Nathaniel took a deep breath to regain his composure, rubbing his red eyes in the process.
“I’m sorry…”
The doctor’s eyes were filled with painful sympathy, and for the first time since he’d started talking to the boy, he felt powerless to help him.
“That’s enough for today, I think…”
Nathaniel bit his lip, nodding slightly.
“I’ll be back tomorrow, though.”
“Yes, and you’ll need a good night’s sleep. So don’t stay up too late.”
“Why’s that?”
“You’ll see. Make sure you’re here by eight o’clock tomorrow morning. No sooner, no later.”
Nathaniel nodded, not questioning the doctor’s reasoning for such an early start. His eyes met the doctor’s, and he detected the hint of sympathy. The doctor didn’t look away as he normally did, but his gaze softened. After a while of prolonged silence, Nathaniel spoke.
“Thank you…”
The doctor frowned.
“For what?”
“I think you know what I mean.” Nathaniel said, smiling as he got up to leave.