For the first time in hours, Walter allowed himself a view of the dim room.
His fingers brushed against the softness of his blanket, exploring the tactile sensation that was diametrically opposed to the pain he was currently experiencing. Like fire racing beneath his skin, as though impossibly minute versions of himself and Elia's car were recreating the road-scarring ride that had put him in this hospital bed.
He shifted, wincing slightly as molten fingers tracked up and down his side. Reaching out his hand towards the chair Paige had been occupying prior to a necessary bathroom break, he patted the now-empty seat.
Still warm. The tiniest of smiles crossed his lips. A similar blanket lay draped over the back, rumpled from her attempts to draw comfort from it. The faint scent of cool tea leaves filled the air, mixed with antiseptic, violets, and… her. There was no other word for it. Something rare, sweet, and kind that he would have recognized instantly.
Sometimes she watched him; he was sure of it. Counted his breaths, rising and falling, as if to assure herself that the machines were not lying, nor was she experiencing a dream state where her desired outcome was true.
Other times, she sang quietly, her voice rising above the hospital cadence to caress the air with gentle notes. Some of the songs were lullabies; others completely her own lyrically, though he suspected the melodies belonged to radio singles.
When she'd leaned over him to brush his hair back from his forehead before heading out of the room, he'd nearly forgotten why he was here. The pain drifted out of his body and seemed to belong to somebody else, a long, long distance away…
He inhaled deeply, shuddering as the pain assaulted him again. No regrets…
Not even about "borrowing" the nurse's smartphone and using it to access his patient file to decrease his prescribed dose of morphine to something that would let him remain alert enough to be aware of Paige's presence. Never mind what Toby would say, pro (as a friend) or con (as a doctor).
Walter smiled.
Some things were just worth the pain.