Aveline barely slept. By the time the sky turned the faintest shade of light, she was already awake and getting dressed.
At half past six, she and Alaric walked into Springfield Hospital with warm breakfast boxes in hand. The cafeteria hadn't opened yet, so the smell of fresh porridge and steamed buns felt strangely out of place in the quiet hallway.
The moment Aveline reached the room, she didn't even greet anyone. Her voice tumbled out first. "Did Grandmother wake up? How is she?"
Margaret stood up from the couch. Her eyes were tired, her hair slightly out of place after an entire night awake. "She woke up for a brief moment," Margaret said softly, glancing at Henry and Celeste at the bedside, "but she fell asleep again before the doctors arrived. She… didn't have the energy to speak."
Aveline's heart squeezed painfully. Her shoulders slumped. Her grandmother hadn't woken up again. The worry clung to her like damp clothes she couldn't pull off. "And?"
