REID
The paramedics arrived in seven minutes.
It felt like an hour.
