Sixty Five

The hospital corridors were silent, and the weight of grief hung in the air. Raven hadn't spoken since the news had hit her. It felt like her entire world collapsed in a single breath. Damon glanced over at her, his face filled with concern, but he couldn’t find the right words.

There were no words.

He had just lost Charles, someone who had been a father figure to him too. Now Mason was in a coma, clinging to his life, and no one knew if he would wake up.

Julie’s quiet sobbing pulled Damon’s attention back to the room. She stood there, red-eyed and trembling. He stepped toward her, pulling her into his arms, holding her tightly as if that would somehow take away her pain.

"We knew this was going to happen," he murmured, running his hand through her hair. "We just never expected to lose him so soon."

Julie didn't respond with words, only muffled cries as she buried her face in his chest. Her tears soaked through his shirt, but he didn’t care. The loss of Charles Barrett wasn’t j