Back on Earth, this sort of tactic was common. Hidden costs, unnecessary tests, inflated medications. He thought he'd left that behind.
But scum had a way of climbing any ladder.
No matter the world.
He didn't confront them. He didn't make a scene. He simply turned, walked into Mia's room, and sat by her bed.
She looked up, smiling sleepily. "You… came back."
He smiled faintly, brushing a hand through her hair. "Of course I did."
"You look… angry," she whispered.
"I'm not." But he was.
Not at her. At them. At the system. At this world.
It didn't matter, he told himself. She was safe now.
The silence in the room had stretched for a while. The soft beep of the monitors and the gentle rise and fall of Mia's chest were the only sounds that filled the space. The healing runes on her body had faded now, their glow gone, leaving her skin pale but peaceful. She was completely healed for a few hours.
Ethan sat beside her bed, his fingers still lightly holding hers.
