Read Chapter 20: — THE RESULT

Adrian’s oxygen saturation dropped on his sixth day of illness.

Not dramatically.

That was almost worse.

Lena knew too much about how quickly mild deterioration could become severe.

She called him.

“You sound breathless.”

“I walked to the washroom.”

“What’s your saturation?”

“Lena.”

“What is it?”

“Ninety-two.”

“On room air?”

“Yes.”

“I’m calling the physician there.”

“There is already a physician here.”

“You are not allowed to count yourself.”

“I meant another one.”

She ended the call and cried in a storage closet for exactly ninety seconds.

Then she went back to work.

Adrian did not worsen.

By day nine his fever broke. By day eleven he could walk the length of the ward without desaturating significantly. By day fourteen his repeat testing was negative.

Lena read the result before he called.

When the phone rang, she answered with, “I know.”

“I wanted to tell you.”

“I saw the result.”

“You were stalking my chart.”

“I was monitoring a colleague.”

“A colleague?”

She closed her eyes.

The hospital corridor around her was suddenly too bright.

“Adrian, I don’t want to do this again.”

His voice became quiet.

“Do what?”

“Lose years because I’m afraid to say the obvious.”

He waited.

“I loved you when I left.”

He did not breathe for a second.

“I think part of me kept loving you because I never let the relationship finish honestly.”

“Lena—”

“I’m not saying we can erase anything. I’m not saying we walk out of this and pretend we’re twenty-five. I’m saying when this is over, if you still want to, I want to try again.”

Adrian’s laugh broke halfway into something like a sob.

“I came back to Lakeshore because I wanted a chance to hear exactly that.”

“Then don’t get reinfected.”

“Yes, doctor.”

For the first time in weeks, Lena smiled without effort.