He paused, then his tone shifted to puzzled seriousness. "The girl who brought you in—she's your girlfriend, right? What happened? Her brother seemed extremely agitated in the emergency room; he was crying and making a scene. She's been trying to calm him down and didn't even have time to come see you during surgery."
I forced a tight smile and said nothing. The doctor sighed and didn't press further.
I tugged at the corner of my mouth and didn't say anything.
In the evening, the ward door was gently pushed open.
Eliana walked in. Her makeup was smudged; exhaustion flickered in her eyes. She paused at the bedside, staring at my bandaged head for a few seconds before speaking.
"What did the doctor say?"
"Not going to die," I answered flatly.
Eliana's brow knit. "Jared, don't say that. Gideon—"
"What about him?" I cut in, lifting my gaze to meet hers.
She pressed her lips together. "Your punch fractured his nasal bone. They're still treating it. More importantly, he was terrified—his emotions are unstable and his condition has gotten worse."
A fractured nose. Hearing that caused no ripple in me; if anything, the punch felt too light.
"So?" I asked.