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Rick Morgan held his younger daughter close "Is she going to continue to an’s shoulder "This is a critical ti and, prior to this, healthy, so her chances are good She’s stable right now But given what she’s been through" He squeezed his shoulder "We’ll see"

Once the physician left, a nurse dressed in blue trousers and tunic walked up and san nodded

"Two can come back," she said

"Just two?" Ellie’s brother, Kyle, said

"I’lanced around "Which two? You can follow me"

Gawan locked eyes with her Five can co hours, if they wish Let your coworkers know the physician says it’s all right

"Okay," she said, eyes wide "You can all follow an looked at Gawan and then silently followed the wide-eyed nurse As they passed the small nurse’s station in the center of the ward, Gailled theood measure

Gaas in no way prepared to see his intended the way he no her: tubes, beepingEllie’s breathing for her Aye, he knew the na them strapped to her

Ellie’s sister cried and held her hand

Her brothers, flanking Ellie’s sides, just stood there, silent, their hands resting on the covers beside her

Rick Morgan’s face had blanched, and as big as thein his hands as he swiped back a bit of Ellie’s hair "Christ, girl," he said, his voice cracking "Christ"

Gawan stood back near the foot of the bed and watched Ellie’s chest rise and fall with each horrible click of thatas he could stand it before he simply closed his eyes

And so it went on like that, all day long The Morgan siblings went in and out, graciously allowing others to replace thean and Gawan rehts, they took their turns co Only Jason, who, by the bloody saints, looked as pale as Ellie, lingered a while, whispered so in her ear, and then left

Hours passed by, and Gawan never sat He could do nothing save stand beside Ellie, hold her hand, and pray she’d arderobe and no one else was about, Gahispered into Ellie’s ear, "I yfnesaf, Adduneda ’m cara atat forever ’n ddarpar" It was a heartfelt verse in his native tongue, and he prayed that even though she was deep in slumber, she may hear it He supposed he’d never know

It was hours later when Nicklesby touched his arlanced at the clock Nearly six pm "Nay, not until just now"

"You’ve only a few ," he said, his voice quiet "I know this is passing sorrowful, Sir Gawan"

"I knohat needs to be done,Nicklesby’s bony shoulder and giving a thankful squeeze "Not yet, though"

"Poor lalance at Ellie "I’ll be just outside, if you need ed drastically

He, Rick Morgan, Andi, and Tristan were in Ellie’s rooan to sound its alar her heartbeat let out a long, solid screaan yelled "Nurse!" at the same time

The nurse ran in, took one look at Ellie, pushed past Gawan, and slaainst a round silver button on the wall, sending off an alar Ellie

The curtain to Ellie’s room was yanked, and in a matter of seconds was filled with all sorts of hospital staff, squeezing past one another to get to her A doctor--not the one who perforet these people out of here!"

And then what his Ellie would have terain

Because, by the bloody saints above, Gaasn’t going anywhere

While he didn’t want to interfere with Ellie’s care, Gawan knew he could not leave Not for one bloody second He willed the doctor and other staff to ignore everyone else and simply do their jobs, which they did

Meanwhile, everyone fro lobby poured out to wait by Ellie’s roolanced over shoulders, and swore Everything was chaotic, Bailey was crying, Andi was crying, and the es

Gawan lurked in the physician’s one

"Nay!" Gawan yelled at the doctor "Stay your course Do you hear? Keep to your bloody task!" Fury rolled inside hireat North Sea wave, his insides burned with it, and as he watched the lifeless body of his beloved laying there, unresponsive, Gawan let out a battle cry he’d not released in centuries