CHAPTER 105: THE RED LIGHT ABOVE THE DOORS

The waiting room had gotten quieter as the hours dragged on.

Mr. Sun and the others had already left, but they’d left the flowers and fruit baskets stacked neatly along the corner table.

Alia had eaten dinner hours ago and was already asleep. We’d dropped her off in the pediatric wing, where the nurses promised to keep an eye on her. I had to stop myself from visiting her every moment, because seeing her curled up with her little stuffed panda made me too emotional. So I left quietly.

It had been five hours since Mom’s surgery started.

Five hours of watching the same hallway, the same set of double doors that stayed shut.

Five hours of staring at the red "INOPERATION" light above the double doors.

June and Marcus had been keeping me company.... trying to keep the conversation light, asking me random questions, offering snacks I didn’t want. I appreciated it, even though my brain wasn’t processing half of what they said.

At one point, June stretched her arms and yawned. "I’m so sleepy," she said, standing. "I’m going to the room to get some rest."

Marcus stood up immediately standing to follow her.. "I’ll go with you. Try not to overthink while we’re gone, okay?"

They walked away, carrying the fruit and flowers basket with them.

I nodded, forcing a weak smile. "I’ll try."

And then it was just me and June’s dad....Mr. Halloway, sitting side by side. He was already half-asleep, his chin dipping forward every few seconds before he caught himself. The hum of the vending machine was the loudest thing in the room.

I got up and started pacing. My legs needed movement. If I sat still too long, my eyelids would get heavy, and I couldn’t afford to fall asleep.....not when I was waiting for news.

After a while, exhaustion won. I sank back into the chair. I told myself I was just resting my eyes, but the next thing I knew, I was waking up to the warmth of a hand around mine.

My head was resting on someone’s shoulder. The familiar scent of his cologne gave him away before I even turned my head.

Dominic.

He was seated right next to me, his arm was resting along the back of my chair like he’d been keeping me in place. Mr. Halloway was gone.

I pulled my phone from my pocket. The screen’s broghtness made me squint. 12:00 a.m.

"Hey, babe," Dominic said. "I noticed you were alone and already out cold. How are you feeling now?"

I rubbed my eyes. "A doctor came out earlier and said they’re still on it... but..." I shifted in the seat and winced. "Leg cramps. My neck hurts. Honestly, everything hurts right now."

Dominic frowned, then stood up and bent down beside me, his hand sliding over my thigh, massaging em gently.

"Dom!" I hissed, glancing around. "We’re in public. Someone might see."

We both turned our heads, but the hallway was empty.

"You wanna take a walk?" I asked, suddenly restless.

"Yeah," he said immediately, helping me up.

We stepped out into the cool night air. The parking lot was quiet. The air smelled faintly like rain, though the ground was dry.

"How about this?" Dominic said. "We go back to the car, take a nap for an hour or two, and come back later. You’re exhausted. You can’t keep sitting in that chair all night."

I hesitated, glancing back at the silent hospital.

The idea of leaving the waiting room made my chest tighten, but my body was screaming for rest. "Okay," I said finally. "Just for a bit."

He unlocked the car and guided me inside, adjusting the seat so I could lie back. As he settled in beside me.

Dominic’s hand never left my thigh. His touch was slow, steady, the kind that wasn’t about rushing but about telling my muscles to just... relax.

I didn’t even realize how tense I’d been until the ache in my legs started to fade.

After a while, his touch moved higher...not in a way that turned me on, just in a way that was careful and comforting, until his hand was in my hair, massaging my scalp.

It was ridiculous how good he was at this...like he knew exactly where all my restless aches were.

My breathing slowed without me even trying. The anxiety that had been gnawing at me all night started to loosen its grip.

"We’re all skipping school today," he murmured. "Even if we go, we’d just be

out on our desks."

I let out a weak laugh, my eyelids were heavy but my stubborn brain still trying to fight rest. I didn’t want to fully sleep....I wanted to be ready the second there was news about Mom.

Then Dominic started humming softly. His voice was warm, soothing in that way you feel in your chest more than in your ears.

I hadn’t known he could sing like that. I didn’t know it was possible for someone to look like him and still have that kind of voice.

I don’t remember when my eyes finally shut.

I just remember being home.

"Mom," I said, holding her hand.

"Ash, my son." She smiled like she always did when she was proud of me.

"You made it," I whispered, hugging her tightly. "Come on, let’s go inside." I glanced at our apartment door, just a few steps away, staring at the familiar peeling paint where Alia once crashed her bike into the wall.

But Mom didn’t move. She just nodded and gave me a sad smile. "I’m so sorry, my son... I won’t be able to continue this journey with you."

I frowned, shaking my head. "What are you talking about? We’re here. We’ve made it this far. Let’s just go in."

"I love you, Ash. I’ll always love you. Keep being the great big brother you are to Alia. And... try to be happy yourself."

Her hand started slipping from mine. My fingers couldn’t hold her anymore.

"No...Mom, no, don’t, don’t go..." My voice broke as I tried to hold onto her. "Mom! Mom!"

I shot up, gasping for air, my chest heaving. The seatbelt strap was digging into my chest.

"Hey! hey." Dominic’s voice was close. His arms were around me before I even knew what was happening. "You were having a nightmare."

"It felt... so real," I whispered, my voice was shaking. My shirt was damp with sweat.

He pulled back just enough to search my face. "You okay?"

I swallowed hard. "Yes, I think I am. Why aren’t you asleep?"

"I couldn’t fall asleep," he said, brushing a strand of hair off my forehead.

"What’s the time?" I widened my eyes.

He checked his phone. "Four a.m."

"Shit." I grabbed my jacket. "Come on....we should go back. They’re probably done by now."

We both got out quickly, grabbing the few things we’d left in the car.

Immediately we rounded the corner, the red "INOPERATION" light above the Operating Room suddenly clicked off.

My stomach dropped.

Then the door swung open and Doctor Kenji Sato and some other nurses stepped out, still in his pale blue scrubs, a disposable cap covering his hair.

He pulled down his surgical mask slowly, His eyes looked tired...really tired. the kind of tired that comes from hours of holding someone’s life in your hands.

I stood up before I even realised, Dominic was right beside me.

"How’s my mom? How was the surgery?" My voice cracked.

Dr. Sato glanced at me. "Mr. Rivera, your mother’s surgery was... complicated. We encountered significant complications. There was heavy bleeding at one point, and her vitals were unstable for a while."

My hands started shaking.

Dominic’s hand tightened around mine immediately.

He exhaled slowly.

"We managed to stabilize her, but there were moments when..." he cut himself off, glancing back toward the OR doors as a nurse walked past with a chart.

I swallowed hard. "But what?"

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he turned toward the recovery ward doors, then back at me. "There’s something you should prepare yourself for."