Chapter 18

Demetri’s POV

He startles hard when I use my thumb to wipe the tear from his eye, the steady grip on my hand easily conveys the true nature of his fear. Angela steps back over gently touching his arm. She looks at me sadly when he chokes back a yelp, squeezing his legs even tighter against his abs.

“Cole, I’m going to listen to your lungs before we roll you to your back. I do need to get your shirt off to get the stickers in the proper place. Are you okay with me cutting it?”

He nods his head slowly as he flinches hard under Angela’s stethoscope.

“Try to relax with us Cole. Your breathing is still very restricted and the more relaxed you are the easier it will be to move the air you need. I’m going to start with the back of your shirt. It’s loose enough that you shouldn’t feel the scissors just hear them.”

Even the simple task of cutting his shirt to expose his chest is anxiety provoking for him. He squeezes my hand hard as he starts ga