The way Maxwell chose turns without hesitation, as though he knew where he was going, even when he claimed this place was unfamiliar.
The hospital came into view. Plain. Unremarkable. Safe. Inside, everything moved quickly. Too quickly for Ruby. Too controlled for Maxwell. Nathan was taken in for scans.
Machines hummed. Cold rooms. White walls. The kind of place that felt sterile in a way the village never could. Ruby stayed close. Her hand never leaving Nathan's.
Even when they told her to step back, she hovered, watching, absorbing, feeling something strange stir inside her again. Not fear this time. Recognition.
Maxwell stood just outside, arms crossed tightly, his mind working faster than anything happening around him. He had done everything right. Chose the right place. Kept control.
Stayed ahead. So when the doctor called him in. He wasn't expecting anything more than confirmation. A clean result. A quick discharge. A return to safety.
