Chapter 38-Martin’s Secret

Caroline’s POV:

The first thing that hit me when I woke up in my hospital room was the overpowering smell of disinfectant. Nausea washed over me and I tried to sit up to get away from the odor. A gentle hand on my shoulder and a soft voice was quick to stop me, however.

“Hey, don’t move,” Martin said gently, seated next to the hospital bed. I may have been the one with cancer, but he looked even more exhausted than I did. “You need to rest.”

I weakly smiled at him, a sense of comfort overpowering my sickness now that he was around. “Thank you, Martin,” I whispered sincerely. “You look exhausted, though…”

“Don’t worry about me,” Martin replied, dismissing my worries with a wave of his hand. “You know I’m strong enough to get through it.” He flashed a charming grin and flexed his arm, showing a bit of muscle underneath. Laughter bubbled up inside me at his antics.

Following the laughter, an awkward tension settled in the air. It was relieving to joke away our problems, but I knew that I