'The Hero of Time's story is truly tragic. Raised as an outsider, he unwillingly became a child soldier and fought the king of evil with the mind of a child and the body of an adult. And then expected to return to society during peacetime and be expected to function as normal after the horrors he had experienced—is this how we repay a hero of legend?'

—Extract from 'Hyrule's Forgotten Heroes' by Shad Oocca

In The Shadows

~O~

Chapter 12: Make Amends

After the nurse comes in and checks Link over, I let him rest and head out to get some of my own. As promised, Urbosa walks me back and insists on taking me all the way to my flat before going back to her hotel for the night. She doesn't comment on how much happier I seem, though I can see it in the way she glances down that she's overjoyed at my change in demeanour.

Either I was completely exhausted by everything that's come to pass or I'm still so happy to have seen Link awake because I'm out like a light and, unlike previous nights, no dreams or nightmares plague my sleep. I honestly can't remember the last time I slept so soundly.

When I wake the next morning, I resolve to crawl out from this dark place I've found myself in and start making things right—starting with Link's family. I can't hide from them anymore; I need to face them with what little strength last night gave me. I'm sure that they'll be back at the hospital, so I can check in with them before going to the station to help Impa and the others.

To be honest, I'm still nervous about seeing his parents again. Things will be much easier now that their son is on the mend, but it'd be wrong of me to assume that things will be fine now. My nerves haunt me as I drive over to the hospital on this misty autumn morning, the city a quiet hum of noises from pedestrians and public transport. I tap the steering wheel anxiously as I park up and brace myself for the conversation to come.

I play with my hands as I enter the hospital and wander through its long, winding corridors. I know the way without having to think about it and while that makes this journey quicker for me, I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or not. One of the last times I walked through here, I was beaten down by guilt and self hatred. And although those feelings linger, they aren't as agonising to deal with now—I can cope.

Soon enough, I'm standing a few paces away from the open door, suddenly paralysed by a mere doorway. Another officer is here in Pipit's place, and they nod but don't say anything. But before my anxiety can get the better of me and send me running back down the corridor, a familiar face walks out of the room and blinks when she spots me.

"Oh Zelda!" Aryll practically gasps. Then she shakes her head and steps aside so I can go inside, "Come on—everyone's here."

Realising that I can't back out now, I nod and follow her lead. The room's three other occupants—namely Link, who's surprisingly awake, Hylena and Raven—turn their gazes up to find me as I enter, though Raven's the only one not to offer me a smile. I swallow thickly as Aryll takes a seat on the edge of the bed and her mother moves to offer me her seat.

"You don't have to," I quickly insist. "I can stand just fine."

She shakes her head, "Nonsense. These beds are surprisingly comfy." I smile as she joins Aryll and takes Link's hand into her own; he passes her a smile before looking back at me.

"I didn't expect you to be awake so soon," I can't help but tease, if only to make me feel a little less nervous about being here.

He rolls his eyes and, for a moment, everything feels normal again, "I pick my moments to keep you on your toes." He pauses, then adds, "I was just saying that you were here last night." I feel my face heat up as nerves flutter in my stomach and I quickly turn to his mother.

"I wish you'd all been here. I just…"

Aryll laughs, "We all know that my brother likes to wake up when he wants. You just managed to come at the right time." I smile, glad for her trying to comfort me, but say nothing. Hylena hums in agreement.

"We're just glad that someone was here," she concours. "Aren't we, Raven?" The man in question suddenly snaps his head up, seemingly lost in thought—my heart rate quickens. He sighs and nervously runs his hand through his hair.

"Sorry, I'm…" A breathless laugh escapes him then and he looks me square in the eye. "You see, my son must've gotten his bravery from his mother." His wife goes to argue, but he continues before she can say anything, "We're all glad that you were here last night, and every night before it. I'm not sorry for my anger—we found ourselves in a terrifying position—but I am sorry for directing that anger at you. You didn't deserve it, definitely not after everything you'd been through, so for that I'm sorry."

