331 A LOST CAUSE

Luka lay in the hospital bed, his mind everywhere except in the room. All his efforts to sleep had been abortive, and he had just been staring up at the ceiling for hours. He felt guilty and helpless—maybe even a little scared. There was a sense of impending doom that kept making him twitch nervously. He had not shot or killed anyone during the robbery, so why did he feel like this? There was a light tap on the door, but he ignored it. It would probably be Emerald, and he was not in the mood for talks or chitchats. That's precisely why he locked the door after the doctor's departure. He also didn't want her to see the guilt in his eyes; it would definitely make her more suspicious, and that was the last thing he wanted. His whirling thoughts stopped on the main question that had been tormenting him: Why? Why had he gotten himself involved in this mess? His parents were good people; they didn't neglect him or abuse him. As far as he was concerned, they were great parents, and Emeral