Leo and Reyes walked in silence, the sound of their boots echoing on the concrete as they headed toward their SUV parked in the far corner.

The morning sun was harsh—almost too bright.

Leo squinted against it, feeling wiped out and drained. They had been up for over twenty-four hours, fighting, planning, and getting their mission done.

And now... now it was finished. Alpha was dead, Zayden was okay, and they could finally relax.

Suddenly, Reyes stopped.

Leo took a couple more steps before noticing and turned back. "What’s up?"

Reyes’s face looked worried. "We didn’t check on Alexander."

Leo blinked. "Crap." He realized Reyes was right.

They came to the hospital for Zayden and saw him, confirming he was stable. In their rush, they totally forgot to ask about Alexander.

"Let’s go back," Leo said.

They quickly walked back through the parking lot and into the lobby.

The same receptionist from before looked up and recognized them, smiling politely. "Can I help you again?"

Leo stepped up to the desk. "Yes. We need info on another patient... Alexander Kane."

The receptionist typed away, her eyes focused on the computer screen. Her expression changed from friendly to worried.

"Are you family?" she asked.

Leo hesitated. "No. Just friends."

The receptionist slowly nodded. "Mr. Kane’s in the ICU, on the third floor. But—" she paused, "only immediate family can visit."

Reyes leaned in. "How’s he doing?"

The receptionist seemed a bit uncomfortable. "I can’t give out medical details to non-family, I’m sorry."

Leo clenched his jaw. "Is he alive?"

"Yeah, but he’s in critical condition. He’s on a ventilator right now."

Those words felt heavy in the air.

No one spoke.

Ventilator.

The word hung there.

Not a good sign at all.

Leo took a deep breath. "Thanks."

They turned and headed toward the elevators.

Reyes spoke quietly. "If he’s on a ventilator, it means he can’t breathe on his own."

"I know."

"That’s really bad."

"Yeah... I know."

The elevator doors opened, and they stepped in.

Leo hit the button for the third floor.

The elevator started moving up.

Neither of them said a word.

They were both thinking the same thing.

Alexander might not pull through.

He might die.

Ding.

Third floor.

The doors opened. This floor looked different from the VIP wing.

It had harsh lighting and was pretty bare.

There was medical equipment everywhere. Nurses were moving fast, with a sense of urgency in the air.

A sign on the wall read: ICU - Restricted Access.

Leo and Reyes moved in slowly, following the signs through the double doors into a waiting room. It was really small, with uncomfortable chairs and old magazines. There was just one person there... Kade.

He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, staring off into space. His clothes were dirty and blood-stained, leftovers from the tactical gear he had on during the raid. He hadn’t gone home or changed; he had just stuck around, waiting.

Leo cleared his throat. "Kade."

Kade turned his head and saw them. No surprise or reaction, just a quick nod.

Leo and Reyes walked over and stood next to him. For a moment, no one said anything. Then Leo asked, "How’s he doing?"

Kade let out a slow breath. "Not great."

He pushed away from the wall and ran a hand through his hair. "They did surgery. They took out the bullets, fixed the lung, and patched up his knee as much as they could. Then they moved him to ICU."

There was a beat of silence. "But his condition got worse about an hour ago. They had to intubate him and put him on a ventilator."

Reyes frowned. "Why? What happened?"

Kade shook his head. "The fall. When he went down the stairs, it caused some internal bleeding that they had missed during the surgery. By the time they figured it out, he’d already lost too much blood, and his organs started to shut down."

Leo felt a chill run through him. "Shut down?"

"Kidneys first," Kade explained. "Then the liver started having problems. His heart is weak, and his lungs are filled with fluid, that’s why he’s on a ventilator."

Kade’s voice was flat, almost like he was just stating facts, but his eyes told a different story: fear and sadness.

"The doctor said—" Kade stopped and swallowed hard. "The doctor said he probably won’t make it."

Silence filled the room; it was heavy and suffocating.

Reyes quietly asked, "Why?"

