Page 37 of A Dragon's Miracle (Fires of Fate)
I bit my teeth together. “They should let you in, at least. You could help with your magic.” Zed was one of the few dragons with healing magic. Probably the only on this island. He'd only recently come back in full control of his powers, but I was sure he could be amazing if he kept at it.
“I'm sure they’re doing everything they can to make sure Ryan’s going to be okay,” my friend reassured me.
“I just don't know where this is coming from. He seemed fine earlier.” I looked to my friend. “Stuff like that doesn't just happen for no reason, does it?”
Zed shook his head, a regretful expression on his face. I remembered the day after Ryan had come back to the island and I'd felt like both he and Zed were hiding something from me. I hadn't worried about it too much, because they were my friends and I thought they'd tell me if I had anything to worry about, but now I wasn't so sure.
“You know something, don't you?” I said.
Zed lowered his eyes to the floor for a split second before meeting my gaze. “I'm sure Ryan is going to tell you everything when he wakes up.”
Like I could wait that long! I glared at Zed. “Don't be so ominous. Just tell me whether I need to worry or not.”
For a few excruciating seconds, Zed said nothing. Then, “Well, worrying isn't going to help right now.”
Yeah,thatput my mind at ease. I inhaled and buried my head in my hands. And this had started out as such a good day! I wanted to go back to the morning when Ryan had made me breakfast with that soft, adorable smile of his.
How had I not noticed that something was wrong with him?
Some boyfriend I was! I bit my thumb, going through the day's events again in my mind, but nothing stuck out as unusual.
“Hey.” Zed laid a hand on my back. “Stop torturing yourself.”
I shot him a glance. “How would you feel if it was Roger?”
“Terrible,” he said. “And you'd tell me that it wasn't my fault.”
I had to snort, because yeah, he had me there. “I just feel so bad that I didn't notice anything. It's bad enough that I let him go back to his ex after he'd already come back bruised one time. I keep not being there when it matters.”
“You're too hard on yourself. It was Ryan's choice not to tell you these things.”
“Yeah, but it can't go on like this.” I sat up straight. “From here on out, things are going to change.”
“That's probably for the best,” Zed agreed, patting my back. “But remember to be gentle with him when he wakes up.”
“I know,” I said, sighing, and as if on cue, the nurse came over to us.
* * *
When I entered the room, Ryan was pale and connected to an IV-drip, but awake. Zed followed behind me, but I hardly noticed him, my eyes glued to my boyfriend.
“Hey,” Ryan said in a soft voice. He made to sit up, but I'd reached the bed by now and laid a hand on his arm to keep him down.
“Rest,” I said, while Zed pulled a chair up from a corner so I could sit. He didn't get one for himself, but I didn't think further about that.
“I'm sorry I made you worry,” Ryan said.
I found his hand and interlaced our fingers. It felt good to be holding on to him. Like I was finally back where I belonged after the endless minutes in the waiting room. “It's fine. Just tell me what happened. The nurse wouldn't say anything.”
Ryan bit his lower lip, as if he was nervous about something, and then he looked to Zed.
“I'll be outside,” our friend excused himself from the room.
What was this about?
I sought Ryan's eyes again, but he wouldn't meet my gaze. “Tell me what's wrong.”
Ryan took a deep breath before he looked at me again. “I'm sick,” he said then.
