The dressing had held through the walk. Caleb bent toward the motel lamp while Suzu checked its edge, keeping her fingers clear of the lifted collar seal beneath it.
She replaced the wet outer pad, leaving the original seal beneath it alone. Caleb passed her his pen to mark the stain's edge. Two unused pads remained in the packet, with enough tape to secure them.
The wet pad went into a bag she tied shut before setting it beside the bathroom bin. She washed her hands while Caleb held the lamp over the packet to check its contents.
"We can check it again when you wake," she said. "If it spreads, I call dispatch."
"They're still coming?"
She showed him the message confirming their location. The road unit was delayed at the urban block. A second warning kept aircraft grounded.
Caleb tested the room's bolt with his left hand and wedged the chair under the handle. Suzu looked at the chair, then at the narrow gap beside the bed where she had intended to sit.
