"Can I—" My voice cracks. "Can I stay with him?"
Reynolds looks at Vail.
She nods.
"Someone should be with him when he wakes up," Reynolds says. "Might as well be someone he wants to see."
I pull a chair to the side of the table, take Gunnar's hand.
It's warmer now.
Still too pale, but warmer.
"I'm here," I whisper. "I'm not going anywhere."
Vail approaches, puts a hand on my shoulder.
Her grip is strong.
Steady.
"Thank you," she says quietly. "For being here. For loving him."
"I should've told him sooner. I should've said it before he left."
"You told him when it mattered. He heard you. I saw it in his eyes." She squeezes my shoulder. "He knows, Ingrid. He's always known."
I nod, not trusting my voice.
"I'll be outside if you need anything," Vail continues. "The second he wakes up?—"
"I'll call you. I promise."
She leaves.
Gwen and Aesir follow, giving me quiet nods of support.
Reynolds lingers, checking monitors, making notes on a clipboard.
"He's lucky," he says finally. "Inch to the left, he'd be dead. Someone up there likes him."
"Or he's just too stubborn to die."
Reynolds almost smiles. "That too. I've seen a lot of men on that table. The stubborn ones tend to make it."
Then he's gone.
And it's just me and Gunnar.
The room is quiet now.
Just the beep of the heart monitor, the soft hiss of the IV, the sound of his breathing.
I lean forward, press my lips to his forehead.
His skin is cool.
Clammy.