His words stun me. Not only has he apologised, but his words are so sincere that I feel like a weight's been lifted. He must see something on my face break because he stands and crosses the short gap between us to hug me tightly. I bite my lip and close my eyes as I hug him back, desperate to enjoy this moment before something terrible arrives to ruin it.

"Thank you," I whisper. His face is blurry when we part thanks to my eyes being filled with unshed tears. "I'm sorry for not telling you." Raven smiles and gives my shoulders a comforting squeeze before he lets me sit back and he returns to his own chair. The others watch on with smiles of their own. Suddenly remembering that Aryll was leaving when I came in, I turn to her.

"Sorry, I interrupted you earlier," I say to her. "Where were you going?"

She blinks at me, confused, then realises, "I was just going for a quick walk, actually. But I'd rather see you."

"Well, I need to get going soon so you could follow me out, if you want?" I ask. It's not that I want to leave so fast, but I have some things to discuss with Impa and there's still a part of me that wants to give Link's family the time they need with him before they have to go back home.

Aryll grins and rises, "Of course. Ready when you are."

I can feel Link's eyes on me as I say goodbye and, from the glint in his eyes, I can tell that he wishes I could stay a little longer—if only to talk to me more. And as much as I want to say yes and spend all my time here, I've been neglecting my job for too long—technically, I'm doing both of our jobs at the minute—and I want this case to be dealt with before Link is well enough to go home.

A pregnant silence befalls us as the blonde-haired girl falls into step with me in the hallway outside. The walls and doorways seem to repeat endlessly, and for a moment I think back to those endless tunnels beneath the temple ruins. My breath hitches at the thought but I quickly shove it down before Aryll notices.

But she does.

"Are you okay?"

I sigh and answer honestly, "Just a memory, that's all."

"About what happened?" I nod but don't reply. She hesitates before adding, "You were really brave." I go to protest, to deny her compliment—after all, brave isn't the word I'd use to describe what I did—but then I see the look in her eyes and decide against it.

"Thank you, Aryll," I murmur. "I'm just glad I got there in time."

She gives me a little nudge, "The doctor said that he could start working on trying to walk again in a week or so, depending on how well he does." She laughs then, unable to hold back a smirk as she adds, "I doubt he'll last that long before he gets antsy."

I can't help but laugh too, "We'll have to keep him in line—keep him from losing his mind with boredom." I glance down at her then, noticing how we've never talked about one person in particular. "Are you okay?"

Aryll blinks, "What?"

"Are you okay?" I repeat. "I mean, everyone's asking how I am or how Link is, but you're his sister; it's okay to be scared." She shoves her hands into her pockets.

"I'm not scared."

I wrap my arm around her shoulder, "Just know that I'm always here to listen. You don't have to go through this alone either." She leans into my hold and, although she doesn't say anything, I can feel how much she appreciates my support. I let go of her once we reach the hospital entrance and I fish my keys out of my pocket. "Well, that's my time. Are you—?" Before I can finish, Aryll rushes towards me and tightly wraps her arms around my waist. I recoil, then quickly recover and hug her back.

"Thank you, Zelda," she says into my shoulder. "Thank you for saving him." I feel my expression soften as I make her look up at me.

"I'll always be there for him; I'll be there for all of you," I tell her firmly. "Nayru's love, you're practically my sister at this point."

She grins, "As long as you don't see Link as a brother because that would be awkward. I've been rooting for you both since I was, like, 16." I look down at her quizzically, only to find her knowing smile and I shake my head as I try not to think about the implications of Aryll talking about me and her brother like that.

"And that's my cue to leave," I say, waving her off. "Go on, head back in before you get too cold."

"Fine, fine," she huffs sarcastically. "It's not like I can't make my own decisions…" But she does as I ask and heads back inside after hugging me one last time.

