Irina sat quietly in the car. Since leaving the clinic, she hadn't had much spirit, and that hadn't changed during the drive. Now she simply sat there, waiting for Bella to return with the sweets she had mentioned wanting to buy.
She kept her eyes closed and turned the air conditioning directly onto herself, as if she wanted to sink deeper into the feeling of sadness.
Seeing her brother's reaction had been a shock.
They had tried to let Emil know she was there to see him, but he hadn't said a word—he had remained completely silent.
The doctors hadn't thought it would be a problem; they had assumed he was simply tired. His energy was probably low after abruptly stopping his substance use, and his mood was unstable, so they figured a brief visit would be manageable.
Irina had agreed to stay at a distance while he sat in the garden, soaking up some sun.
But his reaction had been almost immediate.
The moment he saw her, he shot to his feet.
