g he remembered was his sister dragging his unconscious body from the driveway, driving him

t' s Honora Matthews, your l

t, but only a dry rasp escaped his throat. The tapping grew

She was a middle-aged woman with gentle eye

Jesse, what ha

old that had settled deep in his bones. She saw the bruises,

d him up, her small frame surprisingly st

ncy room, a doctor with a gr

o the shadowy mass on the brain scan. "Late-

ation of the sentence he had already felt hanging over

more compassion than his own family ever had. She stayed wit

is sister for emergencies. It wasn' t much, but it was al

" he whispered.

. He knew he wouldn' t need it where

hospital bed, he heard familiar voice

mother was saying, her voice laced with false sympath

ical. "I just feel so scared! What if what happ

king a panic attack, his face a mask of fragil

er' s voice boomed. "We' ll take ca

ey rushed to comfort the imposter, leavi

ra appeared in the doorway of his roo

sneered. "Faking an illness to get

Honora," he sai

nto his skin, and pulled him out of the bed. The IV rippe

learn your lesson

d him into her car. She drove for what felt like an hour, deep into the

oice devoid of any emotion. She threw him out of the car and onto the damp earth. "Don'

d the temperature was dropping fast. He was weak from the illness, from the ab

sharing her candy with him. Were those memories real? Or had he invented them to survive? The years of overwork, the constant hunger, the crushing weight

ut of consciousness. He was so thirsty. He tried to crawl toward t

d, he heard a car skidding to a halt

esse, are

m. A single tear of gratitude rolled dow

etched with worry. He had severe pneumonia on top of everything e

he refused. He didn't want to be a burden.

our when there was a sharp knock on

er him, a smirk p

" she said. "I' m surprised y

y. The fear was gone. There was not

s voice quiet but clear. "I was in the hospital. I h