Willow did not rush when she left the room.
She closed the door softly behind her, as if volume alone might determine what happened next. The corridor outside the ICU felt too bright, too wide, too indifferent to what had just been said inside a space no larger than a bedroom.
Lorrlyne was already there, standing near the window at the end of the hall, phone in her hand but not looking at it. She turned as Willow approached.
"How was he," she asked.
Willow opened her mouth, then closed it again.
"I talked," she said finally. "He didn't move."
Lorrlyne nodded once. Not disappointment. Understanding.
"Good," she said. "He knows your voice."
Willow leaned back against the wall, suddenly aware of the weight in her legs.
"I'm going to go check on Zana," she said. "I just wanted to tell you before I left."
"I'll stay," Lorrlyne replied. "Call me when you get there."
