It is worth it?
Matteo's POV
"If any of you come to the emergency room and ask about his health again, I'll throw you all out of here," I yell sternly at the relatives.
"Only we can tell if we're going to be okay," Nonna asks apprehensively.
"Sandro is awake, Nicco and the boys are being treated. They have some fractures, but they'll be fine," I tell him what I know.
"And Elena?" Uncle Fernando asks, and I swallow hard.
"She's in serious condition, has an active bloodstream infection, and is intubated in the ICU," he replies, and I see everyone in the room grow concerned.
"When can we see them?" Aunt Esther asks, worried about Nicco.
"Soon, I promise," I answer her, remaining calm.
I leave them and reenter the emergency room.
I go into Nicco's room first; His ribs are bandaged, and he has a few stitches on his forehead.
"How are you?" I ask, catching his attention.
Nicco has always been reserved, just like Vicente. He has a dry sense of humor, but he excels at everything he does.
"Tired, but I'll be fine," Nicco says, and I see him lower his gaze.
"What happened, fratello?" I ask, seeing him falter.
"I failed them. I couldn't protect any of them, and because of that, Sandro died," Nicco says, and I look at him in confusion.
"Nicco," I call, but he interrupts me.
"I don't know how I'm going to face any of our family. I can't look at Uncle Fernando. I couldn't protect any of his children." My cousin's despair is palpable.
I approach him and touch his shoulder, making him look at me.
"Come with me, I need to show you something," I say, knowing he won't believe my words.
Nicco follows me to Sandro's room. I see his confusion when we stop at the door.
I knock lightly before opening the door and finding my younger cousin smiling.
He's still a little pale, but thank God he's out of danger.
I hear Nicco gasp. He quickly walks past me and hugs Sandro.
"I thought you were dead," Nicco says in a muffled voice.
"It takes more than that to kill me, fratello," Sandro replies humorously.
I decide to let them have their moment while you check on the others.
Angelo and Leonardo are in the same room. As soon as I enter, I see them arguing about who killed more men before leaving the building.
"You two look fine," I say with a smile.
They stare at me, and I can see all the emotions behind their simple smiles.
They're devastated.
"How's Elena?" Leonardo asks.
I look at him and wonder if their relationship has improved since the kidnapping. I remember Elena barely being able to stand being in the same room as Leonardo.
"She's in a medically induced coma; she's not in good condition," he answers truthfully.
I see their eyes darken, until Leonardo jumps off the stretcher and cracks his neck.
"Well, staying here won't make her better any faster, but I'm sure if she wakes up and finds Edgar has been punished, she'll be happy," Leonardo says with a cruel smile.
Angelo smiles back and stands.
"We have work to do," Angelo says, smiling at them both.
"Before you go, find Nicco in room three," I say, hoping Leonardo finds his brother soon.
The boys leave the room, and I sigh, feeling tired.
The days of searching, combined with my shifts at the hospital, have taken a toll on me.
I walk slowly to the ICU, enter Elena's room, and my heart sinks.
Seeing all the machines connected to her fragile body fills me with a fear I've never felt before.
I quickly review her specific settings and recommendations.
"You're the strongest girl I know, bambina, please don't give up now," I say, holding her hand.
For a moment, I feel her squeeze my hand in response.
I'm not a religious person, but for the first time in years, I pray that God will take care of my sorellina.
POV: Elena
Escape from the darkness is a difficult task.
I feel as if a fog is settling in my mind, pulling me further and further away from reality.
I can hear the sounds outside, someone squeezing my hand. With every second, everything becomes clearer.
My eyelids feel glued shut; it takes a great effort to open them.
"Elena, can you hear me?" Matteo's voice is like a balm.
I fight harder to return to reality, to return to my family.
But is it worth it?
My mind paralyzes me, remembering that Sandro is no longer alive, that the American mafia is after us.
My heart sinks.
Yes, it's worth it!
Memories of my last encounter with Silas come flooding back, of the laughter with my family, of the moments with my friends.
I open my eyes with all the willpower I have.
It takes me a few seconds to adjust to the light.
I look around and see Matteo standing near the bed where I'm lying, watching me with concern.
"Hi," I say hoarsely.
His face lights up with a smile of relief.
He runs a few tests on me before sitting me down on the bed and offering me a glass of water.
"How are you feeling?" Matteo asks, sitting down across from me.
"Is it possible to feel tired even after sleeping?" I ask with a smile.
"Yes, Sorella," he replies calmly. "You slept all week."
"Well, that explains the pain in my body," I say, connecting the dots. "How are the others?"
My tone turns cold; I don't want to have to talk about what happened there, about my time with Edgar.
"They're recovered; in fact, they're in the waiting room with the others," Matteo says calmly.
I stare at my cousin for a moment before clenching my fists.
Tears well up in my eyes.
"Matteo," I cry, my voice cracking. "S-Sandro."
My brother's name makes my chest tighten; his death has destroyed me more than I care to admit.
"I couldn't help it," I say, thick tears streaming down my face.
Matteo comes closer and hugs me. I can't hold back the painful sobs that escape my lips.
"Elena, calm down," Matteo pleads uselessly. "He's okay, Sorella, Sandro is alive."
I pull away from him and shake my head.
"I heard the shots; they killed him," I say, sobbing.
Matteo stares at me and leaves the room without saying a word.
I don't understand, but I wouldn't judge if my relatives were mad at me for not saving my brother.
I already hate myself.
"You don't look good when you cry, Sorella." Sandro's voice startles me, and for a moment I wonder if I'm hallucinating.