The call came at three in the morning.
I was sitting by the door with my back against the wall. I was not really sleeping. I just had my eyes closed. Then my earpiece crackled. It was Liv. She sounded worn out. Not just tired. The kind of tiredness that comes from watching someone fade slowly and knowing you cannot stop it.
"Jax. You need to tell Elena. It's her mother."
I sat up straight. My chest felt tight. "What happened?"
"The machine is failing. The doctors here say it is hours. Maybe less. She has been looking toward the door. She cannot talk. But her eyes keep searching. Like she is waiting for Elena."
I looked across the room. Elena was curled up on the floor with her head on her pack. Maja was beside her. She was using Elena’s coat as a blanket.
"I will tell her," I said.
