Chapter 457

Grace trailed off in her sentence, and her lips were pressed together as she looked into the ICU in silence. Her sadness mirrored my own. How could this have happened? However, the doctor's explanation made sense. Brain injuries were tricky and unpredictable. No matter how advanced the medical field had become, no one could say they understood the brain entirely—probably not even ten percent of it. I took a deep breath. "When will he be out of the woods?" Unless he would be in a vegetative state? The thought alone was enough to make my heart sink. It was the last thing I wanted to see happening. "The doctor said maybe another day. Tonight will be critical." Grace then reassured me, "Alfie's got good luck. He'll be alright." I nodded and gripped her hand, hoping to draw strength from her confidence. Alfie was strong and resilient. He would be alright. Just then, Chuck appeared at the end of the hallway, looking worn out. He wanted to check on Alfie but froze when he saw Xavier.