Sometimes the treacherous mind plants an unexplainable sense of unease, a feeling that something terrible is about to happen — yet time passes, and nothing does.

  And sometimes it lets you lose yourself in everyday worries, and at that very moment, life strikes its most painful blow.

  Theo didn't say a single word during the entire drive. What was happening refused to settle in his mind, and his heart was pounding so hard it felt as if it might burst out of his chest. Again and again, he cast quick glances at his phone, afraid to hear that same melody once more.

  Traffic jams appeared everywhere, even in the quiet side streets, as if mocking him. He had the unbearable urge to get out of the car and run with all his strength, just to escape the thoughts that kept dragging him back to the worst possible outcome. Several times he dialed his mother's number, hoping she would answer and tell him this was all a mistake — that she had safely reached the office and was waiting for him. The phone rang endlessly, but there was no answer.

  That ordinary day had shown no signs of trouble in the morning. Now Theo stared at the people passing by in the warm spring sunlight, desperately trying to cling to the familiar life he had just yesterday. Everything that had seemed important that morning no longer mattered. His entire world had narrowed to a single wish — that the dearest person in his life was still alive.

  After an hour that felt like an eternity, they finally reached the hospital — a gray, oppressive building behind a tall metal fence, gloomy enough to drain hope on its own.

  "Please drop me off by the barrier. They probably won't let you inside," Theo said in a hoarse, unfamiliar voice.

  The journey had felt endless, yet now that they were close, a wave of panic overwhelmed him. He wanted to delay the inevitable waiting beyond those gates for just a little longer.

  Mir pulled over near the guard booth, hazard lights blinking. He, too, felt a heavy anxiety in his chest, though he tried not to show it.

  "Everything will be okay," he said, hope trembling in his voice. "Your mom is strong. You know that. She'll pull through."

  "Thank you," Theo replied, still lost, silently begging for those words to be true.

  "I can wait for you somewhere in the hospital lobby..."

  "No, it's not necessary," Theo shook his head. "I'll call you later."

  They exchanged phone numbers. Mir watched Theo until he disappeared into the hospital building, then drove back to the office. He sat in his car for a long time in the parking lot, unable to pull himself together, replaying the events of the day over and over. What had happened had shaken him deeply, but the hardest part was the look in the eyes of the person he loved — the overwhelming fear, the barely noticeable trembling of the hands gripping the phone, and that failed attempt at a smile as they said goodbye.

  "Everything will be okay," Mir whispered to himself, took a deep breath, and went inside.

  Work was no longer an option. Colleagues spoke in hushed voices, anxiously waiting for news. They tried to ask Mir something, but he had nothing to say. He stared at his monitor, lost in his thoughts, unaware of the world around him.

  Finally, the director arrived. He pushed the door open, stood in the middle of the room, and announced that Theo's mother was in intensive care in extremely critical condition. She had been placed in an induced coma, and all that remained was to wait and hope. Then he told everyone the workday was over and sent them home.

  One by one, people silently gathered their things and left. Soon the office was empty. Only Mir remained at his desk, the monitor already dark, the glow of his phone reflected in his eyes. He typed a message to Theo, deleted it, and typed again.

  "Theo, how are you?"

  He finally sent the words, painfully ordinary and completely out of place.

  "Not great. We'll know more in the morning," came the reply, surprisingly fast.

  Mir leaned his head back and let out a heavy breath. Of course, he knew it was far worse than "not great." Yet somewhere inside him lived a stubborn belief that everything would somehow work out — that this strong woman would survive. There was no other possible ending.

  He must have family with him now, Mir thought. People supporting him. Still, he wrote just in case:

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  "Do you need anything? I can come — it's no trouble."

  "Thank you, but there's nothing for now," Theo replied a few minutes later.

  "If you need anything, call or text me. Anytime."

  But what did he really need?

  All Theo wanted was to wake up from this nightmare — for everything to be as it was before. To never hear the oppressive beeping of life-support machines again. To never see those endless corridors with painted walls, cold light, and the sharp smell of antiseptics. To never feel again the freezing fear that paralyzed his body and stole the air from his lungs.

  "You can't help here," a doctor said sharply as he passed by at a brisk pace.

  The lost, terrified faces of relatives were part of his daily routine. Everyone had their job to do, and there was no time for compassion — there were patients who could still be saved... and those who could not.

  Theo was not allowed into the room. After hours of waiting, he was taken to a separate office where they spoke strange words about coma and "very low chances." He listened but understood nothing. It felt unreal, as if he were watching a terrible movie he couldn't turn off — all he could do was wait for it to end. And he waited.

