The following morning at the hospital, Hiraya was still asleep when Nathaniel quietly slipped into her ward holding a vase of fresh lilies.
The steady rhythm of her monitor was calmer now, her breathing easier though every movement still carried a shadow of pain.
He quietly placed the vase by the window, while stealing a glance at Hiraya's peacefully sleeping face. He glanced at his wristwatch and saw that it was already past 8:00 AM.
'Griffin and Kendrick should be here any moment now.' He thought to himself.
"Nath..." Hiraya's calm but raspy voice forced his gaze back to her, a stunned expression framing his face as he wondered if she had been awake the whole time while pretending to be sleeping.
"Boss... you're awake... Good morning."
"What's with the flowers?" Hiraya asked softly, eyeing the beautiful lilies.
"The flowers..." Nathaniel's voice trembled, "I...I...I... Know how much you like these..." He gulped down, afraid Hiraya might get the wrong idea.
