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‘The mother is not alive.’

‘Oh...’

‘The nurse asked Melissa about it. She said her mother died nine years ago. She didn't mention any other family.’

‘Geez... and now this...’

‘Yeah. Wait. Here comes the doctor. The surgery’s over already?’

Hector held his breath.

‘...They couldn’t give him a blood transfusion in time. He’s dead.’

He exhaled and shut his eyes.

‘Melissa’s a wreck.’

Hector ran a hand down his face. ‘You were right.’

‘I wish I wasn’t.’

They waited. Hector shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The tension was suffocating. He poked his head around the corner every now and again, wondering what the officers were talking about. Then he saw one of them walking in his direction.

The man was mumbling under his breath as he turned the corner. “--morons...” He locked eyes with Hector, who immediately tried to look away, but to no avail. “Hey, kid. What are you doing here?”

“Uh--" When he met the man’s eyes again, he was a bit surprised to see a very calm blue gaze, relaxed, or perhaps just confident. The pin on his uniform read ‘COLT.’ “I’m... just waiting for someone... Why?”

“Maybe you should go for a walk. Get some fresh air or something. It’ll do you good.”

Hector lowered his brow a little. “Thank you, but I’m fine...”

Colt leaned in. “I can’t order you to leave. I don’t have that kind of authority, and frankly, I’m a man who respects another man’s right to go where he likes and do what he wants. But, kid. It’s about to get real fucked up in here. And trust me when I say you’re gonna wish you were somewhere else.”