336 REMORSE

While still in the hospital room, with the constant beep of the heart monitor providing a steady backdrop to a tense yet tender scene, they had a quick chat with their son. Although they were told ahead of time about the video evidence, it was a lot different when they saw the tape for themselves. They were hoping there was some mistake. They hoped until the last minute. As a result, they were quite shaken by the sight and flared up a little bit. With the officers gone, they calmed down a bit and decided to have a talk with their son. They wanted to strike while the iron was hot. Luke stood beside Isabella while she, in turn, sat beside their son, Luka, on his bed. Worry and love flooded their faces. Handcuffed to the bed frame, Luka, pale and visibly in pain, was a stark and constant reminder of the gravity of his situation. Luke cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Luka, son, we need to talk about what happened," he began, his voice steady but filled with emotion. Luka turn