Charlotte sat motionless on the hard plastic bench, her hands still clasped tightly in her lap, her eyes fixed on the double doors of the emergency room.
Ethan stayed by her side, his expression tight with concern, but he didn't speak.
The silence around them felt deafening, interrupted only by the soft beeping of distant machines and the occasional shuffle of nurses.
A few minutes later, a woman walked briskly toward them, her eyes scanning the corridor. As she came into clearer view, Charlotte's eyes widened in recognition.
"Mrs. Doyle?" she murmured, standing up quickly. The woman nodded, a sorrowful expression on her face.
"Yes, it's me," she replied, wrapping her arms gently around Charlotte in a brief, sympathetic hug. "I came as soon as I could. I was the one who called you."
"You...you were with her?" Charlotte asked, her voice shaky, almost breaking.
Mrs. Doyle sighed and took a deep breath, her face clouded with pain.