Despite the lighthearted note we left things on, Aryll's genuine thanks lingers at the back of my mind as I find my car nearby. Aryll is the type of person to get by with sarcastic comments rather than getting overly emotional at things, though I guess Link taught her well. But seeing her like this, like she always is when her brother's concerned, reminds me that she's still a younger sister whose brother lives a life with more dangers than normal.

And yet, we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Not only is Link awake and getting better, but I've managed to make amends with his family and we'll be able to get justice for all the people Cia (and her disciples) have tortured and killed.

Things are starting to look up, I think to myself as I slip into my car. Finally…

The rest of the week is a blur. With the initial hearing for the case looming, it's been a mad dash to gather all the testimony and evidence we need in case she pleads not guilty and the case goes to trial. Most of my days have been spent with Paya and the rest of the officers, only really leaving to revisit the Temple of Din or Tetra's flat. Lana isn't there when I visit, and she's been released as long as she doesn't leave the city anytime soon—we'll need her for the trial. I reluctantly offer to go back to the temple where I found Link too, but they quickly nip that idea in the bud.

When my working day is over, I spend my evenings down at the hospital and it's become so much of a habit that the doctors start chatting more with me as well. Link's family used to be here, but they've had to go home for a bit and work out a good balance between their working lives and coming up here to visit. We've all done our best to keep Link company as he recovers and he seems to be in good spirits despite everything.

Except for tonight, though he has just cause for it.

He smiles as I walk into his room right on time, though it doesn't seem as bright as usual, "I didn't think I'd see you tonight." I shrug as I take my usual seat next to him and set my phone down on the nearby table.

"I made sure I could be here tonight especially," I tell him honestly, because it's the truth. I wasn't going to let him be alone tonight. After all, tomorrow's the initial hearing and we're both nervous about it. The sun sets over the city through the window and casts a warm, honey glow into the room and I suddenly long to be outside. "I can't wait for you to be able to walk around again."

He groans and lets his head fall back on the pillow, "You and me both. I'm going stir-crazy from being cooped up in here." I can't help but laugh.

"I'm surprised you've made it this long without attempting a daring escape of some kind."

Now he grins at me more genuinely, "Once they give me a wheelchair, I'll be out of here. Though it's not been completely horrible," he adds as his expression softens, "It's been easier with you here."

Unable to hold back a meek smile, I reply, "I could say the same about you. This is the highlight of my day." I pause, ready to steer the conversation away and ask, "How are you feeling about tomorrow?" A part of me wishes that I could avoid the topic altogether, but I doubt Link will have mentioned tomorrow to anyone and I'm not about to let him bottle it up.

He sighs, "The waiting's the worst part. We know what she'll plead so I'm just waiting for the inevitable."

And he's not alone in that. Tomorrow's hearing will be Cia's chance to officially enter her plea and it's highly likely that she'll either plead not guilty, or she'll have been advised to plead guilty but argue a case of diminished responsibility. Both would lead to a trial, which is what we're all expecting. If she, for some reason, decided to plead guilty without offering a case of diminished responsibility, then she'd give up her right to a trial and she'd be sentenced in a few months.

"Well, you can start working on getting strength back into your leg tomorrow," I offer. "We can look forward to that at least." He hums but says nothing. Reaching out for his hand, I murmur, "I can come by after the hearing, if you want? I'm not sure if I'll go anyway; Impa can give me the news." He blinks at me, surprised.

"How come?"

I bob my head as I search for the right way to phrase it before replying, "A part of me wants to go and look her in the eye after what she's done—to show her that I'm not afraid. But…" I can't help but hesitate. "I don't think I'm ready for that yet. When we go to trial, I'll be ready."

"I understand," he says, his quiet tone matching mine. "If it helps, at least we'll be there for each other when we give our testimonies."

"Hm," is the only sound I can make because I'm not sure what'll be worse on that day—talking about the horrors I saw or hearing what Link went through in extreme detail. He's right though, I remind myself. At least we'll be there for each other.

"You know," he murmurs after a few moments. "I never said thank you for everything you did that night."

