SECOND GLANCE
~EMMA POV~
{Playlist Suggestion: "Cherry Wine (Live)" — Hozier}
I almost didn't come.
It felt silly, a kink of unease that I couldn't justify. I had only said "I'll drop something off".....but the walk up to Mercy Memorial's pediatric wing felt longer than it should, the air outside too bright and sharp.
I had been volunteering that morning, translating pediatric discharge instructions and folding extra blankets in the family waiting room. Still, once I heard what had happened in the Lynch room....the fight, the video, the spectacle....the rest of my day fell away.
Mr. Cole looked at me over his clipboard and quietly said, "If you're going, stay out of the drama. Just be normal. Kids like Chase don't need pity. They need someone steady."
So I did the practical things.
