At the hospital, Miles remained constantly at Paige's side.
He gently tucked the blanket around her and listened patiently as she whined in her soft, spoiled voice.
As he stroked her hair, however, an almost imperceptible restlessness and emptiness lurked in his eyes.
It felt as though something vitally important was quietly slipping beyond his control, about to disappear from his life forever.
The unease became so intense that he could no longer ignore it.
In the end, panic won. He told Paige to rest and strode quickly toward Nora's room.
When he pushed open the door, he found only an empty hospital bed.
His heart sank. An inexplicable fear swelled inside him.
He hurriedly caught a passing nurse by the arm. "Where's the patient in this room? Where did she go?"
The nurse answered,
