The fluorescent lights hummed overhead as I walked past the nurses' station, the family huddled in the corner with red-rimmed eyes.
By the time I reached the lobby, my legs barely held me. The adrenaline that had kept me upright for the past hour was finally draining away.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Emma.
She picked up on the first ring.
"How is he? Is Damien there? I'm so sorry I—"
"He's okay," I cut in. "Sedated again, but okay. Damien's with him now."
A shaky exhale came through the line. "Thank god."
"Where are you?"
"I couldn't come." Her voice was tight. Strained. "There was an emergency meeting. A board member needed to be present."
"And that someone had to be you?"
"I was the only one available." The words came out hollow. Bitter. "Damien wanted me to go with him, but I—" She stopped, voice beginning to tremble. "I had to stay."
I leaned against the cold lobby wall, phone pressed to my ear.
"Emma. Are you okay?"
Another pause. This one heavier.
"Is Damien okay?" Her voice came shaky.
"He's... holding it together. Barely." I glanced back toward the hallway I'd just left. "He's blaming himself for not being here when Sebastian woke up."
"Of course he is." A wet laugh came through the line. "That's so him."
"Emma." I kept my voice soft. "You didn't answer my question."
Silence stretched between us.
"I can't—" Her words faltered. "Not right now, okay? I just… I need to get through this meeting. And then I'll come straight there."
"Okay," I said quietly. "I'll be here."
"Thank you, Candace. For everything. I don't know what we'd do without you."
The line went dead.
I stared at the phone in my hand, unease prickled under my skin.
A blur of motion caught my attention.
A woman barreled past me—close enough that her shoulder clipped mine—and rushed toward the ICU entrance. Wild dark hair. Wrinkled clothes. A surgical mask stretched across her face, doing little to muffle the desperation in her voice.
"I'm here to see my son!" She slammed her palm against the intercom button. "Sebastian Holt. He's awake—I got a call—please, I need to see him!"
The speaker crackled. "One moment."
I stepped forward without thinking. "Mrs. Holt?"
She whipped around, eyes red-rimmed and wild.
