The hospital was hushed, with few visitors on her ward. When he slipped inside her room, she woke from a nap with a smile. “Hey, neighbor,” she said with a groggy tilt to her lips. “Hey, yourself. Sorry I woke you. Should I go?” He gestured back toward the open door. “Absolutely not.” He took off his coat, draped it over a chair and then pulled the chair next to the bed. “How’re you feeling?” “Stiff. Annoyed. I am not healing fast enough. I want out of here like yesterday.” She scowled. “You’re doing fine.” His gaze lit on the bouquets of flowers that were past their prime. “You want me to do something with those?” Kim followed his gaze. “Keep the cards for me? I’ll get housekeeping to do something with the vases.” He nodded, falling silent. “Something on your mind?”
