Taking a deep breath, I got out of the car, opening the door car for Luca, which the simple words could say that he was terrified

"Ready to go Luc?" I said and he simply nodded eyes wide with fear, He put his leg on the ground and I took his crutch from the car and gave it to him, his legs were wobbly as he took the crutch from me

"You don have to be scared you know" I said reaching out for his hand but he hesitated and seemed more anxious and moved away a little

Well That hurts, I mean He woke up today with a nightmare, was terrified and now he is gonna get his knee checked and meet new people.Great

It is gonna be okay, I guess

"Come on let's go " I said opening the hospital door getting greeted by its familiar smell

________________________

Entering my personal clinic I dialed Matteo who declined the call and messaged me that he is entering the Hospital,I looked at the anxious p who was standing near the medical bed, I went to him and crouched and reached out for him

"Can I put you here on the bed, bud?" I asked pointing at the bed he hesitated and put his crutch near to the wall,

"I-I c-can d-do i-it m-mys-self"He stuttered limping to the bed leaning on the bed and climbing on, it, Well it seemed hard on him to do it since he was completely limping I sighed

I thought we were beyond this baby step stage already, I mean yesterday he let me hug him .

I got up then Matteo entered cheeky as well

"Hey Mass" He greeted and I nod and then he turned to Luca "Hey Lukey , I bought this candy for you , Make sure none of your brothers has any of them" He grinned showing a bag if candy, Luca almost whimpered when he got in but he seemed more relaxed by the time

"Shall we start" Matteo asked.

__________________

From The moment Matteo walked in, I could feel Luca tense beside me. His small body stiffened, his wide eyes flicking nervously between Matteo and me, his fingers clutching the edge of the medical bed like it was the only thing holding him steady.

"Hey, bud," I said gently, crouching down to his level. "We're just going to take a look, okay? Matteo and I are here to help, nothing else. I promise."

He nodded, but it was barely more than a twitch. His lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out. I could see the way his chest rose and fell, too quick and uneven, like he was trying to breathe through the panic.

"We'll go slow," Matteo added, stepping closer but keeping his voice soft. "You're in charge here, Luca. If anything hurts, you just tell us, alright?"

Luca gave another shaky nod, his eyes fixed on the floor.

---

I moved to roll up his pant leg, but the moment my fingers brushed the fabric, Luca flinched violently. His whole body jerked, and he pushed my hand away, his breathing suddenly sharp and erratic.

"Luca," I said softly, keeping my hands still. "It's okay. I won't touch you unless you're ready."

"N-no," he stammered, his voice trembling as he shook his head.

Matteo and I exchanged a look. He sighed, stepping back slightly to give Luca some space.

"Luca, I need to see your leg so we can figure out how to make it feel better," I explained, keeping my tone as calm as possible. "I'll be really gentle, I promise. But I can't help you if I can't see it."

Luca hesitated, his hands gripping the edge of the bed so tightly his knuckles turned white. Finally, after a long pause, he nodded again, his gaze darting nervously to my hands.

"Okay," I said, moving slowly as I reached for the fabric. "I'm just going to roll it up, alright? Nothing else."

I pushed the material up his leg, and my heart sank. His knee was swollen and stiff, the skin around it stretched and discolored. Bruises, some faded and others newer, mottled the area in shades of purple and yellow. But it wasn't just the swelling that hit me—it was the scars. Well Actually it was everything that hit me.

They crisscrossed his leg like a roadmap, some faint and silvery, others darker and deeper. Old burns, thin jagged cuts, and marks I couldn't even begin to identify. My stomach churned, and I had to force myself to keep my expression neutral. I didn't want to scare him any more than he already was.

Matteo leaned in for a closer look, his brow furrowing. "That's not just swelling," he muttered, his voice low. "His range of motion must be severely limited. Can you bend it at all, Luca?"

Luca shook his head quickly, his breathing shallow. "C-c-can't," he whispered.

"Alright," Matteo said, stepping back slightly. "We're going to do some imaging, Luca. An X-ray, maybe an MRI, to see what's going on inside the joint. It'll help us understand what's wrong and how we can help you."

Luca's eyes widened, his whole body stiffening again.

"It won't hurt," I assured him quickly, moving closer. "The imaging is just pictures. You'll lie still, and the machines will do all the work. I'll be with you the whole time, okay?"

He hesitated, biting his lip as his gaze flicked between me and Matteo. Finally, he gave a tiny nod. --- "Luca, I need to help you onto the X-ray table now," I said, keeping my tone calm and steady. Matteo had already set up the machine, but I knew getting Luca there was going to be a challenge.

His small frame stiffened as he clutched the edge of the medical bed, his knuckles white. "I-I c-can w-w-walk," he stammered, his voice trembling as his gaze darted between me and Matteo.

"Alright, bud," I said softly, stepping back. "Take your time. I'm right here."

Luca's fingers gripped the crutch so tightly (That I have already gave him ) it looked like his knuckles might crack. He slid off the bed slowly, wincing as his foot touched the ground. His injured leg stayed awkwardly stiff, the knee barely bending, and his movements were shaky and unbalanced.

My instinct was to reach out, but I stopped myself. Luca had already pushed my hands away once, and I didn't want to overwhelm him further.

"Good job, Luca," Matteo said from the corner of the room, his voice warm. "You're doing great."

The X-ray table was just a few feet away, but it might as well have been a mile. Every step Luca took was painstakingly slow, his crutch tapping against the tile floor as he leaned heavily on it. I stayed by his side, ready to catch him if he stumbled, but I let him take the lead.

