Chapter 51. Hope

The sound of the door opening was so quiet that at first Jared thought he was imagining it. Then he turned away from the window when he saw light spill in from the bright hallway into the dim room as the doctor stepped in.

It was the same surgeon who had come to give them the procedure routines before they took Hayden to the surgical ward. He was still in scrubs, cap hanging loose around his neck, eyes lined with exhaustion.

Beck, whom Jared had thought had been sleeping, jumped to his feet in an instant. “Doctor,” he said, his voice hoarse and slightly panicked. “Please... just tell us.”

Myla stirred, mumbling Hayden's name under her breath on the sofa bed that they had moved her to so she could lie better, but didn't wake up.

The surgeon’s gaze softened when it fell on their worried faces. "Mr Garner, Mr Lotto,” he greeted quietly. “We're so sorry for the hush, but we need to talk.” Can you please wake Mrs Oakley up? We need his next of kin active for thi