Matthias didn't speak at first as he stood in the doorway observing his son and wife, his silver hair hanging limp and escaping its usual neat arrangement. As he took in the scene, his jaw tightened and his knuckles whitened around the crutch that propped him upright.
"Reidar."
Lifting his head to reveal a face streaked with dirt and tears, the man wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand before trying to straighten up in the chair.
"Dad."
Matthias crossed the room, his crutch tapping against the polished floor with each step, before lowering himself into the chair beside Reidar's, wincing as his weight settled.
For a moment, neither spoke; the world continued around them while they remained frozen at Judy's bedside.
When Matthias reached out to place his hand over Reidar's where it still gripped Judy's.
"You made it," Matthias said.
"Yeah."
"From Serenport?"
"No. I was halfway to Creamont."
