Dylan gently called out near his ear, "Boss?"

"Emily..." Vincent seemed not to hear Dylan, or maybe he was still in a dream.

Yet, even in his unconscious state, his voice was hoarse and grating, accompanied by painful rasping sounds. It was as if every word he uttered caused immense suffering. His vocal cords were still in a fragile state, and he had just been moved to a regular room.

Dylan glanced at Emily and, not giving her a chance to respond, decided to stabilize the situation first. ...