---- slowly opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling for several minutes before remembering everything that had happened the day before. As she reached down to touch her belly, she moved her head slightly to see a familiar face. Ellis was asleep while seated in a chair, and the sunlight streaming in through the window cast a glow over him. Madeline felt like she'd been shocked by a bolt of electricity, and she hastily released Ellis' hands, which she held tightly. When had he arrived? Why had she been holding his hands? How long was she like that? She remembered Octavia telling her about Ellis' concern. Questions flooded her mind, confusing her heart at the same time. Soon, her attention was caught by the scratches on the back of Ellis' hands. Had she done that? Perhaps her action of pulling away from him had woken him up. Madeline watched as he moved slightly before opening his eyes. ---- An odd feeling spread through her heart as their gazes met, but she didn't dwell on it. Feeling embarrassed and awkward, she said, "Uh, hi..." Ellis was briefly taken aback. Then, he nodded and said, "You're finally awake. Do you feel better now?" "I'm fine, thanks. As for you... What are you doing here?" Madeline was still trying hard to hide her embarrassment. She pressed her lips together and asked, ''The scratches on your hand... Did I do that?" She looked at the scratches. It was clear that they'd been left there by fingernails, and just the sight of them made her wince. They were the only things she could see, especially since his hands were bare of anything else. Ellis dropped his hands to his sides and said calmly, "I heard from Octavia that you were hospitalized. You were having a nightmare when I got here; you almost fell out of bed. That's why I stayed to make sure you were okay. The scratches aren't a big deal-they'll soon fade."