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possible that his body was lying there, covered in blood and appearing lifeless, when he was just fine standing there watching them? Something was wrong. Terribly, terribly wrong. Perhaps someone had slipped a mickey into his food or drink at the restaurant where he had dined earlier with his family and it was now causing him to hallucinate. That had to be it. That was the only rational explanation. Either that or he was dreaming. Wake up! Wake up already , he thought to himself.
    The light. It was even brighter and stronger now. So inviting and warm. He felt an immense pull; it beckoned him and drew him closer as he found himself walking, no floating, toward it.
    “ We have a pulse .”
    And suddenly, just like that, the light was gone.

Chapter Five

    T wo long hours after arriving at the hospital, Janet and Jim were finally allowed to see Alec. He was lying on a gurney in one of the trauma rooms, his arm in a cast, his eyes closed. He had a few scratches and bruises on his face and neck area, but aside from that, he looked well enough. Janet leaned over and kissed him gently on the forehead. Alec opened his eyes slowly. He looked at her for a long moment, and then a lone teardrop gradually escaped from his eye and rolled down his cheek. “Jarrod?” he asked in a gravelly voice.
    Janet wiped away his tear, while Jim placed his hand soothingly on his shoulder. He couldn’t really get past the tightness in his chest, so he was only able to grunt out “He’ll be okay.”
    “The guys?” Alec asked as he timorously looked from one parent to another.
    “Brendon and Joey were hurt, but they’ll be fine.” Janet cast a quick, meaningful glance to Jim and decided that it would be best for Alec not to hear about Dante’s passing until later, when he would be stronger and more lucid. She told him the doctor had insisted on them staying only a few minutes so as to not tire him out, therefore they only had time to check on him, and they would talk about everything after he rested.
    Alec was so tired and woozy from the medication that he had been given; he did not have the strength to argue. All he was able to get out before falling asleep was, “Call…Wyatt. Jarrod can’t…appointment.”
    Jim and Janet looked at one another wide-eyed. They hadn’t even thought of that. A few short hours ago, Mr. Wyatt and tomorrow’s meeting was the most important thing in the world to them. Now it was at the lowest point on their totem pole of priorities. “I’ll call him later,” said Jim.
    A few hours later, Drs. Matthew Anderson and Nicholas Arcao escorted the Wentworths to a small conference room located near the emergency room. When they had all made themselves comfortable, the doctors explained that Alec would be released the following morning if there were no complications throughout the night. X-rays were taken to evaluate the extent of damage to his left arm, and it was determined that he had suffered a closed fracture of the humerus, which is the largest bone in the arm. He would need to wear a hanging arm cast that would be suspended by a sling looped around his neck for possibly three weeks and would require additional X-rays to make sure the bones stayed aligned. In addition, Alec had suffered trauma to the chest area, causing two of his ribs to break. Usually broken ribs healed completely in about two months. They recommended rest, ice, and over-the-counter medications to relieve any discomfort. He was to avoid any activities that would aggravate the injuries. No long-term damage was expected.
    Both Janet and Jim drew deep breaths of relief. But that sensation would be short-lived. They noted how both doctors seem to stiffen a bit and look at each other before speaking. Dr. Arcao looked down at the file before him, cleared his throat twice, and then looked up at Jim. There was such sadness emanating from his eyes. “I wish we had good news with regard to your eldest son, Jarrod. But unfortunately, we don’t.” He