Chapter 4: A New Beginning

Lucas sat on the hospital bed, staring at his hands. The room was too bright, too clean. It didn't feel real—none of this did. Days had passed since the accident, but time had blurred together. He barely spoke, barely reacted. He was just... existing.

A soft knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. A doctor walked in, his smile gentle but professional. Behind him stood a couple—a man and a woman—watching Lucas with kind but uncertain eyes.

"Lucas," the doctor said, his voice calm. "I'd like you to meet Mr. and Mrs. Carter."

Lucas didn't respond. He just kept his gaze down, feeling the weight of their presence but refusing to meet their eyes. He didn't want to meet them. He didn't want anything.

Mrs. Carter stepped forward. "Hi, Lucas," she said, her voice warm but not too eager. "We know this must be really difficult for you, and we're not here to rush you into anything. But... we want you to know that you're not alone."

Mr. Carter nodded. "We want to help you, however we can."

Lucas swallowed, but the lump in his throat didn't go away. He didn't understand why they were here—why they cared. He didn't want them to care. It didn't make sense.

The doctor continued. "The Carters have offered to take care of you, Lucas. You'll have a home with them. A place to rest, recover. No pressure, no expectations. Just... a family willing to be there for you."

A family. The word felt foreign, almost painful. Lucas clenched his fists. He already had a family. And now they were gone.

Mr. and Mrs. Carter didn't push for an answer. Instead, they simply stood there, waiting, letting him process. After a long silence, the doctor finally spoke again. "Lucas, would you like to go with them?"

Lucas didn't know what to say. But eventually, he gave the smallest nod.

The Carter house was nothing like the hospital. It was warm, lived-in. Photos lined the walls, the scent of fresh bread filled the air, and soft voices drifted from other rooms. It wasn't his home, but it wasn't cold and sterile like the hospital either.

Lucas was led to a bedroom. "This is your space," Mrs. Carter said gently. "You can take all the time you need to settle in."

He didn't respond. Instead, he walked over to the bed and sat down, staring at the floor. The Carters left him alone, giving him space. The silence wrapped around him like a heavy blanket.

Some time passed—maybe minutes, maybe hours—before the door creaked open again. Footsteps approached, and then someone sat down on the floor nearby.

Lucas glanced to the side. It was a boy, about his age, with messy brown hair and a bright expression. He wasn't looking at Lucas, just tossing a small rubber ball between his hands.

"Hey," the boy said casually. "I'm Theo. So, uh... this is weird, huh?"

Lucas didn't answer.

Theo didn't seem bothered by the silence. He just kept tossing the ball, catching it, tossing it again. "Mom and Dad told me not to overwhelm you, so I'm just gonna sit here. You don't have to talk. You don't have to do anything. I just figured... sitting alone kinda sucks. So, yeah."

Lucas stared at him. Theo wasn't asking questions. He wasn't pushing him to speak. He was just... there. Existing beside him.

For the first time in a long while, the silence didn't feel so heavy.