Sunlight poured through the tall windows of the military hospital''s VIP room,


    casting a warm glow across the white sheets. Matthew was pinned down on the bed, doing his best to wiggle free from West Palmer, who was both his doctor and, unfortunately for Matthew, way too dedicated to the job.


    "West, I keep telling you, I''m fine. Why can''t you just believe me?" Matthew grunted, pushing at West''s arms. "I know my body better than you do. I''m ready to leave."


    West was sweating, trying to keep Matthew from moving and still avoid hurting him. "Matthew, the doctor said you need to rest. Why do you always ignore medical advice? You''re as stubborn as ever."


    "You nearly died this time, do you get that? Even if you''re stable now, we have no idea when you might rpse." West''s voice was tight with worry. "This is a gic condition. You need long-term monitoring. Leaving now is way too risky."


    Matthew huffed, still squirming. “I can''t just sit around here. There''s too much going on. I know my limits."


    The door swung open and Reese walked in, only to freeze at the sight of the two of them tangled on the bed. Her face ran through about five different expressions in a second.


    Themotion made both men stop and look up.


    "Ms. Meyer, can you please talk some sense into him?" West asked, as if she was hisst hope. "This is a hospital. Patients are supposed to listen to their doctors, right?"


    "It''s my body. I get to decide," Matthew shot back, and while West was distracted, he managed a quick kick, just enough to break free.


    "Hey!" West stumbled back, ring. "I''m just trying to help, you know."


    "Matthew." Reese gave him a look. Then she turned to West. "Dr. Palmer, it''s alright. I won''t let him sneak out."


    "Reese, the de project isn''t done. I can''t waste time here," Matthew insisted, his tone almost desperate.


    "I''m on top of the de project," Reese said, trying not tough at the look on his face.


    Matthew was always so calm and collected, the person she could lean on no matter what. Seeing him act so childish was new to her. It made him seem more alive, more real.


    He looked like he was about to argue again, but Reese just handed him a cup of water with a straw, cutting him off.


    "You''re a patient. You need to listen to your doctor," she said gently. She picked up an apple from the table and started peeling it, her eyes drifting back to Matthew as she worked.


    The sunlight softened the lines of his face, chasing away some of the paleness. His longshes cast shadows across his cheeks. He still looked a little weak, but he was as handsome as ever.


    Reese felt her heart soften. She''d been so worried these past few days, but now that she could see him getting better, she could finally breathe again. Still, the doctor''s words echoed in her mind. Matthew would need a stem cell transnt from a blood rtive. The thought weighed on her.


    "Exactly. You''re a patient, so act like


    one," West said, grinning a little now that Matthew had finally stopped Looks like someone ca


    fighting."


    finally keep you in line."


    "Reese, I just don''t want you to wear yourself out," Matthew said, looking at her with a pleading softness in his eyes.


    Reese snapped back to the moment, cutting the apple into little chunks. She handed him a piece, her voice gentle but firm.


    "Dr. Palmer is right. You need to rest. Don''t even think about leaving."


    Matthew looked at the apple, then at her, and sighed. He took it and started eating, chewing slowly, like he was still working through his frustration.


    West looked relieved. "See? Just do what Ms. Meyer says. Rest, recover, and once you''re stable, you can leave."


    "I get it. You can go now," Matthew muttered, nodding but still with a stubborn glint in his eyes.


    Reese had tough at his sulky expression. "Come on, don''t pout. They''re only trying to help you. Your healthes first."


    Matthew''s eyes lit up at her smile. It made all the fighting melt away. For a second, he looked almost shy. "Really?"


    "Really," Reese replied, her cheeks turning a little pink under his gaze.


    "Then I''ll listen to you," Matthew said. He finally stopped arguing about leaving.


    "But if you get overwhelmed, you have to promise to tell me."


    "I will," Reese said with a smile. Grace got arrested and the Leslie situation was


    handled. There wasn''t much left for her to be stressed about.


    Suddenly, her phone rang, cutting through the quiet. Reese nced at the screen. When she saw Hank''s name her smile raded and a trace of annoyance shed in her eyes. Without hesitating, she hit decline.


    Matthew caught the change in her mood. "Something wrong?"


    "It''s nothing. Just someone not worth worrying about," Reese said, setting her phone aside. She wasn''t about to let anything from the Meyer family ruin this moment.


    Matthew didn''t push. He just studied her with a thoughtful look.


    A momentter, her phone buzzed with a text. Reese picked it up, unlocked it, and read the message from Hank. It was long. As she scrolled, her face grew colder, and a bitter smile tugged at her lips.


    Bailey wanted her to drop the charges? He promised he''d make it right, said he''d


    give her anything she wanted?


    She''d thought that after they learned the truth about the ident, at least they''d hold Grace ountable.