C9

As the ambulance pulled up beside them, its lights flashing in the darkness, Ajax and Donte clung to each other, their spirits battered but unbroken. Together, they had faced the darkness and emerged stronger on the other side. And as they watched Silas being loaded into the ambulance.

As the ambulance sped away into the night, carrying Silas to the hospital, Ajax and Donte were left standing on the side of the highway, their hearts heavy with worry for their friend. Rain continued to pour down in relentless sheets, soaking them to the bone as they watched the flashing lights of the ambulance fade into the distance.

The teenagers who had inadvertently struck Silas with their car stood nearby, their faces etched with shock and guilt. Ajax and Donte approached them cautiously, their own emotions raw and tumultuous.

"We need to get to the hospital," Ajax said, his voice tight with urgency. "Can you take us there?"

The teenagers nodded, their expressions somber as they led Ajax and Donte to their car. The drive to the hospital was a tense and silent affair, the only sound the steady rhythm of the windshield wipers as they battled against the rain.

As they arrived at the hospital, Ajax and Donte rushed inside, their minds consumed by thoughts of Silas and his precarious condition. They were met by a whirlwind of activity as doctors and nurses bustled about, their voices a blur of urgent commands and medical jargon.

It felt like an eternity before they were finally allowed to see Silas, his frail form lying motionless on a hospital bed, surrounded by machines and monitors. Ajax and Donte hovered anxiously by his side, their hearts aching with the weight of uncertainty.

Hours passed in agonizing silence as they waited for news of Silas's condition. The rain continued to fall outside, a constant reminder of the storm that raged within their hearts.

And then, finally, a doctor emerged from the shadows, his expression grave but hopeful. "He's stable," he said, his voice cutting through the silence like a beacon of hope. "It's too early to say for sure, but it looks like he's going to be okay."

Ajax and Donte breathed a sigh of relief, their shoulders sagging with the weight of their pent-up emotions. Silas was alive, and for now, that was enough.