Elder Gideon's breathing gradually settled into a more stable rhythm, the strain that had gripped his body easing just enough for sleep to finally take him, not the restless, painful kind he had been trapped in before, but a deeper, calmer rest that allowed his body to begin recovering, even if only slightly. Lucas remained beside him for a brief moment, watching carefully, making sure the mixture had taken effect properly, his eyes tracing every subtle rise and fall of his father's chest until he was certain that, at the very least, his life was no longer slipping away so quickly.
