The witch looked up and met Adam’s eye. “You know you mean a lot to me, don’t you? And—earlier today, I thought… but… right now… right now I just need a friend. I just—I just need someone to tell me everything is going to be alright.”

Adam was quiet for some time. “Everything’s going to be alright,” he said at last, but his voice shook a little. He sat on the edge of her bed, and slipped an arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder.

“Thank-you.” Marlene closed her eyes, allowing the long withheld tears to trickle down her cheeks. Adam said nothing, but pulled her closer, so that as he leaned back against the wall, her tears fell onto the front of his shirt. She began to cry properly, her shoulders shaking as she wept, but still he said nothing, and—some time later—when Healer Holloway came by and saw the two sleeping teenagers, he, too, said nothing.