Liam Yancey drew her back into his embrace, protecting her within his arms. He hugged her tightly for a moment.
Then, with a heavy voice, he said, "Don't go over there. Her consciousness is not clear. No matter what you say, it's useless. Don't hurt yourself."
Tara Summer stiffened in place, her arms trembling slightly, but she did not insist anymore. She silently stepped back and leaned into the man's embrace.
The two turned and walked back to the sofa, then sat down, staring from a distance at the woman on the bed.
Emily Stone saw that they weren't coming over anymore, and her body noticeably relaxed quite a bit. She still leaned against the headboard, unblinkingly staring in the direction of the sofa. As she watched, she finally fell asleep.
Tara Summer stood up and walked alone to the side of the hospital bed to sit down. Her fingers touched Emily Stone's emaciated face, a little face so pale that it didn't look well at all.
