The first thing Stefan felt was the heaviness in his chest — as if an iron hand was pressing down on it. His eyelids fluttered, resisting him for a moment before finally lifting.

    The harsh glow of the hospital lights stabbed at his eyes, and for a moment he didn''t know where he was. The antiseptic scent, the muffled sounds of footsteps in the corridor, the quiet beeping of machines near his bed — it all came rushing back to him.

    He turned his head sharply, ignoring the throbbing ache that immediately followed the movement. Panic surged in his veins before his lips even formed the words.

    "Ruby…" His voice cracked, raw from smoke and exhaustion. He tried again, louder this time. "Ruby. Where is she? Is she awake yet?"

    A shadow shifted in the chair by his bedside. Ethan leaned forward, his face drawn with fatigue.

    His expression softened at Stefan''s urgency, but his eyes held a weight that Stefan instantly recognized.

    "You''re awake! How are you feeling?" Ethan asked, ignoring Stefan''s questions.

    "How long have I been out?" Stefan asked, and Ethan signed.

    "Two days," Ethan said, and Stefan''s heart skipped a beat.

    "What? Two days? How''s Ruby? Is she awake?" he asked.

    If he''d been out for two days, then how was Ruby and their baby? Could she truly be okay or had something happened to them in the days he''d been out.

    "She''s still unconscious," Ethan said carefully, his voice low. "Rayna''s outside her ward, keeping watch. They''ve done everything they can."

    The words were like ice water in Stefan''s veins. His heart hammered painfully, his pulse echoing in his ears. He pushed himself up, ignoring the sharp protests of his body. "Then I need to go to her. She shouldn''t be alone. She needs me."

    Ethan was quick, pressing a firm hand against Stefan''s shoulder, forcing him gently but decisively back against the pillows. "No, Stefan. You can''t."

    Stefan''s eyes snapped to him, anger and desperation ring all at once. "Don''t you dare tell me I can''t go to her. She needs me—"

    "Listen to me!" Ethan''s voice cut through the rising storm in him, firm but not unkind. "Dr. Noreen gave us strict instructions. You inhaled a dangerous amount of smoke. Your lungs are still recovering. And you''ve got burns on your hand. You copse again, and you''ll be of no use to her. You have to let your body heal first."

    For the first time, Stefan became aware of the dull, throbbing pain in his right hand. He nced down, lifting it slightly from the nket.

    He looked at his hand. The skin along his palm and fingers was bandaged thickly, and even the small shift sent a sharp sting racing up his arm. He clenched his teeth, forcing down a groan.

    But still — none of that mattered. Notpared to Ruby.

    "I don''t care about me," Stefan rasped, his voice trembling. "She''s the one who matters. I need to see her. I need to make sure she''s breathing with my own eyes."

    He hadn''t even realized he''d been burned at the time. What about Ruby? Had she sustained injuries too? How serious were hers?

    Ethan''s expression softened, but his hand didn''t move from Stefan''s shoulder. "You think I don''t understand? I do. But Ruby''s strong, and she''s not alone. The doctors are always checking on her. Rayna hasn''t left her side for the past two days. You… you have to hold on here, Stefan. Just for a little while."

    Stefan opened his mouth to argue again, but the door to his room clicked open. Doctor Noreen stepped in, her coat slightly wrinkled from hours of work, her face set in that brisk, professional calm that Stefan both admired and hated. She nced at him and allowed herself the smallest sigh of relief.

    "He''s awake," she murmured, more to herself than to anyone else.

    Stefan immediately seized the chance. "Doctor Noreen—Ruby. How is she? I hear she''s still unconscious. When is she going to wake up?"

    Noreen came closer, her gaze flicking briefly to Ethan before settling firmly on Stefan. "You shouldn''t be worrying about that right now. Focus on your own recovery, first."

    "Don''t tell me that," Stefan snapped, his control slipping. His throat felt tight, his voice raw with the force of everything he''d been holding inside. "I need to know. Is she going to wake up soon? Please. Don''t keep me in the dark."

    Noreen''s eyes softened, though her expression remained careful. "She inhaled a severe amount of smoke. Her body is fighting hard to recover. She''s stable right now, Stefan — that''s the most important thing. But as for when she''ll wake… I can''t give you a timeline. It could be hours from now. It could be days, weeks or even a month."

    The words were like a knife twisting inside him. His chest constricted, every breath shallow and unsteady. Days, weeks or months. The thought of Ruby lying unconscious, caught somewhere he couldn''t reach her, was unbearable.

    What about their baby? Would it still be okay if Ruby remained unconscious?

    He swallowed hard, forcing out the question that had haunted him since the fire. His voice was barely above a whisper. "What about the baby?"

    Noreen hesitated. That hesitation alone made Stefan''s stomach drop. She shook her head slowly, her expression grim. "I''m sorry. There''s no heartbeat. The smoke and stress… I guess it was too much."

    The world seemed to tilt violently. Stefan''s breath caught, and for a moment he thought he might suffocate under the weight of her words. No heartbeat. No baby.

    He pressed his uninjured hand against his face, his palm trembling as he tried to steady himself. His chest heaved, but no sound came out. It was like grief had stolen his ability to breathe, to speak, to exist.

    What would he tell Ruby when she wakes up? How was she going to ever get over this grief?

    Ethan''s hand tightened on his shoulder, grounding him. But Stefan barely felt it. His world had narrowed to the sound of his own ragged breaths and the echo of Noreen''s words.

    "No…" His voice broke, a raw whisper scraping out of him. "No, no, no…" He shook his head violently, his body trembling. "How would she ever get past this? She… would keep touching her stomach like it was the most precious thing in the world whenever she woke up from sleep. She wouldn''t say it but I know she''s the most excited, barely able to wait to see our child. How could there be no heartbeat?" His voice fractured, tears stinging his eyes. "I''ve failed her. I''ve failed them. I couldn''t protect them."

    Noreen''s face softened, but she didn''t step closer. "You saved Ruby''s life, Stefan. Don''t forget that. Right now, she needs you strong for her. She''s going to need you when she wakes. You have to be strong, not for yourself but for her."

    But Stefan barely heard her. He turned his face away, his eyes burning as silent tears slipped down his cheeks. The weight of it all — the fire, Ruby''s fragile body, the baby they''d lost — pressed down on him until he thought it might crush him.

    Ethan leaned forward, his voice steady but gentle. "You''re not alone in this. We''ll get through it. Ruby will get through it. But you can''t lose yourself now."

    Stefan clenched his bandaged hand into a fist, ignoring the sharp pain that shot through it. His jaw tightened, and he forced himself to meet Ethan''s gaze before turning to Noreen.

    "Can I go see her? I need to, please," he pleaded.

    Seeing how he was pleading and knowing he might not let her rest until she''d let him, Noreen sighed.

    "You can go," she said and shook her head when Stefan immediately got off the bed, and headed to the door.

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