Micah and Darcy stayed like that for a while, shoulders touching, voices gone quiet, the earlier teasing fading into something softer. The room felt warmer than before, the air heavy with the low hum of the heater and the steady rhythm of Clyde's breathing.
Micah had just started to relax when a hoarse voice drifted across the room.
"So," Clyde murmured, "how long was I asleep for you to forget I exist?"
Both of them froze. Micah jolted like he'd been caught doing something wrong. He shoved Darcy away on instinct and shot to his feet too fast, pain flaring up in his injured ankle.
"Ah!" He sucked in a breath but ignored it, already leaning over the bed. "You're up!" His hand went straight to Clyde's forehead, fingers gentle as he checked for a fever. "How do you feel? Dizzy? Headache still there?"
Clyde looked up at him through sleepy eyes, lips curved faintly. "No, just chest pain…"
Micah's heart jumped to his throat. "What?" He stammered in panic. "Where did you say it hurt?
