HENRY
The hospital smelled like antiseptic and despair. The fluorescent lights aloft buzzed faintly, their sterile glow doing little to warm the atmosphere. I followed Nora through the hallways, my steps heavy, my mind racing. Jasper. My boy.
I clenched my fists at my sides, trying to steady my breathing. The guilt was suffocating. I should’ve been here. I should’ve protected him.
“He’s in here,” Nora said softly, stopping in front of a door. Her hand hovered over the handle for a moment before she pushed it open.
The sight of Jasper nearly brought me to my knees.
He was lying in the hospital bed, his small body dwarfed by the crisp white sheets. His head was wrapped in bandages, and his face was pale, almost translucent. Machines beeped steadily around him, a cruel reminder of how fr
