He didn't release him. He had held on to this moment for months - it had kept him going even while his body threatened to fail around him. Even Wyatt's rough curses into his shoulder did little to dissuade him - belied by the tight returning embrace. The nurses hesitated, hovering, desperate to care for him but also not wanting to intrude.

"I am later than I meant," Maximus said, his grip tight. "It is a long walk."