#Chapter 388: To Claim Or Not To Claim

Nina Lori and I drove back to the hospital that night at midnight, the weight of the situation heavy on our shoulders. We had been there earlier in the day, but it was different now, under the cover of night when the nurses weren’t making their rounds. “You ready?” I asked once we parked in the parking lot. Lori nodded, her body stiff but her eyes hopeful. We climbed out of the truck and made our way in, past the night receptionist who was too busy scrolling on his phone to notice us, and toward the ICU. The hospital was eerily silent compared to earlier that day, and it sent a shiver down my spine. We reached Jessica’s room, the soft glow of monitors illuminating the darkened space. She was still just as we had left her; the rhythmic beeping of machines was an odd sort of comfort, a reminder that despite her current state, she was still alive. And that, hopefully, was something that I could work with. I approached Jessica’s bed, my face etched with determination. I glan