A New Dawn

The first light of morning crept into the hospital room, casting a warm glow over the space. Harry slowly opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings. He was surprised to find that he felt much better than he had the night before. His stomach was still a bit queasy, but the overwhelming sense of despair had lifted. As he looked down at his body, he noticed that his skin was slightly red and inflamed in patches, but it was nothing compared to the excruciating pain he had endured earlier. Lloyd, still holding Harry's hand, stirred beside him. His eyes fluttered open, and he gave Harry a weak smile. "Hey," he whispered, his voice barely above a whisper. Harry smiled back, relief washing over him. "Hey," he replied, his voice a bit stronger. The nurse entered the room, carrying a tray with breakfast. "Good morning, boys," she said, her voice cheerful. "How are we feeling today?" Harry and Lloyd exchanged a glance. "I'm feeling a bit better," Harry said, his voice still weak. The nurse nodded, setting down the tray. "That's great to hear. I'll just take a look at your charts and see what the doctor has to say." She began to scan the monitors and review their medical records. As she worked, Harry noticed that Lloyd was shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "Lloyd, are you okay?" he asked, concern etched on his face. Lloyd nodded, his eyes squinting slightly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit...off." The nurse looked up, her expression attentive. "What's wrong, Lloyd?" Lloyd hesitated before speaking. "I think I might have a bit of diarrhea," he said, his voice sheepish. The nurse nodded, making a note on his chart. "Okay, I'll get you some medication for that. In the meantime, why don't I get you a bathroom basin and some water?" As the nurse worked to get Lloyd comfortable, Harry couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude. Compared to the night before, they were both doing remarkably better. The doctor arrived soon after, reviewing their charts and running some tests. After a few minutes, the doctor turned to them with a smile. "It looks like you're both experiencing some mild symptoms of...whatever it is you contracted. Harry, your dermatitis is likely a result of an allergic reaction, and Lloyd, your diarrhea is probably just a stomach bug." Harry and Lloyd exchanged a worried glance. "Whatever it is?" Harry repeated. The doctor nodded. "We're still running tests, but it seems that you both have been exposed to something...unusual. We'll get to the bottom of it, but for now, let's just focus on getting you both feeling better." As the doctor left, Harry turned to Lloyd, his expression serious. "What do you think happened to us?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Lloyd shrugged, his eyes still sunken. "I don't know, but I think we're in this together, Harry. Whatever it is, we'll face it together." Harry nodded, a sense of determination washing over him. He squeezed Lloyd's hand, and together, they faced the unknown, ready to take on whatever came next.