Chapter 3

Damon parked the car and walked through the sliding doors. He stepped up to the receptionist's desk and took a deep breath. "My name is Damon Barker," he said. "I was told that my brother and sister were brought in."

"And their names are?" she asked.

"Amber and Rowan," Damon said.

"Let me check," the young, blonde woman said, typing in the information. Damon turned away and leaned against the desk.

Several questions popped into his head. "Who was the other driver?" was one of them. Damon needed to know. He turned around and faced the receptionist.

"Your sister was taken to a room to rest," she said. "Your brother is still being treated," she said.

"What about the driver of the other car?" Damon asked.

"It looks like he wasn't seriously injured," she said.

"Do you have a name?" Damon asked.

"A Drago Capone," she said after bringing up the information.

"Fuck," Damon muttered to himself.

Anger boiled inside of Damon when he heard Rowan's boyfriend's name. He was about to ask which room Drago was in when the doors opened and a sandy blonde woman walked in.

"Are you Damon Barker?" she asked, stepping up to him.

"Yes," he said, nodding his head.

"I'm Dr. Parker," she said.

"How are my brother and sister?" Damon asked.

"Please sit down." "We need to talk," she said. They sat in two chairs in the back of the waiting room.

When Damon heard these words, he knew that something was wrong. "Your sister is fine except for some bumps and bruises," the doctor said. "As for your brother, the injuries are more serious," she said. Damon didn't like where this conversation was headed, but he needed to hear it.

"Just tell me," Damon said. "I need to know," he said.

"Your brother's legs were damaged from the impact," the doctor explained. Damon's eyes widened in horror.

"Will he recover?" he asked.

"If you're asking if he'll walk again, I don't know," she admitted. "We'll need to check how bad the damage is once he wakes up," she added.

The words "damage" and "when he wakes up" echoed in his head. "There's something you're not telling me," he stated. The blonde sighed softly and said, "Your brother is in a coma." She said it with regret in her voice.

"What about the driver of the other vehicle?" Damon asked.

"He was driving while intoxicated," she said. "Do you know him?" the doctor asked.

"Yes," Damon said, nodding his head. "He's my brother's boyfriend," he said.

"Can I see my siblings?" Damon asked.

Amber paced back and forth across the cold floor, muttering "Fuck Fuck Fuck" under her breath. Hot, salty tears ran down her cheeks. Her green eyes were red and puffy from crying. Amber spun around when she heard the door open.

"Big bro!" she exclaimed, running up to him.

"It's alright, I'm here," Damon said, hugging her tightly.

"I couldn't wake Rowan," she hiccuped.

"He's badly hurt, but he's alive," Damon explained.

Amber's heart clenched tightly when she heard this. "Can I see him?" she asked.

"I'll take the two of you to see him," Dr. Parker said. They followed the doctor out of the room and stopped in front of the next door. "Before we enter, I need you two to have a cool head," the doctor said. Damon gently held Amber's bandaged hand, and they followed the doctor inside. A soft gasp escaped their lips when they came face-to-face with the horror-filled sight. Amber removed her hand from Damon's grasp and approached Rowan's bedside.

"I'm sorry, little brother," she apologized.

Amber turned around and faced Damon, who noticed anger in her eyes. "Who the fuck was driving the other vehicle?" she asked. As she asked the question, the door opened. Amber and Damon turned around to see who had entered. To their disgust and surprise, the last person they wanted to see stood in the doorway.

"You!" Amber said, glaring at Drago, who had a small cut above his right eye. The brunette stepped closer, but was stopped by a hand. A male officer stepped up beside him and shook his head.

"Get the hell out of here!" Damon ordered.

Drago just stared at them. "My brother said to leave," Amber said. "I suggest that you leave and never come back," she said, glaring at him. The police officer escorted Drago from the room. Damon turned and faced the doctor. "I don't want him anywhere near our brother," he commanded. Dr. Parker nodded and exited the room. Amber and Damon stood on each side of the medical bed and cupped Rowan's hands.

"That bastard will pay for doing this to you," they promised.

When their visitation hours ended, Amber and Damon reluctantly returned to a quiet house. Damon checked his phone for messages while Amber went to her bedroom. She laid on her bed and looked up at the ceiling. Not hearing her little brother's laughter unnerved Amber. She rose from the bed and headed to Rowan's bedroom. Amber switched on the light and glanced around. The bedsheets were wrinkled and pulled down. Dirty clothes littered the floor.

"Messy as always," Amber commented, wiping a tear from her eye. She stepped up to the closet and pulled open the doors.

Amber stepped inside the closet, reached up, and pulled down the box that held Rowan's CDs. She exited Rowan's bedroom, closed the door, and headed back to her bedroom. She took one of the CDs from the box and slid it into her laptop. She pushed play, and a song started. She resumed glancing over the piles until her long fingers grazed a gold chain. She pulled it out and glanced at it. With careful inspection, she noticed that it was the necklace that their mother had given Rowan.

"I thought he had lost it," she thought to herself. "I guess he kept it hidden away after their parents died," she muttered to herself. She put it around her neck and opened the pendants. Two photos were inside. One was their mother. The other was Rowan, being held by their father. "He looks just like her," Amber said to herself. Amber closed the pendant and sat on her bed.

In his own room, Damon sat at his desk and turned on his phone. A chime sounded, indicating that he had a message. He clicked the sender section and found out that it was from Clarissa. He opened and read the message.

Mr. Barker, (Damon)

I'm writing to ask if Amber and Rowan are okay. When you told me that they were in an accident, it worried me. I was also worried after you left this morning. I can supervise the employees until you come back. Take care of your family.

Clarissa

Damon inhaled and then exhaled slowly as he replied to the message.

Clarissa,

Our world has been turned upside down. I feel like we've gone through hell and back. Amber is fine. She only has minor cuts and bruises. Please pray for Rowan. He's in a coma and has damaged his legs. We don't know whether he'll walk again or not. I found out who was driving the other vehicle, and I'm pissed. It was Drago, and he was drunk. I'll be back on Monday, and thanks.

Damon

He pressed send and turned off his phone.