*Aria's POV*
After what felt like an eternity of waiting, the doctor finally came out, saying we could see him. I barely registered his words before I bolted toward Regan’s ward, my heart racing as I pushed the door open. The sight inside made me stagger back, my hands flying to my mouth in shock.
Regan lay on the hospital bed, his face pale against the stark white sheets, tubes and monitors surrounding him, beeping softly in rhythm with his heartbeat. It felt wrong—so, so wrong to see him like this. Regan never liked hospitals, always hating the sterile smell and the cold, impersonal atmosphere. He had always been so full of life, so resilient, and now… seeing him lying there, so still, tore me apart.
The bloodstains still clung to my clothes and hands, remnants of the battle that had brought him to this. The memories of the attack flooded back—his bravery, his sacrifice, the way he threw himself in harm’s way for us. I couldn’t hold back anymore. I took a shaky step forward, then another, and before I knew it, I was beside him, wrapping my arms around his limp form, hugging him tightly despite the wires and tubes that confined him.
“Please come back to us, Regan,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “We need you. I need you.”
I stayed there with him, pouring out every ounce of love and hope I had, willing him to wake up. Time passed in a blur, the minutes stretching endlessly. At some point, Bella, Chloe, Dylan, Colin, and Lily came in, offering words of support and sharing quiet moments as we sat around Regan’s bedside. Their presence was comforting, a reminder that I wasn’t alone in my grief. Each of them loved Regan in their own way, and seeing their sorrow reflected back at me was both heartbreaking and oddly comforting.
After some time, Dylan and Colin stood up, gently guiding Bella and Chloe to head home. Dylan and Colin promised they would drop them off safely. I offered them a weak smile as they left, appreciating their efforts to give me space yet keep the comfort of their company.
Once they were gone, I sat in the silence, holding Regan’s hand, willing him to move, to show any sign of life. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat on the monitor was the only reassurance I had that he was still here with me. My mind drifted back to all the moments we’d shared, from when we were little kids until now. Regan had always been more than a friend—he was like a twin brother to me, the one person who understood me better than anyone else.