I leaned halfway against the wooden panel and he went downstairs with the speed of an exhalation. Alexander came back accompanied by a new box of painkillers plus a bottle of cold water, and offered me his arm for support to return to my room. I thanked him for all the gestures by accepting his help. I sat back down on the bed and drank some water to swallow the pills, no more than the recommended dose. I closed my eyes again for a moment, so the world would finally stop spinning, and I felt better.
“…thank you. I’ll go back to sleep, I’m fine now,” I said, exhausted. I needed to rest; he had been right all along.
At least he wasn’t shameless enough to say “I told you so.”
“Are you sure you’re better now?” he asked instead, and crouched in front of me. He brushed my hair away from my fa
