Chapter 3: A Heart in the Dark

Lucas had spent days lying in the hospital bed, his body healing, but his mind constantly spiraling. He had no idea how long it had been since the accident, and frankly, he didn't care. Time didn't matter. The clock on the wall ticked away, but it all felt like a blur. The world outside seemed like it had nothing to offer him anymore.

He felt... empty. The depression weighed on him, a constant, suffocating presence that wouldn't let him breathe. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the same image—the wreckage, the silence, the absence of his parents.

His once vivid memories of laughing with them, playing games, and enjoying life felt like they belonged to someone else. It was as if those moments didn't belong in his world anymore. His world now felt cold, dark, and void of color. Even the simple things—the warmth of the sun, the sound of birds outside the window—couldn't reach him. He was stuck in a place where everything felt wrong, and the pain in his chest never went away.

It was like a heavy cloud that followed him wherever he went. It made it hard to breathe. Hard to think. Hard to feel anything at all.

He spent most of his days staring out the window, watching the world go by but not really seeing it. People walked by, parents holding hands with their children, laughing, smiling. It was all so foreign to him now. That happiness was a place he could never reach. Not anymore.

One morning, as Lucas lay in bed, a nurse came in and greeted him with a soft smile. She seemed to be one of the few who didn't pity him, who didn't look at him like a broken boy. Her name was Sarah, and she had a way of speaking that was quiet but reassuring.

She set a glass of water on the table beside his bed. "How are you today, Lucas?" she asked.

He didn't answer right away, staring at the wall across from him. He hated the question. How could he possibly be okay? He wasn't okay. He was far from okay.

But Sarah didn't push. She simply stood there, waiting, giving him space. It was one of those moments where the silence felt comforting, like she understood without needing him to explain.

Finally, Lucas spoke, his voice hoarse. "I don't know why I'm still here."

She nodded gently, as if expecting the answer. "It's okay to feel lost right now. Sometimes, when we lose someone, it feels like we're walking in the dark. But you're not alone, Lucas. You don't have to go through this by yourself."

Lucas looked at her, confusion in his eyes. "What does that even mean? I'm... I'm not even sure I want to keep going. What's the point of it all?"

She paused for a moment, her eyes soft with compassion. "The point is... you have time. Time to heal, to figure things out. And when you're ready, you'll start to see the light again. It may not come all at once, but it will come. Sometimes, we just need a little help to find it."

Lucas turned his gaze to the window, his mind racing with her words. Time to heal. But what if there was no healing for him? What if he was beyond repair?

He didn't answer her. Instead, he sank back into the pillow, the weight of his depression pressing down harder than before. Light? He wasn't sure there was any light left in his world. It felt like the darkness would never let him go.