  When the same doctor finally appeared in the corridor hours later, exhaustion and sorrow on his face, and quietly said, "I'm very sorry," it wasn't a shock. Somewhere during those endless hours in the hospital hallways, Theo had already accepted this outcome. Perhaps he had known it from the moment the phone rang that afternoon — he had just refused to believe it.

  In the stillness of the night, the ringing of a phone suddenly shattered the silence of a bedroom. Mir opened his sleepy eyes and saw a familiar name on the screen. His heart began to race.

  "Can you come?" Theo's voice was barely audible, trembling.

  "Yes, of course... are you still at the hospital?"

  Mir felt both relief that Theo had called him — and a heavy, unsettling dread in his voice.

  "Yes... I'm... nearby... the hospital," Theo spoke slowly, with long pauses.

  "I'll be there soon," Mir replied instantly, already out of bed.

  He didn't ask any questions over the phone. He just needed to be there. Even now, he still believed things might somehow be okay. Maybe Theo was simply exhausted. Maybe his mother had worsened, but the doctors were doing everything they could. Surely something could still be done.

  Lost in these thoughts, he reached the hospital quickly. Near the entrance, he immediately saw Theo — sitting alone on a bench under the dim yellow glow of a streetlight. His head was bowed, cradled in his hands, looking fragile and unbearably small. Mir's heart clenched painfully at the sight.

  He hurried over, sat beside him, and gently touched his shoulder. Theo slowly lifted his head. His gaze was distant, his eyes red and swollen. He only shook his head before tears streamed down his face again.

  No miracle had happened. No words could ease such a loss. Mir simply wrapped his arms around Theo's shaking body and let him press his face into his shoulder. Hot tears soaked into his shirt. He wanted to do more — to take his pain away, to carry his grief for him, to stop that trembling. But all he could do was hold him tighter.

  Theo would remember this day forever. He would return to these memories a million times, reliving them again and again, unable to change anything. And he would remember for the rest of his life the one who stayed with him that darkest night — whose strong arms held him when he could no longer stand, whose warmth protected him from the cold emptiness, whose heartbeat kept him from losing his mind.

  For now, he only cried silently, unable to imagine how to survive this unimaginable pain filling every corner of his soul. Something inside him broke irreversibly, its sharp edges tearing apart everything that had been whole just that morning. He tried to speak, but the words suffocated him, escaping only as quiet sobs.

  Time lost meaning. The cold night wind and fine drizzle pierced the air. Eventually, Theo calmed down slightly and, lifting his head from Mir's warm shoulder, stared into the dark emptiness.

  "Come on, I'll take you home," Mir said softly, breaking the silence of the damp night.

  Theo nodded silently and rose unsteadily, ready to follow him — because he no longer knew where else to go.

  They drove through the quiet night city. Streetlights briefly illuminated Theo's exhausted face. He tilted his head to the side and closed his eyes. His life felt unreal now, his body no longer his own, finding the only escape from this terrifying new reality by sinking into sleep, unable to fight the crushing exhaustion.

  When they finally reached the address shown on the navigator, Mir remained parked for a long time, guarding his sleep. He wanted to squeeze Theo's hand, pull him close, let him know he wasn't alone. Protect him. Hide him from this horror within his arms.

  If only that could help...

  But he was no one to him. Just a chance acquaintance who happened to be there in a difficult moment. No more than that. Even so — at least he was there.

  Mir leaned back slightly, quietly watching the sleeping young man, careful not to disturb his fragile rest. At one point, he slowly reached out and gently brushed a stray lock of hair from Theo's forehead, barely touching his skin with his fingertips. Theo stirred slightly in his sleep, and Mir immediately pulled his hand away, silently scolding himself for the inappropriate gesture.

  Theo woke at dawn. For a moment, he looked utterly lost, unable to understand where he was or why. Then memories of the previous day washed over him, leaving no chance that it had all been just a nightmare.

  They stopped near the building Theo pointed out and parked.

  "Theo..." Mir looked into his tired eyes and touched his cold hand. "I can stay with you. Just tell me."

  Theo didn't look at him.

  "I'll be okay," he said wearily. "I want to be alone for a bit. You should rest too."

  He still hadn't fully grasped what had happened. The noise in his head pulsed painfully at his temples, his chest aching dully.

  "Theo, you can call or text me if you need anything. I'll come right away. Or if you just want to talk — call anytime."

  "Thank you..." Theo replied, stepping out of the car and heading toward the entrance of his building.

  "Take care of yourself," Mir whispered softly after him.