Morning came.
Uriel was exhausted, dark circles under his eyes, but he had not slept.
Could not sleep.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Lin Yue on the table, her heart stopping, the chaos of the room.
But Auriel was here. Warm and alive and perfect.
A different nurse entered with a bottle. "Time to eat, little one."
Uriel watched as she fed Auriel, fascinated by the process. The tiny mouth latching on, the eager sucking, the way his little hands curled and uncurled.
When the feeding was done, the nurse burped him and handed him back. "He will sleep again now. They do that a lot at this age."
Uriel nodded and settled Auriel against his chest.
A commotion in the corridor made him look up.
Vethra was walking toward the nursery, a smile on her face. Behind her, two nurses were helping someone walk.
Lin Yue.
She was pale, unsteady, wearing a hospital gown, her hair damp from the tank. But she was awake.
She was walking.
