Chapter 18

• He startles hard when I use my thumb to wipe the tear from his eye, the steady grip on my hand easily conveys the true nature of his fear. Angela steps back over gently touching his arm. She looks at me sadly when he chokes back a yelp, squeezing his legs even tighter against his abs.
• “Cole, I’m going to listen to your lungs before we roll you to your back. I do need to get your shirt off to get the stickers in the proper place. Are you okay with me cutting it?”
• He nods his head slowly as he flinches hard under Angela’s stethoscope.