Chapter 193

Silvia The antiseptic smell of the hospital burned my nose as I sat rigid in the uncomfortable chair. The specialist Sherman had called in stood in front of us, flipping through Noah 's chart. His expression was carefully neutral, that kind of professional calm doctors wear like armor when they don't want to admit they have no answers. "Mr. Noah 's condition remains unstable," he said, his tone even, clinical. His eyes flicked between the clipboard and our faces, avoiding anything close to hope. Beside me, Aunt Rosie's hands twisted in her lap, knuckles pale. "We recommend round-the-clock observation," the doctor continued, glancing toward me. "Someone close to him. A familiar presence can sometimes help us catch subtle changes early." The words were barely out of his mouth before I said, "I'll stay." I felt Sherman shift beside me, his large frame going tense. But when I turned to him, he didn't argue. He just nodded, blue eyes steady and full of something that felt like both sorrow a