BEYOND THE LIGHTS «j.p.»

no one wants you anywhere

The nurse leads them to a private waiting room in the back of the hospital.

"How is he?" James asks. "What happened?"

"He took a bullet through to the back, that's all I really know right now." The nurse says.

"Is he alive?" James asks, voice wavering as he looks at her.

"Yes," the nurse says, "but barely. He lost a lot of blood on the way here. He's in surgery right now. I'll come and let you know something as soon as I find out. Until then, just have a seat and try to stay calm and hopeful."

The nurse turns and walks out.

James runs a hand over his head, staring out of the doorway and letting out a shaky breath.

Rio, himself, doesn't realize he's been holding his breath until he takes a ragged breath in, more tears springing to his eyes as he sinks down into a chair. He's starting to regain the feeling in his body, and everything hurts.

James moves and sits next to him, a hand covering his mouth as he tries to process everything that's happening.

Both of them sit in silence for a long time, both of them lost in thought, trying to remain hopeful like the nurse suggested but instead thinking of worst case scenarios.

"Is he going to.." Rio trails off, not knowing if he wanted to ask if Aiden was going to make it or die. None of this felt real, he still had to be lying in bed, dreaming. This was just another bad dream. That's all. He's going to wake up and Aiden was going to still be in bed with him. They were going to get married. They would have a family. They would be happy. This. This wasn't happening.

This couldn't be happening.

"I don't know." James answers after a few moments pass, because he didn't know if Aiden would live or die at this point, but things were feeling pretty bleak. It would be his fault, his fault that his wife died, and his fault that his only child died, too. He was the one that forced Aiden into law enforcement, if he had just let him follow his dreams from the beginning, they wouldn't be sitting here in this waiting room right now.

Rio pinches his arm as hard as he can, twisting the skin, trying to get himself to wake up. Nothing was happening. He was still here.

Neither of them know how much time has passed, it's felt like an eternity, but finally James says something.

"Rio," James says, looking at him. "Are you a religious guy?"

"I believe in God." Rio says softly. "But I've never really gone to church before."

James nods his head. "As long as you believe that's all that matters. Will you pray with me?"

Rio nods his head, and for the first time since he woke up, he feels hot tears in his eyes. He and James take each other's hands and bow their heads.

"Lord," James starts to pray, and as he prays their tears come down hard and heavy, streaming down their faces as his words grow in intensity and passion. Rio can feel something happening within him, something that had been happening ever since Aiden saved him on that balcony, the cold within him had been warming, and now it was completely melting away. With every tear that falls and every cry out to God, he felt himself becoming stronger, and faith like he's never had before.