Dann Silverman's Arc

Chapter 5 of 5

Thorne lifted Dann from the changing table and set him on his feet. The thick white diaper crinkled with each small step. Thorne led him to the crib and lowered the side rail. Dann climbed in without a word. Thorne reached for a glass bottle on the shelf. Pale blue liquid swirled inside it, catching the lamplight like a slow tide. "Drink," Thorne said. He pressed the nipple to Dann's lips. Dann meant to ask what it was. He drank instead. The warmth came faster than he expected. It spread through his chest, down his arms, into his legs. His grip on the bottle slackened. The room softened at its edges. He tried to form the question. His tongue would not move. Thorne eased him down onto the mattress and drew the blanket to his chin. Then he settled into a deep blue armchair beside the crib, hands folded, watching. Dann saw the shape of him through heavy lashes. He felt safe. He felt tricked. Both at once. Sleep took him before he could choose which one mattered. The bottle rolled from his fingers and came to rest against the bars.