The ties that bind

The hospital was too quiet.

For the first time in what felt like forever, there were no gunshots, no screaming, no fire tearing through the night.

Just silence.

And it was unbearable.

Lorenzo sat in the waiting room, his elbows on his knees, hands clasped together so tightly his knuckles were white. Across from him, Matteo leaned forward, rubbing his temples, his gun still holstered at his side-as if he couldn't believe the war was actually over.

Marco stood by the window, his back to them, staring blankly at the city lights.

Vincenzo hadn't moved.

He sat stiffly in the chair beside Lorenzo, arms crossed over his chest, his jaw clenched so tight it looked painful. His hands were still stained with dried blood.

Serena's blood.

Sofia sat beside Alessandro's hospital room, motionless. She hadn't spoken in over an hour, hadn't even blinked when Lorenzo had tried to pull her away.

They were all waiting.

Waiting for news.

Waiting to hear if their sister and youngest brother were still alive.

The sound of footsteps echoed down the hall, and every single one of them snapped to attention.

The doctor stopped in front of them, flipping through a chart.

And then he sighed.

"They're stable."

The words barely sank in before Marco let out a harsh exhale, pressing a hand over his face. Matteo slumped back into his chair, his fingers twitching.

Sofia's shoulders shook with silent relief.

But the doctor wasn't finished.

"There's something else."

And just like that, the moment of relief was gone.

Lorenzo's eyes sharpened. "What is it?"

The doctor hesitated.

Then he glanced down at his clipboard, exhaling slowly.

"I assume you already knew Serena has had severe physical trauma in the past."

The air in the waiting room changed.

The walls felt smaller.

Colder.

No one spoke.

The doctor looked at each of them, then continued, his voice quiet. "Her X-rays showed multiple signs of past abuse. There are old fractures-some that healed improperly. Scarring along her ribs and back. Signs of repeated trauma. From what I can tell, this happened over the course of years."

Something broke in that waiting room.

Vincenzo's fingers dug into his arms, his breathing sharp.

Marco slowly lowered his hand from his face, his knuckles turning white.

Sofia's eyes filled with something raw, something shattered.

Matteo exhaled, a long, uneven breath.

And Lorenzo-

Lorenzo just stared at the doctor, expression unreadable.

Like if he moved, if he reacted, he wouldn't be able to stop himself.