Looking at Melpomene - scared, desperate, suffering - Alan felt only the desire to always be beside her, even in these horrible times.
Not possible. Not possible.
It was a line from one of Melpomene's plays that he thought of when he looked at her now, and he didn't know if he was directing the words at her or himself: You are a person in love with the impossible.
He leaned over and kissed Melpomene's sweaty forehead, because he was an idiot, and because he was in love with the impossible, and when he drew back he promised, "I’m going nowhere but the other room."