For a full three seconds, nobody in that room moved at all.
Karlos stared at Berlin, Mike stared at Berlin, Prissy pressed both hands over her mouth and made a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a sob.
Karlos was out of his chair before his brain finished processing the moment. He leaned over the bed, one hand cupping the side of her face so carefully, like she was made of something that could shatter.
"Bell," his voice came out completely broken.
Berlin blinked again. Her eyes were foggy at the edges. She looked like someone walking out of a very long tunnel, squinting against the light.
"You're crying," she said, her voice barely a rasp. "Why?..."
"I am not," he said, and the tear that slid down his cheek at exactly that moment made Prissy laugh out loud from the corner of the room.
"You are absolutely crying," Berlin said weakly.
He pressed his forehead gently against hers for a moment, his eyes closed, just breathing.
