The room had finally gone quiet.
No shouting.
No footsteps.
No cold voices echoing through dark hallways.
Just silence.
Soft.
Heavy.
Safe.
Chloe stood near the door for another moment, watching Lillian carefully.
Watching the way she hadn't moved away from Sebastian once.
Even now.
Even after everything.
Lillian still sat beside him on the bed, one hand resting lightly against his chest like she needed to make sure he was still breathing.
Chloe spoke quietly.
"I booked the room beside this one."
Lillian looked up slightly.
Chloe adjusted her grip on her phone.
"I'll stay there tonight."
Lillian nodded slowly.
"…Okay."
Chloe hesitated.
Then glanced toward Sebastian.
He was still asleep.
Or unconscious.
It was hard to tell anymore.
His breathing remained rough.
Uneven.
Every breath sounding like it hurt him.
Lillian's fingers tightened slightly against the blanket.
Chloe noticed.
"If anything changes, call me immediately."
"I will."
A pause.
Then Lillian finally looked fully at her.
"…Thank you."
Chloe blinked slightly.
"For helping me get him out," Lillian said quietly.
Real.
Sincere.
Chloe looked toward Sebastian again.
His pale face.
The fever in his skin.
The exhaustion carved into him.
Then she looked back at Lillian.
"…Someone had to."
Lillian swallowed slightly.
Chloe gave one last glance toward Sebastian before heading for the door.
Then she stopped.
"…He trusts you."
Lillian looked down at him again.
At the way even unconscious, he had instinctively moved toward her warmth in the car.
"…I know," she whispered softly.
Chloe nodded once.
Then left quietly.
The door clicked shut behind her.
And the silence returned.
Lillian looked back at Sebastian immediately.
Nothing about him looked comfortable.
His breathing still sounded wrong.
Too heavy.
Too strained.
His hair stuck slightly to his forehead from sweat.
The blanket rose and fell unevenly with each breath.
Lillian slowly lifted her hand.
Pressed the back of it gently against his forehead.
And froze.
"…Sebastian."
He was hotter.
Much hotter.
The fever had gotten worse.
Her expression tightened immediately.
She leaned closer.
Checked again.
No mistake.
His skin burned against hers.
"…Okay," she whispered softly, more to herself than him.
"Okay…"
She looked toward the small medical bag the doctor had left behind.
Then back at Sebastian.
Thinking.
Trying not to panic.
Her eyes dropped to the heavy blanket covering him.
Then her coat over top of it.
Too much heat.
She moved carefully.
Slowly pulling the blanket down.
Sebastian reacted immediately.
A weak groan escaped him.
His body shivered hard.
Lillian's expression softened instantly.
"I know," she whispered gently.
She pulled her coat away next.
Cooler air touched his skin.
Another weak sound left him.
Almost pained.
Lillian immediately brushed her fingers through his hair.
"Shh…"
His breathing shook slightly.
She looked down at his shirt.
Still buttoned unevenly from earlier.
Carefully, she started undoing the buttons.
One by one.
Slow movements.
Gentle.
Sebastian shivered harder as more cold air touched him.
His brows pulled together faintly.
Another weak groan.
Lillian immediately leaned closer again.
"It's okay," she soothed softly.
"I'm just trying to cool you down."
Her hand moved through his hair again.
Slow strokes.
Steady.
Reassuring.
Sebastian's trembling eased slightly under the touch.
Not fully.
But enough.
Lillian exhaled quietly.
Then stood carefully.
"I'll be right back."
Even though he couldn't hear her properly.
Even though he was barely conscious.
She still said it.
The bathroom light flicked on softly.
Lillian moved quickly.
Cold water.
Clean cloth.
Another towel.
She soaked the cloth carefully, wringing it out slightly.
Then paused.
Looking back toward the door.
Listening.
Silence.
Too much silence.
Her chest tightened.
She grabbed the towel quickly and stepped back out.
Then stopped immediately.
Sebastian had shifted.
Only slightly.
But enough.
His head turned weakly against the pillow.
And there—
Blood.
Lillian froze.
A faint streak near his mouth.
Another against his chest.
Bright against pale skin.
Her breath caught.
"…Oh my god…"
For a second she couldn't move.
Could only stare.
Because seeing it before in the car had been terrifying enough.
But this—
This was different.
He had coughed while she was gone.
Alone.
Her chest tightened painfully.
She crossed the room immediately.
"Sebastian…"
She sat beside him quickly.
The mattress dipped softly beneath her.
His breathing hitched faintly at the movement.
Lillian carefully lifted the cloth.
Her hand trembled slightly now.
Not from fear.
From helplessness.
She gently wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Careful.
Slow.
Like she was afraid of hurting him.
Sebastian flinched weakly.
A quiet sound leaving him.
"I know," she whispered immediately.
"I know…"
The blood on his chest came next.
She cleaned it carefully.
The cloth moved over warm skin.
His chest rose unevenly beneath her hand.
Every breath rough.
Painful.
Lillian swallowed hard.
Then moved the cloth higher.
His neck.
His forehead.
Trying to cool him down.
Sebastian suddenly shivered violently.
A weak groan escaping him.
His body curling slightly inward.
Lillian immediately put the cloth down.
Her hand moved back into his hair.
"Shh… it's okay."
Another shiver.
Stronger.
His fingers twitched weakly against the sheets.
Lillian leaned closer.
"I know it's cold," she murmured softly.
"I'm sorry."
Sebastian's breathing shook.
Then another cough hit him suddenly.
Hard.
Painful.
His whole body jerked with it.
Lillian quickly supported him slightly upward.
"It's okay—."
Another cough.
Then another.
Wet.
Heavy.
Lillian's heart clenched painfully.
When it finally stopped, Sebastian slumped weakly back against the pillows.
Exhausted from just breathing.
Lillian carefully brushed damp hair away from his forehead again.
"…You don't deserve this," she whispered.
Her eyes moved lower slightly.
And stopped.
Another bruise.
Faint.
Near his shoulder this time.
Barely visible under dim light.
Her expression changed immediately.
Slowly.
Something colder settling underneath the fear now.
Her fingers hovered near it carefully.
Then moved away.
Not wanting to hurt him.
Her gaze lifted again toward the bruise on his cheek.
The one she noticed earlier.
Then back to the newer mark.
Silence filled the room.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Wrong.
Lillian looked back down at Sebastian.
At the way he shivered even in sleep.
At how tense he still looked unconsciously.
Like his body had forgotten how to relax.
Her chest tightened again.
"…What happened to you in that house…"
Sebastian stirred weakly.
A soft sound leaving him.
Almost distressed.
Lillian immediately softened again.
Her hand returned to his hair.
Slow strokes.
Gentle.
"I'm here," she whispered quietly.
His breathing eased slightly under her touch.
Still rough.
Still sick.
But calmer.
Lillian stared at him for a long moment.
Then her eyes drifted once more to the bruise on his cheek.
And this time—
Something inside her shifted.
Because bruises like that didn't just appear.
Not like this.
Not on someone already locked away for days.
Her jaw tightened slowly.
"…What did they do to you…"
The room stayed silent.
But somehow—
The silence felt heavier now.