chapter 23
JACE MARINO
The hospital feels like a place where time goes to disappear.
Hours have passed since they took Julian in, but the clock on the wall hasn't moved. Maybe it's broken. Or maybe I am.
The night outside has bled into morning without me noticing. The city lights dimmed. The world kept turning. But I stayed right here, on this same uncomfortable chair, hands clasped together, eyes fixed on the double doors at the end of the corridor.
Every sound feels too loud. The squeak of shoes against the tile. The soft crackle of the intercom. The hum of vending machines that no one's touched in hours.
Somewhere down the hall, I can hear a nurse laughing quietly. A sound that doesn't belong in this kind of waiting.
Rico and Luka are still here too.
