Delilah

Those few hours were the worst of my life. We sat in the waiting area, watching nurses rush past with blood-soaked bandages.

“How’s my son? My daughter-in-law? My grandchild?!” My mother asked, but the doctor could only say that their conditions were undetermined and that prolonging the conversation put Damon and Clara at greater risk.

This didn’t stop my mother, nor did it calm any of us.

“It’s okay, Damon and Clara are strong,” Luca murmured, pulling me into his arms. Tears flowed freely down my cheeks.

“Damon wasn’t breathing, Luca. He… and Clara, she…”

“It’s okay, take a deep breath. They’ll get through this; they have to,” he murmured, mostly to himself.

We’d defeated Sebastian and his allies, but it felt like a loss. I couldn’t fathom Damon’s pain, and my inability to help him—and Clara—killed me. I knew it killed everyone else, especially Luca.

Luca suggested drinks, since no one had eaten or drunk anything since the fight. Anxious from the waiting, I followed him.

“Sit here,” he murmured at the vending machine. He made me sit, kissed my cheek, and got our drinks.

I watched him, my mind racing. Dimitri had run off after seeing Damon and Clara. He was beating himself up for not helping—none of us had.

“It’s not your fault. I know you’re blaming yourself for not being there for Damon, but there was nothing you could do. You had to fight for the people…”

“I could have fought for him, for Clara too. I promised I wouldn’t let anything happen to Clara, and yet… I couldn’t protect her,” he replied. I frowned.

“We had to fight off the enemies, and…”

“Let’s not talk about this, please?” he murmured. I pursed my lips and nodded.

Luca and Dimitri blamed themselves most. Dimitri arrived later with Clara’s uncle, having been attacked while trying to reach Damon. Luca, knowing he was one of the strongest fighters, was targeted relentlessly while also protecting me.

“Here, drink this,” Luca murmured, handing me an energy drink. I thanked him as he sat beside me, and we drank in silence.

“We should probably go back. Your mother needs you,” he said, starting to stand. I grabbed his hand.

“I need you. Stay with me a while, just you and me,” I said, moving closer and wrapping my arms around him. His body tensed, then relaxed.

We both needed that hug, but I think he needed it more. Though Damon was my brother, Luca and Damon’s connection was profound. If Clara was Damon’s other half, Luca was his soulmate. It hurt to see him blame himself for not protecting them.

After a while, we returned to the waiting area. I went to my still-crying mother and tried to comfort her. Hours passed, and we heard nothing. Clara’s uncle and a disheveled Dimitri arrived.

All we could do was wait. That’s what we did.

Eventually, the doctor came out. My mother and I rushed towards him, the others following.

“Please tell me they’re both fine,” my mother pleaded. The doctor’s face offered no reassurance.

“Mr. Donovan suffered severe head trauma. Frankly, his chances of survival are slim…”

“No…” My mother whispered, covering her mouth.

“What the fuck are you saying?!” Dimitri roared, lunging at the doctor before Damon restrained him.

“We stopped the bleeding, but the injuries were too severe, hitting vital areas of his brain. The surgery is over, but he’s in a coma. We can’t guarantee he’ll wake up; it depends on him,” the doctor announced. My mother sobbed; my father held her as I cried on Luca’s chest.

“Mr. Donovan is a fighter. All we can do is pray. Mrs. Donovan has awakened,” the doctor said. We stared at him, wide-eyed.

“Really? And… the baby?” I asked softly. He sighed.

“She took most of the blows to her stomach. The baby is fighting, but the harder it fights, the less chance Mrs. Donovan has. We have to choose: save her or the baby.” There was a deathly silence before Clara’s uncle grabbed the doctor by the throat.

“How dare you suggest that?! You’ll save them both, or I’ll kill you!” he threatened. Fear flashed in the doctor’s eyes.

“We’re doing everything we can, but they can’t both live. I’m so sorry, but the decision must be made immediately.”