Chapter 442

Miles's wound had been bandaged simply, but the blood loss left his face ghostly pale. "Where's James?" he asked without thinking, even though he knew he didn't actually care whether anyone was there or not. He hated hospitals. The idea of staying overnight was enough to make his skin crawl. As a kid, Samuel Schroeder's so-called punishments had left him battered, feverish, barely clinging to life. When the old man from the Schroeder family finally brought him home, he was already in convulsions from the fever, his breathing shallow. He'd spent ages being revived in that hospital, and when he came to, the room was empty—nobody there. That silence, that fear… it had carved itself into his bones. Even with his natural talent for medicine, Miles had chosen to focus on psychology. He couldn't handle the sting of antiseptic and the weight of death that clung to places like this. Just the thought made him want to bolt. "He stepped out, said he'll be back soon." Miles gave a silent nod, not r