Apologies for the late chapter. Another chapter coming soon...
---
The fluorescent lights of the Aurelia General Hospital flickered, casting a sterile pallor over the waiting area. At 23:00, the silence of the private wing was broken by the frantic rush of a couple in their late fifties.
Jake stood as they approached. These were Carroll's parents. Carroll, the girl who had been in the passenger seat during the crash, was currently unconscious in the room beside Aliya's.
"Mr. and Mrs. Vance?" Jake asked, his voice low to respect the quiet of the ward.
The mother, her eyes red-rimmed and hands trembling, gripped her husband's arm. "Where is she? The doctors said—"
"She's stable," Jake interrupted gently, stepping toward them. "She's resting in Room 5. The doctors are monitoring her closely, but she's out of immediate danger."
