Beron pushed open the door to the guest room, his heavy footsteps echoing softly in the quiet room where Holino lay silently sleeping on the bed. The younger Ford brother's handsome face was entirely relaxed, his long hair fan-spread over the white down pillows, his breathing deep and uncoordinated under the biological weight of the sedatives.
Beron stood beside the bed, pulling a small, crystal vial of clear liquid from his blazer pocket. It was a high-potency medical antidote designed to rapidly flush sedatives out of a nervous system. He leaned down, his hand reaching out to pry Holino's jaw open to force the liquid down his throat.
However, Holino's jaw remained locked tight, his teeth gritted in an involuntary, protective reflex even while unconscious. Beron tried again, his thumb pressing against the hinge of the jaw, but Holino's mouth wouldn't budge a single millimeter without risking breaking the bone.
