His mouth and throat were so dry all he could manage was a hoarse whisper. He was allowed to have a drink of water, and was told that he could have a snack later in the day. The nurses soon had him propped up and sitting in bed. ‘Wow,’ said Mum, staring at him, Dad beside her. ‘I think you’re looking better already. Your skin isn’t as yellow.’ She came right up to the bed and stared at his face. ‘And your eyes … they’re white.’ A little while later Doc J stopped in to check on him. Dillon noticed that his bow tie was bright orange today. He looked over the charts at the foot of Dillon’s bed, where the nurses recorded their obs. He nodded and made ‘uh-huh’ sounds as he adjusted his glasses. ‘I am very pleased with your progress. Everything seems to be going well.’ ‘You have … interesting ties,’ said Dillon. Doc J smiled. ‘Bow ties are cool!’ He hung the chart back in place and pulled up a seat. ‘Right,’ he said, looking from Dillon to his parents and back again.
