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“Oh, son,” Louise said with a sniffle froently on Mack’s foreares that coht, Cubby” She smoothed his hair away from his forehead “Rest now”

She covered her mouth with her hand and squeezed her eyes shut as a silent sob ripped through her body

“I’et Kara,” she said softly “You stay here”

“Okay,” I said, nodding I looked back at Mack as Louise left the room

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there when they ca my thumb over his knuckles “But you knew they wouldn’t let me come back, didn’t you?” I let out a watery chuckle “You should have seen ates”

One of the machines made a weird noise andelse happened

“Everyone was looking for us,” I said, tracing the stitches on his face with o on I think my dad nearly shit himself when he saw me drive up”

“Rose?” Kara’s s me turn

“Hey, sweetheart,” I said “Come on in”

“Is he okay?” she asked, her eyes bewildered as she stared at the tube in Mack’s mouth

“They’re just helping hio of Mack so I could pull her toward me “But he’ll be okay”

“He looks really young,” she said

I glanced back at Mack She was right Without the beard, Mack had a baby face He didn’t look much older than me

“Maybe that’s why he wears the beard,” I said, s

“Hi, Dad,” Kara said, her hands fidgeting at her sides She looked at me “Can he hear me?”

“I don’t know,” I replied honestly “But I wouldn’t spill any secrets, just in case”

Kara scoffed, her eyes brightening a little “I don’t have any secrets”

“Good,” I said “Let’s keep it that way”

“What—” she paused, her gaze roa Mack “Where is he hurt?”

“His leg,” I said, watching her carefully “And his chest”

“And his face,” she whispered

“Yeah,” I confirmed “And his hand”

Kara’s eyes shot to Mack’s bandaged hand on the opposite side of the bed