Between our hands

Chapter 90 : The Suspended Breath

Time seemed to stretch, each second melding into the next, as if the entire universe was holding its breath with them. Maëlle, sitting in Victor's arms, couldn’t help but relive the scene over and over again. The image of Samy, covered in blood, flooded her with each blink. His soaked clothes, trembling hands, pleading gaze… These images haunted her, trapping her in a spiral of fear and despair. Her tears kept flowing, and even the comforting warmth of Victor's arms could not calm the shivers coursing through her body.

Around her, her family stood vigil in silence, their faces grave and marked by worry. No one dared to speak; no one knew what to say. The weight of the situation seemed to thicken the air, making it harder to breathe. Daniel and Sacha exchanged heavy glances, helpless in the face of their sister's pain. Nohé stood apart, his jaw clenched, unable to mask his own anguish. They were all there together, yet each one was battling their own thoughts, their own fears.

Victor, meanwhile, held Maëlle against him with a desperate, almost protective strength. He felt his heart tighten with each sob from his cousin, and a dull ache pulsed in his chest, more familiar than he would have liked to admit. It had been two years since he had lived through a similar scene… Two years since Anna had fallen into his arms, wounded just like Samy was now. The difference was that Anna had not survived. The echo of that loss resonated within him with brutal clarity, making this waiting period even more unbearable. He closed his eyes for a moment, holding back his own tears. He had to be strong for Maëlle. For her and for Samy.

Every minute spent in that waiting room was torture. The silence was occasionally broken by distant noises from the hospital, but for Maëlle, everything was muted. Her breath was short, punctuated by sobs she tried to control, unsuccessfully. All she could think about was Samy, wondering if he was in pain, if he was still there, somewhere. She saw herself leaning over his lifeless body, feeling the blood slipping between her fingers. What if he never woke up?

Suddenly, a sharp noise echoed. A knock on the door. Everyone straightened up instantly, as if one person, their hearts suspended by that sound. Maëlle felt her body stiffen under the sudden wave of adrenaline. The door opened slowly, and a doctor entered, his features relaxed, a slight smile on his lips.

“He's going to be fine!”

Those three words resonated in the room like a release. A collective sigh swept through the family. Victor finally relaxed his grip, feeling his muscles loosen for the first time in hours. Maëlle burst into tears, but this time, they were tears of relief, liberating tears. She threw herself into Victor's arms, hugging him with all her strength. He too cried silently, overwhelmed by emotion, by the mix of past pain and present relief.

“He's going to be fine…” she kept repeating, as if to convince herself that it was real, that those words were true.

Victor held her even tighter, unable to speak, too overwhelmed by his own emotions. It was a miracle. An immense relief. But he knew that the fear, although dissipated for now, could return at any moment.

After a few moments in Victor's arms, Maëlle suddenly stood up, wiping her tears. She walked towards the doctor, her heart still racing. “Can I see him?” she asked in a voice still trembling but determined.

The doctor nodded. “He’s not conscious yet, but you can go to his side.”

Maëlle smiled at him, a weak but grateful smile. “Thank you, thank you so much.”

She followed the doctor through the hospital corridors, each step bringing her closer to Samy. She still struggled to believe he was going to pull through. When she entered the room, her gaze was immediately drawn to his body lying on the hospital bed. He was there, surrounded by machines, his chest and thigh covered in bandages, but alive. For a moment, Maëlle felt faint at the sight of the extent of his injuries, but seeing his peaceful face reassured her slightly.