The Year I Stopped Being His novel Chapter 465

He twisted the key in the lock. The motion-sensor light in the entryway flickered on, washing the hallway in a warm, golden glow.

The floor lamp was on in the living room. Sloane sat on the sofa, still wearing his dark blue cotton bathrobe. The sleeves were rolled up a few times, bunching at her wrists. A medical journal she had taken from his bookshelf lay open on her lap, and she was looking down at it.

An IV stand was positioned next to the sofa. The medication bag had been swapped for a new one, the pale yellow fluid dripping steadily. Sloane's quiet profile was bathed in the hazy light.

Garrison felt a sudden wave of disorientation, losing track of time and space for a fleeting second.

"Dr. Foster, can I go home now? I feel much better."

A second later, Sloane looked up, closing the journal and placing it on the coffee table.

Garrison was speechless.

He changed into his slippers, walked in, and set his briefcase on the entryway cabinet. He leaned over to check the IV bag's level, then picked up the thermometer from the coffee table. It read 98.8 degrees. Her fever had broken.

He set the thermometer back down, took a seat in the armchair, and shook his head. "No. A lung infection isn't a minor issue. You need IV antibiotics for at least a week to ensure it doesn't develop into pneumonia."

Sloane leaned against the sofa's armrest and let out a helpless sigh.

"Alright. Then I should let my boyfriend know. I slept all day and haven't contacted him yet. He's probably worried."

Garrison's fingers curled imperceptibly against his knee.

He watched as Sloane picked up her phone from the coffee table. When the screen lit up, he caught a glimpse of a row of green message bubbles on the lock screen. The sender's name was just one word: Josh.

She rolled the sleeve of the bathrobe up another notch, her voice remarkably calm. "As for anything else, to be honest, I haven't really had the time to figure it out. When he confessed his feelings to me, I thought... maybe we could give it a try."

"He's a great guy. Falling in love with him would probably be a very happy thing."

Garrison listened in silence, his fingers slowly interlacing and tightening over his knee. The only sounds in the living room were the steady drip of the IV and the occasional passing car outside. After a long time, he finally spoke, his voice carrying a probing edge.

"You said Josh is your only family left... What about your father?"

"As far as I know, your mother passed away when you were ten, but your father is still alive. What are your feelings toward him? It's been a while since you woke up..."

"Haven't you ever thought about looking for him?"