The first thing Mathew heard was his name.
"Mathew."
He didn't turn.
"Mathew!"
Someone was shouting.
He knew that.
He could hear it.
But the voice seemed far away.
Everything seemed far away.
The emergency department continued moving around him, but the sounds had become strangely muffled.
Monitors beeped.
Shoes squeaked against the floor.
A trolley rolled past.
Someone called for a doctor.
Someone else answered.
Yet Mathew felt as though he were standing several rooms away from all of it.
He looked through the glass panel separating the waiting area from the emergency ward.
Carol was still inside.
So was Destiny.
Neither had woken.
A nurse stood beside Carol's bed, checking the monitor.
Another adjusted Destiny's oxygen.
Mathew rubbed both hands over his face.
He hadn't slept properly.
He hadn't eaten.
He couldn't remember the last time he had sat down for longer than a few minutes.
"Mathew."
This time, the voice sounded closer.
He turned.
