Two fingers slid to his pulse, his heart shaking as the nurses watched the doctor. Last chance, they had told him, to get a confirmation of what was happening inside of him. He could nearly taste it. Freedom seemed so strange, even while he was seconds away from it.

He clutched his satchel, trying his best to hold still. This was the final check, the last little step and then he was finally done.

No more medicine, no more hours in the plain white walls. He had to trust that this was the right thing.

He saw her glance up at the figures behind, trying her best to avoid their eyes. When she looked back at him, all he could see was fear. Something had to be wrong.

“Well, good job, Mr. Riley.” She laughed dryly, her forehead shining gently in the cold light. “It seems you’ve done quite a good job fighting off the virus. You’re free to go.”

The room was silent for a moment, his mind too chaotic for him to notice. There had to be something she was scared of. Something bad. Still, she had said he was fine.

Nothing made sense.

“Wait, Doctor Johannes, you said I could see the results-“

“C’mon Rosie, the Doctor’s got to have a pretty busy schedule, right?”

She swallowed and nodded.

“How ‘bout we talk about this at home, Ambrose?”

Both of his brothers crowded around him, their hands on his shoulders. When his eyes darted to Johannes, realization struck him.

His brothers. Of course. If she wasn’t telling them something, it had to be serious. He had to know.

“Oh, uh, sure.” His eyebrows furrowed as he thought. “Could I, um, have a moment before we go?”

“Why?”

He swallowed hard. With them looking at him like that, he couldn’t find his brothers. All that was left was an angry pack of wolves.