Fina sat on her hospital bed, staring blankly out the window. The view was nothing special—just a patch of gray sky and the tops of a few trees swaying in the wind—but it was better than looking at the concerned faces of her family. She hated seeing them worry, hated feeling like the cause of their pain.

Her hands fidgeted with the blanket covering her lap, the silence in the room pressing down on her like a weight. She hadn't said much since waking up, her emotions too jumbled to untangle into words.

Isabella sat nearby, her chair pulled close to the bed. She hadn't left Fina's side all morning, her presence quiet but steady. Every so often, she would glance at her daughter, her heart breaking at the distant expression on her face.

"Fina," Isabella said softly, breaking the silence. "You don't have to go through this alone, tesoro. We're all here for you."

Fina's throat tightened, her eyes still fixed on the window. She wanted to respond, to let her mom in, but the words felt stuck.

Before either of them could say more, there was a soft knock on the door. Both women turned as the nurse poked her head in. "You have a visitor," she said gently.

Fina frowned, her heart sinking. She already knew who it was. "No," she said quietly, shaking her head. "I don't want to see him."

Isabella's brow furrowed, her hand reaching for Fina's. "Aiden?" she asked softly.

Fina nodded, her gaze dropping to her lap. "I can't... I don't.. I won't to talk to him. Not right now."

Isabella gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "That's okay, sweetheart. You don't have to see anyone you're not ready for."

The nurse nodded and stepped back into the hall, relaying the message.

Aiden stood just outside the door, his heart sinking at the rejection. He had hoped, prayed, that Fina would let him in, that he could at least tell her how sorry he was. But he couldn't blame her for pushing him away. With a heavy sigh, he ran a hand through his hair and turned to leave.

Inside, Fina bit her lip, tears stinging her eyes. She hated the pain she saw in his eyes every time she thought of him, but the wound between them was still too raw. For now, all she could do was take it one moment at a time.

Isabella brushed her thumb over the back of Fina's hand. "Whenever you're ready, tesoro," she whispered. "We'll all be here for you."

Fina nodded slowly, her chest aching with emotions she couldn't put into words.

Fina rested her head on her mother's shoulder, finally allowing herself to relax into Isabella's comforting embrace. The weight of everything—the emotional turmoil, the pain, the fear—felt a little lighter in that moment. She closed her eyes, focusing on the steady rhythm of her mother's heartbeat.

For a few minutes, the two of them simply stayed like that, a quiet understanding passing between them. It was the first time since Fina's collapse that she felt like she could breathe without it feeling like a struggle. She didn't know how to say it, but she felt safe in this space, with her mom holding her, keeping her together when she didn't know how.

But as Isabella tightened her hold, Fina's breath hitched suddenly, a sharp pain pulsing in her chest. Her body tensed as she coughed, and then, before she could brace herself, a thick, hot wave of blood spilled from her mouth, splattering onto her mother's hospital gown.

Isabella gasped, pulling back immediately. Her hands shook as she stared at the blood staining her clothing and Fina's lips, now pale and trembling.

"Fina!" Isabella's voice broke with fear. "Baby, what's happening?"

Fina's eyes widened, and she struggled to breathe, a mix of confusion and panic flashing across her face. Her hand pressed against her mouth, but it didn't stop the blood from continuing to drip, staining her fingers.

"I—Mom..." Fina's voice was barely a whisper, hoarse and weak. "I didn't mean to..." She looked down in horror, her heart pounding in her chest.

Isabella's face paled, but her maternal instincts kicked in, panic momentarily pushed aside by urgency. "It's okay, it's okay," she reassured Fina, her hands trembling as she wiped the blood from Fina's chin. She quickly reached for the call button, her voice desperate. "Nurse! We need help! Now!"

Fina's eyes fluttered, the blood loss making her feel dizzy. She leaned back against the pillows, her gaze clouded with confusion. "I'm sorry, Mamma," she whispered weakly.

