Chapter 196

Silvia The call with Sherman ended, but his words echoed in my head like a cruel mantra. "Orion only has us." Four words that felt like a guilt trip wrapped in love. I sat on the edge of the hospital cot, phone still clutched in my hand. "What am I supposed to do ?" I whispered to the empty room. No answer came except the steady beeping from Noah 's monitors next door. I stood slowly, every movement stiff from hours in that cramped cot, and made my way back to his room. I dragged myself back to his room, resuming my post in that hard chair that had become more familiar than my own bed. Noah lay still, pale as the sheets tucked around him, tubes and wires connecting him to machines that kept tallying the slow rhythm of his life. My eyes burned from lack of sleep. My body ached with a bone-deep exhaustion that coffee couldn't touch. But even worse was knowing I was letting down the people I cared about most. I must have dozed off because the sudden movement of Noah 's hand jolted me awak