Shantel spent the rest of the day rooted in that sterile hospital room.
Afternoon bled into evening, then slipped quietly into night.
Nurses came and went in soft-soled shoes.
By evening, her grandmother's maid came around to relieve Shantel so she could go home and rest for a while but she refused. The maid had no choice but to go back after staying for a while.
She returned after dark with home made food, coffee and a change of clothes for Shantel who had stubbornly refused to leave her grandmother's side all day.
She stayed until the early hours, and eventually left with Danny who had also come around to spend some time with her in the hospital.
Genevieve remained asleep for most of it, only stirring once with a hoarse murmur and a twitch of her fingers.
Shantel was at her side in an instant, holding her hand and whispering soft reassurances.
