"I missed you too, Tommy," she said, tentatively reaching for one of his hands with her good one. She took another shaky breath. "I was so afraid I was going to die without seeing you guys again," she whispered, and she felt a tear slide down her cheek. "It felt like the worst thing in the world."
Jamie, meanwhile, had begged some more boiling water from the nurses, which earned him the usual round of 'aren't you sweet, helping your aunt out like that'. He made a round of introductions for Charlotte, but still excused them as quickly as possible.
"If you don't cut them off, they'll build up a head of steam and talk your ear off," he said fervently, as they walked back to Maddy's room. "They've done it to me more than once."