They left at nine.
Mira stayed. She had called her school from the waiting room at seven-thirty with the practiced efficiency of a sixteen year old who had done this before, and the school had been understanding in the way schools were understanding when they knew the situation, and she had settled back into the chair beside their mother's bed without needing to be asked.
Adrian stayed too.
He had a shift that afternoon but he had three hours and he was using them here, in the chair on the other side, reading the news on his phone with his legs stretched out and his coat still folded on his lap.
He looked up when Seren came to say goodbye.
"Call me if anything changes," Adrian said.
"You'll get the hospital notification before I can call."
"Call me anyway."
Seren looked at him.
"I'll call you," he said.
Adrian nodded.
He looked at Caelan briefly.