When he finally reached the table, he paused, his shoulders trembling as he clutched the edge. "C-c-can't," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

"You're almost there, bud," I said, crouching down beside him. "One last push, and then you can rest. I'll help you get up if you want."

He hesitated, his eyes darting to mine. For a moment, I thought he might let me lift him, but then he shook his head sharply. "N-no." Annnnd he refused, again.

"Okay," I said, standing back up. "You've got this."

---

It took him another minute to hoist himself onto the table, his movements slow and jerky as he kept his injured leg stiff. I felt my chest tighten as I watched him settle awkwardly onto his back, his small hands clutching the edge of the table like it was the only thing keeping him grounded.

"Good job, Luca," Matteo said, stepping forward with a gentle smile. "Now, this part is easy. All you have to do is lie still, okay? The machine is going to take pictures of your leg, and that's it."

Luca nodded, though his hands were still trembling.

"We're going to place this lead apron over you," I said, holding up the protective shield. "It'll keep the rest of your body safe while the X-rays are taken. Does that sound okay?"

Luca nodded again, his wide eyes fixed on the ceiling. He didn't speak, but the tight grip he had on the table told me everything I needed to know.

I carefully draped the apron over his chest, adjusting it to make sure it covered him properly. Matteo moved to position the X-ray machine, his hands steady as he adjusted the height and angle.

"Alright, Luca," Matteo said, stepping back to the controls. "Stay as still as you can. This won't hurt, I promise."

---

The machine buzzed softly as it powered on, the sound filling the quiet room. Luca flinched at the noise, his eyes widening as his breathing picked up.

"Luca," I said quickly, leaning down so he could see my face. "It's just the machine, bud. Nothing's happening to you. You're safe."

His lips quivered, but he nodded, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Good," Matteo said from the controls. "Here we go. This first scan will just take a few seconds."

The machine whirred to life, a faint clicking noise accompanying the bright flash of light as the first image was taken. Luca jumped slightly, his whole body tensing as he gripped the table even tighter.

"All done with the first one," I said, giving him a reassuring smile. "You're doing great."

---

"Alright, Luca," Matteo said, stepping forward. "Now we're going to adjust your leg a little to get a better view of the joint. This part might feel uncomfortable, but I'll be as gentle as I can, okay?"

Luca's eyes darted to me, his fear written all over his face.

"I'll hold your hand if you want," I offered, holding mine out to him.

He hesitated for a moment, then slowly reached out, his small fingers wrapping around mine. "O-okay," he whispered.

"Its okay, you are okay"I said softly, giving his hand a light squeeze.

Matteo carefully placed his hands on Luca's leg, his movements slow and deliberate. Luca whimpered as Matteo rotated his ankle slightly, the motion causing his knee to shift.

"Sorry, Luca," Matteo said gently. "I'm sorry. Just one more adjustment, and we're done."

Luca squeezed my hand tightly, his breathing uneven as Matteo finished positioning his leg.

"Perfect," Matteo said, stepping back to the controls. "We'll take the next image now."

---

The machine clicked again, capturing another image of Luca's leg. This time, he stayed still, though his grip on my hand never loosened.

"That's it," Matteo said, powering down the machine. "You're all done with the X-rays, Luca. You did an amazing job."

I helped Luca sit up slowly, his body trembling as he leaned heavily on me.

"We'll go to the viewing room now," I said, keeping my arm steady around his shoulders. "We're going to look at the pictures and figure out what's going on with your leg."

---

Back in the viewing room, Matteo pulled up the X-rays on the screen. My stomach clenched as the images came into focus.

The fracture was glaringly obvious—a jagged line running through the bone just below the knee. The joint itself looked swollen and deformed, the ligaments around it stretched and torn.

"Mass," Matteo whispered , his tone grim. "This is bad."

I nodded, my throat tightening. "How bad?"

"He's going to need long-term care," Matteo replied. "Months, maybe years. Physical therapy will help, but he might never regain full mobility. And the joint damage? That's permanent."

I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay calm. I couldn't lose it now. Not in front of Luca.

"Okay," I said, my voice steady. "We'll do whatever it takes."

Matteo nodded, his expression serious. "We'll set up the plan, but it's going to be a long road, A very long one."

I turned back to Luca, who was sitting quietly, his eyes fixed on his hands. He didn't understand the details yet, but he'd felt the fear.

---

Right now in my car, driving I was thinking, we have already made a plan for how we will try to heal it and the problem is we need to examine it more, We didn't want to do it now, because Luca is obviously terrified so we need to examine it later, but the problem is.........he may stay with this crutch forever. I texted my dad asking him who is gonna stay with Luca since I am gonna drive him home and I need to go to the hospital again and his response of course was "Wait I don't know I thought you were off the whole day" I sighed focusing on the road for a moment then typing saying " Papa, Send Ricardo home I can't have the day off" I sent him the message waiting for his response while focusing on the empty road, He replied saying "Get Alessio and Marco out of the school early today they will stay with him today until we figure out what we will do in the next " He replied and I could almost hear the sigh in it I texted Alessio saying that I am gonna take him and Marco early today so they can stay with Luca

"So buddy we are gonna get Alessio and Marco from school early today want some ice-cream before we head there?"

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Hey guys sorry for the very long wait but I really have my reasons so anyway your opinion in this chapter will really matter to me And do u like the new collage of the pov?