He stared down at his boyfriend's bruised, exhausted face, a heavy, suffocating ache settling deep inside his chest.
Please, Matteo thought, a crushing sense of dread settling deep in his chest as he looked at the man he loved.
Please let this not be true.
By the time the doctor finished administering the treatment, Adrian was barely able to keep his eyes open. The heavy cocktail of drugs still lingering in his system, combined with exhaustion and the IV fluids helping stabilize his body, finally took its toll.
His breathing gradually slowed.
His eyelids fluttered shut.
And within minutes, he slipped into a deep, restless sleep, his head rolling slightly to the side on the pillow.
Matteo stood up from the mattress, his face completely blank as he turned to the doctor.
"How is he doing?" he asked.
The doctor quietly packed his stethoscope into his medical bag and offered a reassuring nod.