My heart drops and I instantly shake my head, "Oh no, you don't have to—"

"I do," he insists and he gently stares me down. Any protests die in my throat and I let him speak. "I… I remember a little more, but it's still not much. But you were there for me… I won't ever forget that." I shrink a little under his gaze, unsure how to react to his genuineness. "Thank you, Zelda, for everything you did."

I swallow thickly and croak, "It's only what you would've done for me." He doesn't say anything for a while and I make no effort to break our silence. A part of me wants to ask what he remembers, but I quickly shut that idea down; I don't want to cause any more pain for the sake of curiosity.

"Urbosa told me about how you felt."

My air gets lodged in my throat so suddenly that I choke on it. It would've been funny if it weren't for the panic coursing through me. Once I reassure Link that I'm alright, I stammer out, "W-What? When…?"

"She came by earlier to check how I was doing," he explains, seemingly oblivious to my internal panic. "She said that you weren't doing good after I was first brought here."

"O-Oh," is all I can say at first. I'm not sure whether I'm relieved or not that Urbosa didn't tell him what I thought she had. "Yeah… it wasn't a great few days."

He frowns, "Do you want to talk about it?"

I shrug, "Not really. I felt awful, Urbosa helped me, then you helped me and now I feel better." But Link gives me a simple look that makes me falter. I sigh and run my free hand through my hair, "I felt bad for not telling your family and… I mean, I still do, but I just wished I'd figured it out before you were dragged into it, that's all."

"It's not your fault," he reassures me. "But you're not alone. I was thinking the same thing when our places were switched. I know it's still on your mind now, but we'll get through this." I hum.

"Thank you." He gives my hand a comforting squeeze.

"Come on," he says. "I've got a mission for you." I raise a brow at him and he smirks. "We'll have to class this as an 'I owe you' thing because I don't have any money on me, but hear me out."

My brow stays raised as I, immediately understanding his phrasing from past experience, deadpan, "Link, I'm not leaving this hospital to buy you takeout."

"You know as well as I do that the food here is awful!" he counters instantly, though he's grinning so much from being caught that I can't be mad at him. "And I did it for you, remember? I'll take anything, just not this stuff." He sees my lip twitching because he points at me with mock accusation, "Don't laugh at me. I'm getting desperate here."

I roll my eyes, "So you're asking me to break the rules just to give you good food?" His smile only grows. "Your actual food hasn't even come yet. How do you expect to get around that?" He shrugs.

"Easy. We'll pretend that you got the food for yourself and then we'll share both meals when they're gone."

Now I scoff, "Oh, so you want me to go out, buy you food, share it with you and endure your hospital food too?"

He looks at me with the best doe eyes he can muster, "We'll endure it together! Please Zelda, I'd love you forever."

You already do, a small voice at the back of my mind, but I shake it off.

"Fine," I finally give in—I knew I wouldn't win anyway. "Fine, I'll do it. Just stop looking at me like that."

"It's a gift," is all he says without dropping his expression.

I turn my head up to the ceiling and close my eyes, "If only it wasn't against the rules to hit a patient…" He laughs.

"Thank Hylia." As I glance back down to Link, I notice his expression finally falters, though it's at the mention of Hylia. But he recovers quickly and offers me a triumphant smile, "I don't mind what you get; surprise me."

But I refuse to buy his quick recovery, "Are you okay?" He nods.

"I'm fine, just hungry."

I roll my eyes, "Fine, I get the hint. I'll be back soon."

Although his falter worries me, I can't be surprised that it happened. Determined to give him the space he needs, I let myself smile as I reach over to grab my phone and leave my grinning partner behind, unable to stop the warm feeling in my heart as I think that, for this short period of time, everything feels normal again.

And yet, just like every other time in my life, the next day arrives and that moment ends.