"Shh, don't apologize," Isabella said, holding Fina's face in her hands. Her voice was tight with emotion. "You're going to be fine. I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere."

Before Fina could respond, the nurse rushed in, her face instantly filled with concern. "What happened?!" she asked, moving swiftly to Fina's side, her hands quickly checking Fina's vitals.

"I—I don't know," Isabella stammered, her voice frantic. "She just... she just coughed up blood. Please, help her!"

The nurse signaled for a doctor, immediately hooking Fina up to an IV and checking her oxygen levels. As the room filled with medical staff, Isabella never left her side, her hand resting gently on Fina's, her eyes filled with an unspoken promise of never letting go.

Fina's vision blurred, the world around her becoming more distant as the reality of what was happening settled in. She wanted to reassure her mom, to tell her that everything would be okay, but the words felt too heavy, too far away. All she could do was hold on to her mother's hand and hope, just hope, that the darkness would recede and she wouldn't lose herself in it.

The hospital room buzzed with urgency as nurses and doctors surrounded Fina's bed. The steady beeping of the monitors was suddenly replaced by a single, piercing tone.

Flatline.

"Code blue!" a nurse shouted, and the room erupted into chaos.

Isabella froze, her face pale as she clutched Fina's limp hand. "No! No, please!" she screamed, her voice breaking.

Alessandro moved swiftly into the room to her side, wrapping his arms around her trembling frame. His usually stoic demeanor cracked as tears welled in his eyes and spilled over. "Not our little girl," he whispered, his voice raw. "God, please, not our Fina."

Fina's brothers stood by the door, each gripped by their own wave of panic. Dante let out a strangled sob, his face contorted in anguish. Luca, though barely holding it together himself, stepped forward and pulled Dante into his arms.

"It's okay," Luca murmured, though his voice trembled. "They'll bring her back, Dante. She's strong." He held his brother tightly as Dante's shoulders shook, his quiet sobs muffled against Luca's chest.

Antonio paced frantically, running his hands through his hair. "They have to save her," he muttered, almost like a prayer. Enzo stood rooted to the spot, his fists clenched at his sides, his expression hard as he tried to mask the fear consuming him. Matteo stayed close to Alessandro and Isabella, his hand resting on his father's shoulder in silent support.

"Clear!" the doctor called, pressing the defibrillator paddles to Fina's chest. Her body jolted, but the monitor stayed flat.

"No response," a nurse said urgently.

"Again," the doctor ordered. "Clear!"

Another jolt. The family collectively held their breath, the room so silent it felt suffocating.

The monitor beeped once. Then twice. A weak but steady rhythm filled the room.

"She's back," one of the nurses said with relief.

Isabella collapsed into Alessandro's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "Thank you," she whispered through her tears, her hands clutching his shirt as if to anchor herself.

Alessandro's tears finally fell freely as he tightened his hold on his wife. "She's here," he said hoarsely, his voice breaking. "Our Fina is still here."

Antonio slumped against the wall, exhaling a shaky breath, while Matteo wiped at his own tear-streaked face. Enzo ran a hand down his face, whispering a quiet, "Thank God," while Luca gently pulled back to look at Dante, brushing a hand over his younger brother's hair.

"She's okay, Dante," Luca said softly, his voice thick with emotion. "She's okay."

The family gathered closer to Fina's bedside as the medical team began stabilizing her. Though her pale face and fragile frame were a painful sight, the sound of her heartbeat on the monitor brought them all a sliver of hope.

Alessandro stepped forward, brushing his fingers gently over Fina's hair. His tears hadn't stopped, but there was a strength in his voice when he said, "You're not leaving us, tesoro. We need you too much."

Though the tension in the room eased slightly, no one dared let their guard down. Fina was alive, but the weight of how close they had come to losing her lingered heavily in the air.

a/n heyy yall .. 😬😬 how we feeling.