Chapter 5

"Daniel. Your son is dead."

The words came out quiet, but they hit the air like a bomb.

The annoyance on Daniel's face froze. Then it twisted. Then it shattered.

He stared at me like he couldn't comprehend English.

"What... what did you say?" His voice sounded like grinding stones.

The sound of Paige slurping her boba stopped. Her eyes went wide. She looked at me, then at Daniel, then at the closed doors of the trauma bay. A flicker of confusion crossed her face, quickly replaced by blatant irritation.

"Owen is gone," I repeated. "Hypothermia. They couldn't save him.…