I told Ruby three more stories before my brain quit on me.
The last one, about the time I'd tried to be a moody artist and grown a beard for two weeks before realizing my beard came in patchy and that made me look like a haunted scarecrow, got an actual real laugh out of her. Small, quick, immediately swallowed back behind the blanket, but it had been a laugh. I filed it as the second day-win.
Zero gave me a small nod from her chair which I read as good. Stop pushing your luck and let her rest, and I read it correctly, because by the time I leaned back against the wall my eyelids were doing a slow shutter that I could not seem to override.
Her soft voice whispered to me, "Sleep, sugar boy."
"...Just for a bit."
"Mm. I'll be here."
I closed my eyes for what felt like maybe ten seconds.
...
When I opened them again, the watery sun had shifted in the window, different angle with sharper light. My back hurt from sleeping against the wall, which was quite a stupid thing to do.
