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“You’re right.” I squeeze her hand. “I’m sorry.”

Her eyes stay on mine, waiting.

“I faded twice in the studio,” I say. “Both lasted under a minute. I stayed conscious. My right hand went first.”

Pepper nods once. “Thank you.”

Theo’s hand moves from my knee to Pepper’s back. His thumb strokes once beneath the sweatshirt. “What does emergency protocol mean?”

“The email doesn’t say.”

Pepper studies the phone number. “Do we call?”

Theo looks at me. I nod.

Pepper reaches for her phone. “Speaker?”

“Yes.”

She dials without leaving my lap.

Dr. Sawyer answers on the third ring. “Ezra?”

“It’s me. Theo and Pepper are here too.”

“Good. I’m glad you called.” She sounds alert and prepared. Concerned enough to make the fear in my chest feel medically reasonable. “I reviewed your entries. The rate of continuity loss has increased significantly.”

Pepper’s thumb moves across my knuckles.

“What are you recommending?” I ask.

“A temporary emergency protocol designed to reduce strain on your recognition system. I want to begin with a low-dose bond-feedback dampener, continuous monitoring, and external sensory anchoring.”

Theo tenses.

Dr. Sawyer continues. “The purpose would be to reduce the repeated surges between you and Theo long enough to determine whether your physical continuity improves.”

The old bond pulls tight beneath my shoulder.

Pepper asks, “How quickly would the medication start working?”

“Within twenty to forty minutes of administration.”

“How long would the dampening last?”

“Four to six hours at the initial dose,” Dr. Sawyer says.

“What happens if he becomes distressed while the bond feedback is reduced?”

“We monitor him directly rather than relying on the bond to communicate distress.”

Pepper’s scent sharpens. “That assumes the monitoring catches everything the bond would.”

“It may not,” Dr. Sawyer says. “No protocol is perfect, but the tracking suggests his current pattern is becoming unsafe.”

Theo’s purr begins low in his chest.

I cover the hand resting on Pepper’s back. “I’m exploring another option. Something holistic. Spiritual, maybe. It’s connected to an old local route.”