June nudged my arm gently. "Come on. Let's go see Alia."
June led the way down the quiet hallway, past rows of doors and low overhead lights. We passed a few nurses and tired parents slumped in chairs. The children's section was quieter than the rest of the hospital no beeping monitors, no rushed footsteps.
We stopped in front of a room with a cartoon butterfly sticker on the door.
"She's in here," June whispered, gently pushing open the door to one of the rooms.
Inside, the light was dim. My sister, Alia, was curled up in a small hospital bed far too big for her, her favorite stuffed panda clutched tightly to her chest. She had a cartoon blanket pulled up to her chin, she looked peaceful now….finally asleep.
I just stood there for a moment. I was so relieved that I felt dizzy.
She was okay. She was really okay.
I stepped forward quietly and knelt beside the bed, brushing a strand of hair from her face. Her tiny lips moved slightly, like she was still talking in her sleep.
I'd promised her I'd be back. I hadn't kept that promise…but somehow, she was still here, waiting for me.
June put her hand on my shoulder. "Come on. Let's get that cut looked at before it gets worse."
Marcus held the door open as we walked to the nurse's station. My body was aching in places I hadn't even noticed earlier, and my eye had fully darkened to an ugly purplish-blue.
The nurse on duty….a kind middle-aged woman named Gina….with tired eyes but kind hands. She just pulled on a pair of gloves and got to work disinfecting the cuts on my arms and patching up the torn skin near my ribs.
"What happened to you, honey?" she asked as she dabbed antiseptic on the cut.
"Wrong place, wrong time," I muttered.
She didn't push it.
She gave me an ice pack for my swollen eye and patched up the rest of the scrapes and bruises.
"You're lucky that didn't go deeper," she muttered, inspecting the knife graze. "You need to keep this covered for a few days. Change the dressing every 12 hours, got it?"
"Got it," I mumbled, my mind already somewhere else.
A few minutes later, a hospital admin came looking for me.
"You're the one with the emergency admission from earlier? Ash Rivera?" the woman asked, holding a clipboard. "Please report to the billing office."
June and Marcus followed me without a word. My stomach was already tight before I got there.
She took me into a small office. The walls were plastered with insurance posters and procedural flowcharts. She sat behind a desk and started tapping on a keyboard.
"You're listed as the emergency contact and primary payer," she said. "Your mother's oxygen crash led to several emergency interventions. The bill as of now totals $7,940, and that's not including the overnight observation charges or pediatric care for your sister."
Then she slid the bill across the desk.
The total looked like a joke. My stomach dropped, my throat went dry.
I reached for my phone…cracked screen, barely functional and opened my banking app.
Mr. Sun, my boss at the diner, had sent me a transfer with a quick note that read: Hope this helps. Get some rest. $120.50.
But it was barely even a quarter of what we owed.
My hand started to shake slightly. I couldn't afford this. Not with rent, not with food, not with Alia needing new school shoes and Mom still recovering.
I stepped out into the hallway, trying to hide the panic in my chest. June and Marcus were waiting right outside.
"Everything okay?" Marcus asked.
I looked at them and shook my head. "The bill's insane. And Mr. Sun sent something, but it's not even close to enough.
"I… I need time," I managed. "I can take more part-time jobs. Anything I'll figure something out."
I turned to Marcus and June, trying to keep it together. "I'll talk to Mr. Sun, maybe get a second shift. And I'll take night cleaning shifts at the gym again. I have to do something."
June opened her mouth to say something, but she looked speechless.
Marcus didn't say anything. He just reached into the inside pocket of his hoodie and pulled out a thick wad of bills mostly tens and twenties, worn and crumpled from months of hiding.
He held it out to me.
"What's this?" I asked, confused.
"It's everything I've been saving," he said. "Been putting it away for months. But man… you need it more than I do right now."
"Marcus, no…." I backed away a little, shaking my head. "You've been saving up forever for a new phone. I can't take your money. That's not fair."
He stepped closer, pressing it into my hand. "You're my bestfriend, Ash. You'd do the same for me. No questions asked. So stop making this a thing."
"Bro…"
I didn't realize my eyes had welled up until I blinked and one rolled down my cheek.
"I really can't take this from you, man."
"Shut up and take it before I start crying," he said with a shaky laugh.
I stared at him. My throat felt tight. I swallowed hard and nodded, tucking the money into my pocket.
"Thank you, bro," I said. "Seriously."
June wiped at her nose, sniffling.
"You guys are gonna make me lose it," I mumbled.
Marcus gave me a light punch on the arm. "We've got your back, always."
June wiped at her eyes, trying to smile through the tears. "Okay, you guys seriously need to stop," she said. "This is way too emotional. I swear, I'm gonna cry."
And then she did, quiet tears rolling down her cheeks as she opened her arms.
"Come here," she whispered, pulling both of us in. Her arms wrapped around me and Marcus tightly, like she needed the hug just as much as we did.
For a moment, none of us said anything. We just stood there in the middle of the hospital hallway, holding on to each other like everything was falling apart….but maybe we'd be okay if we held on tight enough.