Anna was stretched out on a sickbay bed with her head supported by a white, fluffy pillow. With her eyes closed and her breathing steady, she almost looked peaceful. You couldn’t be blamed for thinking she was deep in a restful sleep. Unfortunately, things weren’t that simple.
Jack sat at her bedside with his elbows on his thighs, his mouth hidden behind steepled fingers. “Come on, Ann,” he murmured. “We both know you can beat this thing. So, stop drawing it out, would you?”
His wife didn’t respond.
Unsure of what else to do, he remained at her side and tried to will his strength into her. It was silly and pointless – the universe didn’t work that way – but maybe some small, superstitious part of his brain thought that if he just wanted it bad enough…
He sat back, stretching out his le
