RYKER'S POV
The hospital cafeteria was nearly empty by the time the clock struck midnight. The bright fluorescent lights had been turned down to a low hum, and the only sound was the distant murmur of the night-shift staff.
I returned from the vending machines carrying two paper cups of generic hospital coffee. It was hot, cheap, and probably tasted like cardboard, but we both needed something to hold onto.
Lila was sitting at a small table near the large panoramic window. She had her knees pulled up to her chest, her chin resting on them as she watched the rain fall steadily against the glass outside.
I walked over quietly and handed her one of the cups.
She blinked, coming out of her thoughts, and smiled weakly up at me. "Thank you."
I sat down in the plastic chair right beside her
