Chapter 434: Against All Odds

The doctor took a deep breath, his clipboard resting against his chest. It was harder to read his face, which made the room even more tense.

As Joey held on to the edge of the chair, his hands moved around and his fingers turned white.

"I'm going to be honest with you," the doctor began, his voice steady but solemn.

"The surgery didn't yield the results we hoped for. We weren't able to repair the damage to his knees enough to guarantee he'd walk again."

It felt like the air in the room changed, and a huge weight fell on everyone. When Joey's face fell, Ashley reached out and grabbed his hand.

She bit her lip and wrinkled her face. Damon didn't say anything because his stomach was in knots.

"But…" the doctor continued, his expression softening as a faint smile formed, "that's not the whole story."

Everyone's eyes snapped back to him, the faintest glimmer of hope creeping into Joey's expression.