Ruth was quiet for a long moment.
Then she laughed.
Not cruel. Just... disbelieving.
"Oh honey. You're not just dying. You're a walking tragedy."
Despite everything, I almost smiled.
"Yeah. I know."
Ruth didn't press for details.
She gave me a bed. Fed me. Made sure I took the prenatal vitamins she somehow had on hand.
"Had a daughter once," she explained when I asked. "Before. She didn't make it through the birth."
The grief in her voice was old but still sharp.
I didn't know what to say to that.
So I just nodded.
The days started to blur together.
The bond pain was constant now. A steady ache that never quite faded. But it was manageable. Barely.
I caught myself reaching for it sometimes. Trying to feel him through the connection.
Wondering if he felt me too.
Wondering if
