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Chapter 74

“I love you,” Jason said. “We love you. You’re going to be fine.”

Colby sighed again, gave them a beleaguered mock-scowl, turned it into a smile. Meant the words, even more than he’d expected, answering. “I know.”

* * * *

Jason, still holding Colby’s hand, stopped reading. Let the sentence, all steampunk pirates and a first voyage with a stiff-necked aeronautical captain-slash-future-love-interest aboard, trail off. Set down the iPad he’d borrowed from a nurse. Watched Colby’s face: closed eyes, long eyelashes lying still over pale skin, that bandage like a vicious scrawl across a tattered canvas. Colby hadn’t eaten much when offered food.