My stomach knotted, and Melanie hissed in my head. So stupidly, blindly stubborn! she growled. He wouldn’t believe you if you told him the sun sets in the west.

But Doc was beyond caring about the slight to me. “You found something!”

“Morphine—there’s not much. I would have gotten here sooner if the Seeker hadn’t pinned me down out there.”

Doc was instantly in action. I heard him rustling through something papery, and he crowed in delight. “Jared, you’re the miracle man!”

“Doc, just a sec…”

But Doc was at my side already, his haggard face alight with anticipation. His hands were busy with a small syringe. He stuck the tiny needle into the crease at Walter’s elbow, on the arm that was attached to me. I turned my face away. It seemed so horribly invasive to stab something through his skin.

I couldn’t argue with the results, though. Within half a minute, Walter’s entire body relaxed, melting into a pile of loose flesh against the thin mattress. His breathing went from harsh and urgent to whispery and even. His hand relaxed, freeing mine.

I massaged my left hand with my right, trying to bring the blood back to my fingertips. Little prickles followed the flow of blood under my skin.

“Uh, Doc, there really isn’t enough for that,” Jared murmured.

I looked up from Walter’s face, peaceful at last. Jared had his back to me, but I could see the surprise in Doc’s expression.

“Enough for what? I’m not going to save this for a rainy day, Jared. I’m sure we’ll wish we had it again, and too soon, but I’m not going to let Walter scream in agony while I have a way to help him!”

“That’s not what I meant,” Jared said. He spoke the way he did when he’d already thought about something long and hard. Slow and even, like Walter’s breath.

Doc frowned, confused.

“There’s enough to stop the pain for maybe three or four days, that’s all,” Jared said. “If you give it to him in doses.”

I didn’t understand what Jared was saying, but Doc did.

“Ah,” he sighed. He turned to look at Walter again, and I saw a rim of fresh tears start to pool above his lower lids. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

I wanted to know what they were talking about, but Jared’s presence made me silent, brought back the reserve I rarely felt the need for anymore.

“You can’t save him. You can only save him pain, Doc.”

“I know,” Doc said. His voice broke, like he was holding back a sob. “You’re right.”

What’s going on? I asked. As long as Melanie was going to be around, I might as well make use of her.