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Pepper doesn’t glow under the praise. Her expression becomes sharper and more focused.

Sawyer continues, “In clinical settings, choice is protected through consent checks, observation, and staged exposure. Untreated instability can also compromise choice. Chronic pain and recognition failure aren’t freedom.”

That’s true. I hate that too.

Sawyer turns back to me. “You don’t have to decide today. But I will be direct. The longer severe instability continues, the harder full restoration becomes. Time is of the essence here.”

Theo’s scent sharpens. Hammer’s text said time is running out. Dr. Sawyer says severe instability becomes harder to reverse with time. The similarity makes my stomach knot and my head swarm with questions.

Pepper asks about compound exposure. Sawyer answers without hesitation. She has treated patients injured by unregulated suppressants, improvised bond-pain treatments, and secondary-gender compounds obtained outside legitimate medical care.

“Field cases,” Sawyer says.

“Field cases?” Pepper asks.

“People who come to us after being treated outside normal medical systems, often because they were desperate or afraid to seek care openly.”

Theo’s hand tightens on my chair.

Sawyer keeps her gaze on me. “People deserve care even when the system that harmed them is criminal.”

That sounds good. It sounds so good I feel hope rise again, stubborn and stupid.

Dr. Sawyer looks at Pepper. “Do you mind sharing when your late omega onset began?”

Pepper answers after half a beat. “Recently.”

“Age?”

“Twenty-six.”

Sawyer makes a note. “Unusual, but not unheard of. Did Ezra’s stabilization improve after Pepper’s scent emerged, after heat onset, or only after sexual and emotional bonding began?”

Pepper’s cheeks flush, but her voice stays steady. “All three may be relevant.”

“Good,” Sawyer says. “Track them separately if you can. Biology often looks like magic before anyone has measured it correctly.”

Pepper’s pencil stills again, and she studies Dr. Sawyer.

Sawyer gives us a list before she ends the consult. Baseline questions and a symptom log to start. She wants us to make scent-response notes and water proximity tracking.

She’s careful and brilliant. It’s terrifying.

When the screen goes dark, nobody speaks for several moments. Then Theo closes the laptop.

Pepper looks at me. “Your call.”

My laugh comes out weak. “Everyone keeps saying that like it’s a dramatic announcement.”

“You can be dramatic,” Theo says. “Still your call.”

I look toward the window. Rain drips from the roof in silver ropes. The cemetery is washed clean and wrong-looking.

“I want to do the symptom log,” I say. “And answer her questions. I want to know what she thinks she can do.”

Pepper nods.

“But I don’t want anything that mutes me until we understand more about the release dreams and the route markers.”