Dr. Terano turned toward him, letting out a knowing sigh. “It’s got open beds, especially for the length of time he’ll need to be in. Obviously we can check again after he gets the hand done, but . . .” She shrugged in that frustrated, overburdened healthcare system way that Will had done a thousand times himself.

“I could make a call.” He had a facility in mind where a former coresident worked. It was farther away but better equipped, a place he thought would be more comfortable.

“Wait,” Nora said. “Open beds?”

“At his age,” Dr. Terano began, and Jonah made a snort of offense. “And with the injuries he has, a few weeks of residential rehab is the right move. He can do therapy during the day, and have twenty-four-hour care at other times.”

“I live across the hall from him.” Her voice was high, nervous. “If the therapists could come there, me and my neighbors—”

“It’s a third-floor unit,” Will said, which was absolutely his first mistake. Nora’s eyes snapped to his, her expression hard. He cleared his throat.

Dr. Terano looked to Jonah. “Third floor, huh?”

“How else do you think I keep this physique?” Jonah said, which would’ve been funny had Nora not been vibrating with tension beside him. Even Jonah seemed a bit nervous when he looked over at her.

“The rehab facility is the best option, really,” said Dr. Terano. “After you’re out, that’s the bigger challenge. How accessible is this building you’re in? Is there an elevator?”

Jonah laughed, as though the very thought was ridiculous. Will looked over at Nora, something about her expression tugging at his memory, but he couldn’t get a grasp on it, not when Dr. Terano was still talking to Jonah about the building.

“Stairs might be fine for you, eventually, but the thing is, your grip strength will need a lot of work, so railings aren’t always going to be reliable assists for you. If the stairs are narrow, or steep—”

Will cringed, thinking of all the times he’d gone up and down those steps over the last few months.

“What about one of those chairs?” Nora said. “The mechanical ones, to go up and down?”

“Won’t work,” Will answered, without thinking beyond the immediate thing, the practical thing, the thing that he felt like he’d been handling safely for hours. “Three flights and landings in between.”

His second mistake. Nora looked at him with such naked betrayal that his stomach cramped.

“He’s got a poi—” Jonah began.

“He doesn’t live there,” Nora said to Dr. Terano, and Will knew, he knew he’d messed up. Even Dr. Terano knew. She caught his eye and a silent professional communication passed between them: Not the best time to look too far ahead with the family.