The Day Ethan Cole Got Sick — And Greyhaven Refused to Let Him Be Alone
Chapter 3
Ethan’s house was quiet.
Too quiet.
Walter carried the bags inside.
Ethan followed slowly.
“I can do that.”
Walter didn’t stop.
“I know.”
He placed the medicine on the counter.
“Thermometer.”
Ethan took it.
“Water.”
He pointed toward the refrigerator.
“Soup.”
Ethan looked at him.
“June packed it.”
“Of course she did.”
Walter smiled.
Then he looked at Ethan.
“You’re staying here.”
“I know.”
“No work.”
“I know.”
“No pretending you’re fine.”
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
Walter pointed at him.
“That one is specifically for you.”
Ethan almost smiled.
Almost.
Walter walked toward the door.
“Call me.”
“I will.”
Walter stopped.
“And Ethan?”
“Yeah?”
“Seriously.”
Ethan looked at him.
“If you need anything.”
Ethan nodded.
“Okay.”
Walter left.
The door closed.
Silence returned.
Ethan sat on the couch.
For several minutes, he did nothing.
Then his phone buzzed.
Walter.
You alive?
Ethan smiled.
Unfortunately.
The reply came immediately.
Good.
Ethan put the phone down.
He looked around the room.
The house was modest.
Clean.
Quiet.
Everything was where he expected it to be.
He had always liked that.
Nothing moved unless he moved it.
Nothing interrupted him.
Nobody asked questions.
Nobody expected anything.
He took his medicine.
Then tried to sleep.
The fever made that difficult.
He woke sweating.
Then freezing.
Then sweating again.
By evening, he was exhausted.
He managed half the soup June had packed.
Then he lay back down.
At 8:30, his phone buzzed.
June.
Temperature?
Ethan checked.
39.4°C.
He sent the number.
Three seconds later:
Stay home. Don’t move.
Ethan frowned.
Wasn’t planning to.
No response.
Five minutes passed.
Then came a knock.
Ethan opened his eyes.
Another knock.
He forced himself upright.
The room tilted.
He waited.
Then walked toward the door.
When he opened it, Walter stood there.
June was beside him.
Claire stood behind them.
Ethan stared.
“What are you doing?”
Walter held up a thermometer.
“Checking.”
“I’m fine.”
June raised an eyebrow.
“Really?”
Ethan sighed.
“Apparently not.”
They entered.
No one asked permission.
June went straight to the kitchen.
Claire filled a glass of water.
Walter checked the thermometer.
Ethan sat on the couch.
He watched them move.
There was something strangely intimate about it.
They knew where things were.
They knew what he needed.
They didn’t treat him like a burden.
That was the part he didn’t understand.
June returned with soup.
“Eat.”
“I already ate.”
“When?”
“Earlier.”
“How much?”
Ethan didn’t answer.
June looked at Walter.
Walter shook his head.
“That’s what I thought.”
Ethan sighed.
“I hate all of you.”
Claire smiled.
“No, you don’t.”
Ethan looked at her.
She was right.
He didn’t.
He simply wasn’t used to this.
