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Elsa smiled at masked patients as she passed the or very old

Ant sat up in his narrow cot, pretending swordplay with a fork and a spoon “Take that,the fork into the spoon His voice was still rough and the gas mask sat in readiness on the small table beside him “You’re no match for the Shadow!”

“Hey there,” Elsa said, sitting down on the edge of his bed He looked so ic and had reh, finally, was her boy He’s back Elsa’s relief was so sudden and staggering she felt tears sting her eyes

“Moed her so fiercely she alo

“I’ at her

“You lost a tooth”

“I did! And I really lost it Nurse Sally thinks I sed it”

Elsa lifted the basket she’d brought with her Inside was a bottle of orzata, the sweet syrupy drink they eneral store This was the last precious bottle they had, o and hoarded for special occasions Elsa added a splash of it to a bottle she’d filled with canned milk and shook it to make bubbles, then handed it to Ant

“Jeepers,” he said, savoring his first sip She kneould try to drink it slowly and make it last, but he wouldn’t be able to

“And this,” Elsa said, producing a single sugar cookie glazed with sweet icing

Ant nibbled the cookie like ahis way in to the chewy center

“It looks like one lucky little boy has aby the bed

Elsa stood “He looks better today, Doctor”

“Hea handful,” Dr Rheinhart said, ruffling Ant’s hair “His fever finally broke last night and his breathing is much improved He is absolutely on the mend I want to keep an eye on him for a few days, but that’s just to be safe”

Elsa offered the doctor a cookie “It’s not much, I know”