A restless night's sleep preceeds a long, agonisingly slow morning. Just like I'd said to Link, I decided not to go to the initial hearing this morning, knowing that it'd only add to the pain that still lingers under the surface. Since Paya went in my stead, I gladly welcome Urbosa's company at my flat during the proceedings, happy to have her try and keep me well occupied. And yet, despite her best efforts, it's in vain because she ends up on the sofa whilst I pace enough to start wearing the floorboards down.

The world seems to stop when my phone finally rings.

I can't describe the storm of emotions raging inside me as I spot Impa's name and answer her call. On one hand, we know what Cia will say and we can start preparing for the trials ahead—literally and figuratively. But the other part of me dreads that future, that future of early starts and late finishes, of reliving those awful days over and over and having them scrutinised by the defence until all the wounds have been reopened, of watching others go through that and suffering together.

And then she tells me the verdict.

"She did what?"

"I think we're all as surprised as you are," Impa answers calmly. "I certainly didn't expect it."

"She just pleaded guilty?" I breathe to no one in particular. Urbosa's head snaps up in the corner of my eye and her face falls slack—mine would too if it hadn't already. "She didn't even try to put forward a case?"

"No," the Sheikah confirms. I had a bad feeling that Cia would try and pull something, but this is astounding. "Sentencing will be in six weeks."

I nod slowly, "Right. Thank you, Impa."

"And to the both of you, Zelda." She hangs up before I realise that she called me by my name and not Hark.

I turn to Urbosa, who stares back at me with a mix of joy and awe. Once the initial shock passes, the Gerudo's lips twist up into a broad smile and she simply says, "You better go tell him the good news."

She doesn't need to tell me twice.

Urbosa, needing to get ready for her return trip to the desert, lets me go and stays behind to collect her things. I'd usually offer to help in some way, but now's not the time for that. Even Koume and Kotake poke their heads out of their office when I come flying down the stairs and out the door, ignoring whatever sarcastic remark they make as I go. The world goes by in a blur but I don't even take any of it in, desperate to get there as soon as I can.

I park up and rush inside. If I weren't in a hospital then I'd be running non-stop, but I do my best to speed walk through the corridors where there aren't any doctors or nurses. A childish excitement courses through me as my shoes squeak against the floor, and I try to remind myself that we'll still have to present evidence and I'm sure there'll be a lot of hard work ahead to ensure that everything goes smoothly.

But it's a positive we weren't expecting, so for that I'm eternally grateful.

As I round one of the last corners, however, I find someone that makes my blood freeze.

An extremely familiar woman is slumped in a chair nearest the door into Link's room—the door's only slightly ajar rather than being fully open—her petite figure hunched over with her head in her hands. Her white, almost silvery hair shines in the harsh hospital lighting and her shoulders heave with every shaky breath she takes. My heart stops and I skid into a stop so suddenly that my squeaking shoes startle her into raising her head.

My paranoid brain doesn't see the innocent woman before me, only her murderous sister. I'm transported back to the temple ruins and all the horrors that came with it. I hear her voice, so mocking and condescending yet reverent when she spoke of the Goddesses. I see the gleeful glint in her eyes as she toyed with the knife in her hand. I remember the blood smeared across the ground as I desperately tried to keep Link alive.

And now she's back.

"Z-Zelda?"

It's not her, I repeat over and over in my mind. It's not her. It's not her…

"Lana," I breathe, still struggling to convince myself that it's her. She sniffs and straightens as I add, "What are you doing here? I… I thought you'd be at the hearing."

"I…" Lana's voice hitches before she can say anything else and she thumbs away the tears streaming down her cheeks—why is she crying? "I didn't want to see her, not after what she's done. But I… I didn't think—Goddesses I never think, do I?"

Forcing myself to ignore the burning fear in my heart, I sit next to Lana as she starts rambling and take one of her hands into both of mine, "Lana… what happened?"

She starts to tear up again, "I-I'm so sorry!"

"Sorry for what?"

"I-I wanted to come and see him… to apologise for everything he's gone through, but I…"

Her voice trails off, and it's for the best because my mind spirals at the first part of her sentence anyway. Although it's sweet that she wanted to see Link and apologise to him, she must've seen how scared I was at the sight of her—after all, we all know what her sister's done—and I can only imagine how Link would've reacted.

