Mezos left shortly after midnight only because his physician appeared in the doorway with two palace guards and informed him that if he remained upright for another minute, they had been authorized to sedate him.
Mezos had looked at Arik.
Arik had looked at the support field holding his damaged shoulder together.
"Go."
"Your concern wounds me."
"Your shoulder is already doing that."
Mezos left with dignity until the door closed behind him.
Then Arik heard him threaten the physician in the corridor.
—
Liam did not wake.
He remained curled near the center of the bed, Arik's shirt still clutched in one hand. His long brown hair had dried in soft disorder across the pillow, several strands caught against his cheek and the exposed skin beneath his ear.
The mark over his scent gland was barely visible beneath them.
Arik stood beside the bed for several minutes, watching his breathing.
Sleeping would have been sensible.
