### Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Countdown
The stimulator's arrival set the house into motion, a countdown ticking beneath the surface of every day. Dr. Chen called again two days later, confirming the surgery date—a week from now, in the city hospital. Syan felt the weight of it settle, a mix of nerves and resolve that kept him awake longer than the hum of the oxygen unit or the chair's soft whir.
Lila threw herself into preparations, her energy a whirlwind. She made lists—clothes to pack, questions for the doctors—scribbling them on a notepad she'd found in a drawer. "We're not forgetting anything," she said, pacing beside him. "You'll need socks. And that blanket—the good one."
"Think they've got blankets there," Syan said, a faint grin tugging at him despite the knot in his chest. "But socks sound smart."
His parents matched her pace, their efforts quieter but steady. His father checked the van, muttering about tires and gas, while his mother called Dr. Ellis for last-minute advice. "They'll keep you overnight," she reported, her voice tight but calm. "Maybe two, depending. We'll stay close."
"Good," Lila said, her tone firm. "We're all in this."
The day before the trip, Mara came for a final session, her hands steady as she worked Syan's arms. "You're stronger than when we started," she said, gruff but warm. "This thing's got a shot—don't waste it."
"Won't," he said, pushing through the ache. "Got too many people watching."
She laughed, clapping his shoulder. "Damn right."
That night, the house felt smaller, the air thick with anticipation. Lila wheeled him outside one last time, the evening cool and still, the stars a mystery he couldn't see but trusted were there. "Nervous?" she asked, her voice soft beside him.
"Yeah," he admitted, the word rough but honest. "You?"
"Little," she said. "But mostly… excited? Like, this could be big, Syan. Really big."
"Could be," he said, tilting his head toward her. "Or it could just be more of the same. Either way, we're good."
"Better than good," she corrected, leaning against the chair. "Team Stillness, remember?"
"Always," he said, the knot loosening just a bit.
His parents joined them, their footsteps crunching on the gravel. His mother's voice broke the quiet, hesitant but warm. "We packed some food for tomorrow—sandwiches, snacks. Figured it'd be a long drive."
"Thanks," Syan said, the word easier now. "For all of it."
His father cleared his throat, a rare crack in his gruff shell. "Just doing what we should've done sooner. You're the one carrying it."
They stayed out there a while, the four of them in a fragile circle, the countdown ticking closer. Syan felt the pulse of the stimulator's promise—not a fix, but a chance, one he'd take with Lila's fire and his parents' steady hands behind him. Tomorrow loomed, a threshold he couldn't see but could feel, and for the first time in years, the unknown didn't scare him—it called.
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Let me know if you'd like Chapter 29 or any tweaks here! We're heading into the surgery arc—want to keep going?