"Does it still hurt a lot?"
"It hurts..."
That single word of weakness nearly brought Sophia to tears again. She forced herself to hold them back. If this were any other time, she would have scolded him playfully, telling him he deserved it. But now, she only stroked his face gently and whispered,
"If it hurts, why are you still trying to act tough? Try to get some sleep, okay?"
Capone shook his head. "I can't sleep. Sophy... talk to me."
He put aside his pride and pleaded, curling up beside her like a child. His forehead no longer pressed against the cold, unforgiving iron railing of the hospital bed, but against her body, desperately seeking the warmth she carried.
"Dr. Kwong just said you coughed up blood. What... what happened? Is it because of your stomach condition? Is it a gastric hemorrhage?"
"Mm."
"When did it start getting worse? Did you already know?"
"Mm."
