A Man In His Darkness

VII

Isiah sat in the waiting room, his heart racing. Angel's surgery had been going on for hours, and there was still no news on his condition.

The hospital was quiet and sterile, and the fluorescent lights flickered overhead. Isiah felt like he was suffocating in the silence.

He glanced over at Maria, who was sitting beside him. She looked worried, too. "Do you think he's going to be okay?" she asked in a hushed voice.

Isiah shrugged, unable to find the words to answer. He had never felt so helpless before. He thought about all the times he had hung out with Angel, all the laughter and good times they had shared. He couldn't imagine his life without him.

Just then, the door to the waiting room opened, and a doctor in scrubs walked in. Isiah's heart leapt into his throat. He stood up, ready to hear the worst news.

"Are you here for Angel Rodriguez?" the doctor asked, looking around the room.

Isiah nodded, his voice caught in his throat.

The doctor gave him a small smile. "He's going to be okay. The surgery was a success. He's still unconscious, but we expect him to make a full recovery."

Isiah let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Relief washed over him like a tidal wave. He looked over at Maria, who was wiping tears from her eyes. They hugged each other tightly, grateful that their friend was going to be all right.

After a few more hours of waiting, Angel's family emerged from the surgery room. They were all tired and emotional, but they looked relieved, too. Angel's mother came over to Isiah and Maria and gave them both a hug.

"Thank you for being here for my son," she said, tears streaming down her face. "You two are like family to him, and it means the world to us that you're here."

Isiah and Maria exchanged a look. They knew how much family meant to Angel, and they were happy to be able to support him in any way they could.

The next few days were a blur of hospital visits and phone calls, as Angel's family and friends rallied around him. Isiah spent most of his time at the hospital, sitting by Angel's bedside and talking to him, even though he knew Angel couldn't hear him. He felt like he needed to be there, to show his friend that he was there for him.

One day, while he was sitting with Angel, he got a call from Mr. Alvarez. "Isiah, I need to talk to you about something," the teacher said, his voice grave.

Isiah's heart sank. He had a feeling he knew what this was about. "Is it about Mark?" he asked, already bracing himself for the worst.

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Yes, Isiah. They found him. He was arrested in a foreign country and is being extradited back to the U.S. as we speak."

Isiah felt a mix of emotions flood through him. Relief that Mark was finally being brought to justice, anger that he had taken away his parents, and sadness that his friend had done something so unforgivable.

"I don't know what to say, Mr. Alvarez," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I understand, Isiah. This is a lot to process. But I want you to know that I'm here for you, and so is the school. We're all rooting for you."

Isiah thanked Mr. Alvarez and hung up the phone. He looked over at Angel, who was still unconscious, and felt a pang of jealousy. He wished he could shut out the world like his

friend was doing, even for just a little while. But he knew that he couldn't, not with everything that was going on.

Isiah spent the rest of the day in a daze, his mind racing with thoughts of Mark, his parents, and Angel. He couldn't concentrate on anything, and every time he closed his eyes, he saw the image of his parents lying on the floor of their living room, their lifeless eyes staring up at him.

When he got home, he went straight to his room and collapsed on his bed. He felt exhausted, both physically and emotionally. He didn't want to think about anything, didn't want to feel anything.

But no matter how hard he tried to shut out the world, it kept intruding on him. His phone rang, and he saw that it was Maria calling. He didn't want to talk to her, didn't want to face her questions and her sympathy.

But he also knew that he couldn't keep pushing people away. He answered the phone and was surprised to hear Maria's voice shaking.

"Isiah, I'm so sorry," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I can't even imagine what you're going through right now. I just want you to know that I'm here for you, okay? Whatever you need."

Isiah felt a lump form in his throat. He had been so angry at Maria for not understanding what he was going through, for not being there for him. But now he realized that she was just trying to help in the best way she knew how.

"Thank you, Maria," he said, his voice hoarse. "I appreciate it."

They talked for a few more minutes, and Isiah was surprised to find that he actually felt a little bit better after their conversation. Maybe he had been wrong to push her away, to shut her out.