After the officer left, I and Sofia went to the hospital, we arrived at the emergency entrance in a rush of lights and voices. Doctors and nurses swarmed the stretcher, wheeling Alex away fast. I tried to follow but a nurse gently held me back.
“He’s stable. Non-life-threatening. We’ll take him to surgery to stitch him up and check for internal bleeding. You can wait in the family area. He’ll be out soon.”
Sofia wrapped her arm around my shoulders as we were led to a quiet waiting room. The police followed, notebooks ready.
“You did good staying calm in there,” Sofia said softly. “But it’s okay to let it out now. I’m here.”
I paced the small room, nerves raw. “I can’t believe this happened. Right after I thought things were getting better. Those men, they knew exactly what they were do
