The day after the attack, Theo had hope. Caleb had awoken for a short time, his eyes dulled by pain, but still soft as ever when they found her. He smiled weakly and she nervously returned it, squeezing his hand tight.
"I must have died and gone to heaven," he said softly, his voice cracked and raspy, "Because you look just like an angel." Theo laughed at that, though tears pricked in her eyes as she stroked his feverish face. Despite everything, he was still here making corny jokes, and she chose to grasp onto this small hope with all of her might.
"Don't scare me like that ever again, Caleb Barlow," she said in her best attempt to scold him, but it just came out full of anxiety. He rubbed his thumb weakly over her knuckles and looked lost in thought or perhaps pain for a moment.
"You, scared? Never thought I'd see the day..." he mumbled, his eyes growing glassy as his face contorted into a grimace. She felt like she had boulders on her shoulders as she stood and gently pried her hand away, doing her best to ignore Caleb's panicked expression.
"I'm going to get the doctor, he will help," she said gently but firmly. His expression dampened a bit and he nodded solemnly. True to her word she retrieved the good physician and he started his work, though most of it was in vain.
Though it had seemed that the water had extinguished the burns on his back, heat still radiated off of it and any attempt to put on a salve just resulted in it burning off. Theo stood in the corner and watched carefully, ensuring that the man really was doing everything he could.
Caleb was given something for the pain and quickly fell into a deep sleep while the man worked. Between the silent room and the silent town, Theo felt like she just might lose her mind entirely. She'd often glance out the dingy window to see nobody wandering the streets like you'd expect on a week day. She figured they must know now what had happened to the lumberyard and its workers. Nobody else had been brought into the infirmary, so perhaps the rest of the town was simply in mourning.
"I've done all I can for now, his fate rests with God," the doctor said somberly, standing up straight from Caleb's bedside and wiping his hands on a rag. He had managed to wrap her husband's back in bandages and quickly excused himself as fast as he could. Theo returned to Caleb's side, her fingers instinctually sliding around his as he slept restlessly.
"I'll be here when you wake," she whispered before resuming her watch.