The words are soft and rough with sleep, but the meaning behind them settles deep in my chest.
“Of course I did,” I answer.
There isn’t even a moment of hesitation.
He studies my face for a moment longer, as if committing the sight of me to memory, before his eyes slowly close again. His hand never leaves mine.
Doctor Boskovich arrives shortly after sunrise.
He steps into the room, offering us both a small approving nod before turning his attention to Aiden’s chart.
“Well,” he says after a moment, flipping through the notes the nurses have made all through the night, “you’re looking considerably better today, Mr. Holloway.”
He spends several minutes checking Aiden over while explaining what the next few days will look like after a hypothermia event, listening to his breathing, checking his reflexes, and asking a handful of questions about how he’s feeling.
“You did exactly the right things in the water,” he tells him at one point. “Your instincts probably made a significant difference in how quickly your body is recovering.”
Then he turns his attention toward me.
“For the next few days, rest and warmth will be the most important things,” he explains calmly. “His body went through quite a shock, and fatigue is very normal after something like this.”
I nod immediately, paying close attention to every word.
“I’ll make sure he follows all of it.”
Doctor Boskovich glances between us and smiles faintly.
“I had a feeling you might.”
He looks back down at the chart once more before closing it with a satisfied nod.
“Well then,” he says, “if everything continues to look this good over the next couple of hours, there’s no reason we can’t send you home this morning.”
“Already?” Aiden asks, just as surprised as I am.
The doctor nods.
“You deserve to recover in your own bed.”
As soon as the doctor leaves, I reach for my phone.
Within minutes, I’ve sent messages to what feels like half the town.
Nathan.
April.
George.
And Finn.
ME:
Aiden has been cleared. I’m driving him home soon.
When I look up from the screen again, Aiden is watching me with that same quiet expression in his eyes.
And suddenly the thought of taking him home feels like the beginning of something entirely new.
