Chapter 17

"Take a couple of days off and rest," Leroy said, though the words sounded hollow, even to himself. Sweat clung to his brow, his face pale as a sheet. He looked like a withered branch swaying in the wind, ready to snap at the slightest gust. His thin frame moved slowly down the hospital hallway, the rhythmic echo of his footsteps growing louder. The corridor around him seemed to close in as his vision darkened. His steps faltered, his balance wavered, and then everything went black. The last thing he heard was Zoe's panicked cry. "Is Mr. Olson okay? I told him he needed to rest!" … When Leroy opened his eyes, he first saw the stark white ceiling of a hospital room. "Mr. Olson, you're finally awake! You scared me half to death last night!" Zoe's voice broke through his disorientation as she rushed to his bedside. Her eyes were slightly red, betraying how worried she had been, but now they shimmered with gratitude and joy. "Why am I lying here?" Leroy asked, attempting to sit up