CLAIRE
I didn't sleep.
Not because of fear, but because my mind refused to slow down. The confrontation from the night before replayed itself every time I closed my eyes. Aiden's instinctive reaction. Lila's calm refusal to back down. The way I stepped between them without thinking. That part stayed with me. It felt like a line crossed, even before the science began.
Morning light crept through the blinds while I sat at my desk with a mug of untouched coffee. Papers covered every surface. Notes from med school. League testing rules. My own handwritten observations from years of watching Aiden recover faster than logic allowed. I wasn't chasing a miracle. I was building a workaround.
Hiding the truth had failed. Lying had limits. Science did not care about fear or reputation.
