One Cold Thought, a Sky Full of Stars

After my surgery, when it was time to be discharged, Jim brushed me off with a single line about a meeting he couldn't miss. So I had to grit my teeth through the pain and take a cab home. The door opened and he was standing in the entryway, his eyes flicking toward the bedroom, his voice dropping low. "Shirley's dog got sick last night. She stayed up all night at the animal hospital, didn't sleep a wink. I was worried something would happen to her, so I brought her over here to rest for a bit."