Chapter 5 - Whispers in the Dark
That evening, a summer thunderstorm rolled over the city. Lightning flickered across the panoramic windows, casting violent shadows across the medical monitors.
Toby stirred, his breath catching in his throat. The low rumble of thunder sounded eerily similar to the screech of brakes on wet asphalt.
"Mom?" he whimpered, panic rising in his tone. "Mom!"
Elena had stepped down to the cafeteria to grab tea. Sitting in the armchair was Marcus.
He bolted upright. Instinctively, he stepped toward the bed, his heart hammering against his ribs. Toby was thrashing slightly, trying to pull his immobilized leg away from an imagined threat, tears leaking past his bandages.
"Hey, hey. Easy. Toby, look at me," Marcus urged softly.
Toby shrank back against the pillows, wide-eyed and terrified. "It’s coming back! The car!"
Marcus didn't think about his fears, his corporate composure, or his perceived awkwardness. He leaned over the bed railing, just as Elena had done the night before, and wrapped his thick, tattooed arms around his son's shaking shoulders. He pulled Toby gently against his chest, shielding the boy's view of the window.
"I've got you," Marcus whispered, his voice deep and vibrating against Toby’s ear. "Nothing is going to touch you. I'm right here. Dad is right here."
Toby’s small hands grabbed the fabric of Marcus’s shirt, bunching the black cotton tightly. He buried his face into Marcus’s neck, weeping openly against his father’s collarbone.
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"You're big, Dad," Toby sobbed. "Make the thunder stop."
"I can't stop the storm, buddy," Marcus replied, a tear finally escaping his eye and disappearing into his beard. "But I will stand between you and the rain every single time. I promise you. I’m not going anywhere."