Unless…

"Did you see him?"

Because there's a small chance that she might've gotten his far and then was too overwhelmed by the thought of it that she stopped before she could cause any damage.

She nods.

My heart sinks and she sees it in my face.

"I-I shouldn't have come here," she practically whimpers. "He… he saw me and t-thought it was her. I've never seen anyone so scared. He started to shake and he couldn't catch his breath and—" Lana's breath hitches. "Oh, Zelda, if I could take it back then I would! I wasn't thinking…"

Usually, I'd be the sort of person to reassure her that even though she messed up, she had good intentions and we can work through this. But after all he's been through—all we've been through—to hear that she's caused him so much pain only fills me with anger.

"No," I mutter. "You weren't." Pushing myself to my feet, I can feel the glare on my face as she, wisely, doesn't meet my gaze. "You had good intentions, but you made the wrong call. I suggest you lay low for a while until we can put your sister behind us."

She nods numbly and I step aside so she can leave. I'm sure I'll feel sorry for her another time, but I have bigger fish to fry right now. I saved Link before and, even though I wasn't here to stop Lana, I can do my best to save him again. Once her figure has disappeared from sight, I steel myself for whatever I'm about to find inside and, with no guard posted outside his room anymore, I slip inside with ease.

Link is an infectious person—when he's happy, everyone's happy, but when he's sad, the whole world seems a little darker. The latter is what surfaces when I step inside, a strange, horrible atmosphere that feels like a shroud covers the room. It's such a dark feeling that it takes root inside and instantly crushes any hopes of comforting him.

Thankfully, there's no nurse inside so I have complete freedom to take care of Link. He lies listlessly on the bed and doesn't even acknowledge my entrance. Even though his eyes are open, he's not present in the room. He just lies there, taking in shaky breaths every few moments and doing the bare minimum to exist. I know that feeling all too well and all I can hope is that I can bring him out of the darkness.

I cautiously shuffle over to the chair left by the bed and sit down, murmuring his name but getting no response. I reach out for his hand, only to find it grasping the bedsheets in a white-knuckled grip. I frown at his haggard face and pray I can help. Desperate not to startle him, I gently rest my hand over his—there's no response.

What would I want to hear?

"I'm sorry you had to go through this alone," I murmur as quietly as possible so I don't make him jump. "I'll never be able to completely understand what you went through, but what I do know is that you aren't alone now. You have me, your family and all your friends; we're here for you."

Still nothing.

"Is… is there anything I can do to help?" I continue softly. He says nothing, only blinks slowly, and my voice falters, "Y-You're safe now… you won't ever have to go back there again."

Nothing.

I do my best to remember what I'd want to hear, and part of that is a presence. It doesn't matter if I'm talking or not, I'd just want to have someone there. "Just keep breathing…" I whisper, squeezing his hand. "I've got you."

He's fought so hard, I think to myself. He doesn't deserve this…

"They can't hurt you anymore."

That's when he finally finds my eyes and it's like a knife through the heart. Any colour he'd regained has been robbed from him again, with all the shining mirth in his eyes gone too. He looks at me like he wants to scream for help, but his voice won't let him. I reach up and touch his cheek, rubbing my thumb over the tear tracks that run down them, and I realise that I was wrong about her never being able to hurt him again; she's still hurting him, and she will for a long time.

"What are you doing here?" I snap my head up to find a nurse in the doorway and she looks far from pleased. Since she hasn't been as softly spoken as I have, her voice is incredibly jarring. "You aren't supposed to be in here."

"I heard about what happened and wanted to help," I say a little too defensively. "We're partners; we've supported each other through our worst times."

Yet she merely shakes her head, "After what's happened today, what he needs is rest and time to process. No visitors are allowed for the rest of the day at the least."

"But I—"

"Please…" My heart leaps at the sound of Link's raspy voice and I instantly look back at him, but he's focused on the nurse. "I need her."

