sess the IV line taped to Buddy's hand. She noticed a slight, p

n on the metal tray. She reached out and gently press

ugh his teeth. His hand flinched, t

elling instantly. The IV had infiltrated; the fluid was

lve shut, cutting off the drip. Her movements we

. He took a step forward, his voice tight w

rew the words over her shoulder. She stated it was a minor infiltration and

hove. He stopped moving. He slowly took two steps backward unti

close to Buddy and spoke in a low, soothing murmur, telling him it would

ough his lips. But his eyes never left Kendal's face. He

ntly pressed a sterile cotton swab hard against the puncture

ched her hands. A violent wave of j

s. She had sat on the edge of their bed until dawn, wiping sweat from h

ind a vault, and she was freely giving i

When the nurse handed it through the curtain, Kendal carefully lai

He looked up at her, his voice trembling slight

ide her chest squeezed painfully. Without thinking, she reached out and ran h

spike straight through Elmore

er by the shoulders, and tell her the truth. He wanted t

pipe like a steel wire. He stood in the corner, a

and dehydration, the veins were flat and difficult to trace. She bent over l

out from behind her ear and fell a

half-step forward, his fingers lifting to tuck the hair back behind

er head sharply and rubbed her face against her ow

hysical rejection. It drew a thick,

d in perfectly. She taped it down

ace a blank mask, and recited the observation prot

ushed the curtain aside, and walked out

looked down at his son, who was staring sadly at the