Chapter128:

Chapter 128 SLOANE  I showed the message to Dmitri, who rolled his eyes. "Of course he's downplaying it." I typed back: *Nosebleeds and 9/10 pain isn't 'just a bad headache.' We're coming by later to check on you.* His response came quickly: *Not necessary. I'm medicated and resting. Focus on getting Tommy settled.* *Tommy's settled and sleeping. We'll see you at 3.* There was a longer pause before his next message: *Fine. But I'm telling you, I'm fine. Celeste is already hovering enough for all of us.* I smiled at that. Good. Celeste should be hovering. Someone needed to make sure Xenois took this seriously and didn't try to push through like he had nothing wrong with him. "He's trying to act like it's no big deal," I told Dmitri, showing him the exchange. "Typical," Dmitri said. "He's spent so many years projecting invincibility that he doesn't know how to be vulnerable, even when his brain is literally causing him severe pain." "The old Xenois definitely wouldn't have admitted to an