Even the nurse falters at his tone. His expression is blank, though his eyes burn with emotion as he pleads for her to let me stay. I join him and silently do the same, praying that it works. But the few words Link has said, and more so the way he's said them, are a cry for help that I haven't heard in a long time; I refuse to abandon him.

Finally, the nurse sighs and relents, "Alright… I'll give you a few hours, but only if you try and get some rest after—your body and mind need to recover."

"Thank you," I whisper, a tiny smile gracing my face when she smiles too. She says nothing as she excuses herself, leaving us alone and hopefully free of any other visitors for a while.

Link turns his attention to me then and I know exactly what he asks for before he can even start mustering the energy to say it. I kick off my shoes and hop onto the bed, curling into his side and letting his arms drape around me. It's not his usual strong grip, but having me here is enough for him right now. I hug him with the same lightness, careful not to press against any wounds or bruises.

"I had a dream when I was there," he murmurs after a few minutes, speaking so quietly that I barely hear him. "I dreamt that I'd gotten free somehow and I was running for the exit… but then I woke up and I was still there."

"You won't ever go back there again," I whisper fiercely. "You're free now…"

We stay like this for a while, just holding one another as time escapes us. Sometimes we're silent and let ourselves enjoy each other's presence, other times I'm holding him closer and running my hand up his arm when his breathing picks up and he's overwhelmed with particularly horrible flashbacks. Even though his panic attack is over, it doesn't mean that he's clear of the repercussions yet.

"It was so cold…" Link whispers during one of his worst memories. "All I could do was sit there and wait for my body to give up. If anything… it was a blessing when it finally happened."

"But you didn't give up," I insist. "You kept fighting and you're here now; you won't ever have to go back there again."

I'm not sure how long it takes for him to relax and break through the worst of his memories, but I'm there every step of the way until he hugs me tighter and mumbles a tiny, "Thank you," into my hair. I just squeeze him back.

As I pull away and sit at arm's length, I murmur, "I'm always here for you." Goddess above, I don't know what I'd have done if I'd lost you, I silently add, unable to muster the energy to say it out loud.

"I know." He pauses then, with a forced smirk, adds, "I don't know many people who'd push through a concussion just to come and save me." And yet, his attempt at humour is lost on me because all I can think about is how I held him as I failed to keep him awake. His expression softens when I don't reply, "Zelda?"

I stare at him for a long time, desperately trying not to lose myself to those memories again. But there's one particular memory that I'll never forget. For that moment, I'm no longer looking at Link, but Cia; I can hear my voice echoing around my mind.

"There's clearly another reason apart from love. But no… your souls are bound to one another; it would be impossible to think that—"

"You're wrong."

"What?"

"I do care about him."

It's still true, and a part of me suddenly wants to tell him the truth. But then I snap back into the present moment and think about what he's been through today. He needs time to rest and recover—he doesn't need my emotions complicating that.

I will tell him one day, just not right now.

Before I can say anything, the door squeaks open and the nurse appears to say that my time's up. As much as Link tries to protest and insist that he isn't tired, the nurse isn't having any of it. Knowing that we can't fight her, I thank her for letting me stay, to which she smiles and nods but says nothing on the matter, and I sheepishly move back to my chair to tug my shoes back on. Even though we've passed the time reliving the worst time of our lives, I'm glad that we got each other through it together and I'll do anything to support him like he's done for me so often.

As I tie my laces and clamber onto my feet, I say, "Well, that's my time. I better get out of your hair before that nurse of yours throws me out herself."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I only half lie, offering him the most reassuring smile I can. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hey," he murmurs as I go to leave, catching my attention straight away. I turn back and find his unreadable expression, almost like he wants to say something but isn't quite sure how to say it. After a while, he finally says, "Thank you for today. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Neither would I," I murmur, then quietly take my leave and sag against the nearest wall outside his room, closing my eyes and breathing, "Neither would I…"