Kade looked at him. "Because he was already sick."

Leo frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Alexander had a heart issue since he was born. He took medication for it, but it made him feel weak and prone to breaking."

Kade took a moment.

"The gunshot wounds, the blood loss, the fall down the stairs—his body just can’t take it. It’s too much trauma. Too much damage."

He glanced back at the ICU doors. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"They’re trying their best, but the doctor was clear with me. He said to get ready for the worst."

Leo didn’t know what to say.

What could he even say?

Alexander was dying.

And there was nothing any of them could do about it.

Reyes spoke softly. "Does Emma know?"

Kade shook his head. "Nope, she’s still in Miami with the young master. I don’t know if anyone’s told her yet."

"Someone should."

"I get that. But—" Kade looked down. "What do I say? ’Your dad’s dying—come say goodbye?"

His voice broke on the last part.

Leo realized something: Kade really cared about Alexander. Not just as a teammate, but as a person. Maybe even as a friend.

Leo put his hand on Kade’s shoulder. "You’ve been here all night. All by yourself."

Kade nodded.

"You should eat something. Get some rest."

"I’m fine."

"You’re not fine. You look awful."

Kade almost smiled. "Thanks."

Reyes stepped closer. "When did you last eat?"

Kade thought about it. "Yesterday. Before the raid."

"That was hour ago."

"I’m not hungry."

"You still need to eat."

Kade started to argue, but Reyes cut him off.

"Look, Alexander’s in the ICU. We can’t see him right now, and there’s not much we can do. But you need to take care of yourself. So when he wakes up, if he wakes up, you won’t be completely wiped out."

Kade’s jaw tightened. "He’s not going to wake up."

"You can’t know that."

"The doctor said—"

"Doctors aren’t always right," Reyes interrupted. "People get through crazy stuff. You know that."

Kade stared at him, wanting to believe it but having a hard time.

Kade then asked, "What’s up with Boss? I saw the news."

The question shifted the mood a bit, redirecting Kade’s focus.

Leo answered, "Zayden. How’s he doing?"

Kade blinked. "I have no clue. I’ve been with Alexander. I haven’t checked on Boss."

"He’s in this hospital," Leo said. "VIP wing, fifth floor. We just came from there."

Kade straightened up. "He’s alive?"

"Yep. He’s stable. The surgery went well, and he woke up for a bit. The doctors say he’s stable now... and he’s going to make it."

A wave of relief washed over Kade... clear and deep.

"Thank God."

He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.

"Thank God."

Leo got it.

Kade had been carrying two huge worries, Zayden and Alexander. Both were critical, both uncertain. Now, one weight was lifted.

Zayden was going to make it. But Alexander... Alexander was still in trouble.

Reyes looked at Leo and nodded toward the hallway. Leo got the hint.

"We’ll be back soon," Leo told Kade.

Kade opened his eyes and asked, "Where are you off to?"

"Getting food. For all of us."

"I already said I’m not—"

"We’re getting food," Reyes insisted. "You’re going to eat it. No arguing."

Kade looked like he wanted to fight it, but he was too worn out and just nodded.

Leo and Reyes headed down to find the cafeteria on the first floor. It was early and mostly empty.

They grabbed trays, and Reyes picked up three big black coffees. Leo went for sandwiches, fruit, muffins, basically, anything that looked good.

After they paid, they brought everything back upstairs.

When they got back, Kade was still in the same spot, staring at the ICU doors and waiting.

Reyes put the food on a small table. "Sit."

Kade hesitated.

"Just sit," Reyes said again, this time a little softer.

Kade finally sat, and Leo and Reyes joined him.

Reyes passed Kade a coffee. "Drink this."

Kade took a sip; it was hot and strong. He hadn’t realized how cold he felt until the warmth hit his stomach.

Leo nudged a sandwich toward him. "Eat."

Kade looked at the sandwich and then at them. "Why are you guys doing this?"

Leo frowned. "What do you mean?"