I don't remember walking back to my dorm.
One minute I'm in the hallway outside Ethan's office, the scent of old books and his cologne still clinging to my clothes. The next I'm sitting on my bed, staring at nothing. The autumn light through my window has shifted from afternoon gold to dusky purple. Hours have passed.
Riley's voice breaks through. "Avery?"
I blink. Look at her.
She's standing in the doorway. Backpack still on. Concerned. Her nursing scrubs are visible beneath her unzipped hoodie; she must have just finished her clinical rotation at County General.
"How long have I been sitting here?"
"I don't know. I just got back. You okay?"
"No."
She drops her bag. Sits next to me. The mattress dips under her weight, and I catch the antiseptic smell of the hospital still clinging to her. "What happened?"
"Liam walked in."
"Walked in where?"
"The professor's office. While I was there."
Riley goes still. "Shit."
"Yeah."
"Did he... did he see anything?"
