Chapter 54

sable

I return Archer’s smile with one that I hope conveys affection and offers him strength. I can tell he’s trying to lighten the situation however he can, so he can cut the tension hanging in the air. I reach out and slide my hand into his, giving his fingers a quick squeeze.

Most of the doors in the hallway are closed, except for the one standing open at the very end. The large bedroom would be cozy if not for the hospital-grade bed, IV stand, and heart monitor. A man that looks exactly like an older, grayer Archer is propped up against several pillows, a book held open between his hands.

The moment he sees Archer appear in the doorway, his face transforms into a beaming smile, and he sets his book on the nightstand. “You’re back!”

For someone who looks so sickly, his voice is booming. Malcolm’s skin is yellow with jaundice, and his cheeks and eyes are sunken. He has the look of a man who was once large and muscular, but who lost a lot of weight, very fast, and for all the wrong