WHEN DOCTOR GIVES BAD NEWS TO AMBER ABOUT ANTHONY

 Amber stood frozen outside Anthony’s hospital room, her fingers trembling around the paper coffee cup she had been holding for nearly an hour. The coffee inside had gone completely cold, but she hadn’t noticed.

She couldn’t notice anything.

Not the nurses rushing through the hallways.
Not the distant beeping machines.
Not the sound of families whispering prayers in nearby waiting rooms.

Her entire world had narrowed down to one thing:

Anthony.

The man she loved was lying unconscious behind that hospital door, and nobody would tell her if he was going to survive.

Amber looked exhausted. Her mascara had smeared beneath her eyes from crying all night, and her blonde curls were messy from running her hands through them over and over again.

Everything had happened so fast.

One minute Anthony had been yelling during that heated argument outside the restaurant.

The next…

Screaming.
Chaos.
Glass shattering.
People running.

And then Anthony collapsed.

Amber squeezed her eyes shut, trying desperately to erase the horrifying memory of seeing blood on his shirt.

Her breathing became shaky again.

“Miss Amber?”

She quickly looked up.

A doctor wearing navy scrubs stood a few feet away holding a tablet and several papers in his hands. His expression immediately made her stomach drop.

Doctors never looked like that when the news was good.

Amber stood up so quickly the coffee cup slipped from her hands and spilled across the hospital floor.

“I-Is he awake?” she asked desperately.

The doctor hesitated.

And that hesitation terrified her.

“Can we talk privately for a moment?” he asked gently.

Amber’s heart started pounding violently.

“No,” she whispered immediately. “No, just tell me here.”

The doctor glanced down briefly before meeting her eyes again.

“Anthony suffered significant internal injuries during the attack.”

Amber felt the blood drain from her face.

“What does that mean?”

“He lost a lot of blood before arriving at the hospital.”

Her breathing became uneven.

“But he’s okay now, right?” she asked quickly. “You fixed it?”

The doctor remained careful with his words.

“We were able to stabilize him during surgery.”

Amber instantly burst into relieved tears.

“Oh my God…”

For one tiny moment, hope flooded through her chest.

But then the doctor spoke again.

“However…”

That one word shattered her relief immediately.

Amber’s tears slowed as fear crept back into her eyes.

“There were complications.”

Her knees nearly buckled.

“What complications?”

The doctor inhaled slowly.

“Anthony’s injuries caused severe trauma to several organs, including damage near his spine.”

Amber stared at him blankly, trying to process the words.

“I don’t understand.”

The doctor’s voice softened.

“We won’t fully know the extent of the damage until he wakes up.”

A cold chill spread through her body.

“…What are you saying?”

The hallway suddenly felt too small.

Too bright.

Too loud.

The doctor carefully lowered his voice.

“There’s a possibility Anthony may experience permanent complications.”

Amber’s lips parted slowly.

Permanent.

That word echoed inside her head like a nightmare.

“No…”

“We’re doing everything we can.”

“No,” she repeated shakily. “No, he’s healthy. He’s strong. Anthony’s always strong.”

The doctor nodded sympathetically.

“I understand.”

“No you don’t!” she suddenly cried.

Several nurses turned toward them as Amber stepped backward in panic.

“You’re talking about him like his life is over!”

“Amber—”

“No!” Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face now. “You said surgery worked!”

“It did.”

“Then why are you saying all this?!”

The doctor’s expression became even more serious.

“Because he still hasn’t regained consciousness.”

Everything inside her froze.

“…What?”

“He’s currently in critical condition.”

Amber stared at him in complete shock.

Critical condition.

Those words destroyed her.

Her breathing became uneven as panic completely took over.

“No, no, no…” she whispered.

The doctor gently tried to continue.

“There’s swelling near the brain, and the next twenty-four hours are extremely important.”

Amber covered her mouth as a sob escaped her throat.

This couldn’t be happening.

Not Anthony.

Not the man who made everyone laugh.
The man who always acted fearless.
The man who promised her two weeks ago, “Nothing’s ever gonna happen to me.”

Suddenly Amber remembered their last conversation before the attack.

They had argued.

Badly.

She had screamed at him.
Anthony had walked away angry.
And she never got the chance to say sorry.

The guilt hit her instantly.

“Oh my God…” she cried. “This is my fault.”

“No,” the doctor said firmly. “This is not your fault.”

But Amber barely heard him.

“If I hadn’t argued with him… if I’d just stayed with him…”

Her legs gave out beneath her.

The doctor quickly caught her arm as she collapsed into a nearby chair sobbing uncontrollably.

“I should’ve protected him,” she cried.

Across the hallway, several people stared sympathetically while nurses quietly continued walking past.

But Amber felt completely alone.

The doctor knelt slightly beside her.

“We need you to stay calm.”

“How can I stay calm?!” she screamed through tears. “You just told me he might never wake up!”

The doctor lowered his eyes briefly.

“We’re hoping for the best.”

Hoping.

Not promising.

Amber realized then that nobody in that hospital actually knew if Anthony was going to survive.

And that realization broke something inside her.

She buried her face in her hands as painful sobs shook her entire body.

“I can’t lose him…”

The doctor remained quiet for a moment before speaking softly.

“You can see him now if you’d like.”

Amber slowly looked up with swollen eyes.

“…Can he hear me?”

“Sometimes patients can still recognize familiar voices,” the doctor explained gently. “Even while unconscious.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks again as she stood shakily.

Every step toward Anthony’s room felt heavier than the last.

When the doctor finally opened the door, Amber stopped breathing for a second.

Anthony looked nothing like himself.

Machines surrounded the bed.
Wires covered his body.
Bruises darkened his face.
A breathing tube rested near his mouth while monitors beeped steadily beside him.

Amber immediately broke down crying again.

The strong, confident man she loved looked fragile now.

Broken.

She slowly walked to the side of the bed and grabbed his hand carefully, terrified to hurt him.

“Anthony…” she whispered through tears.

No response.

His hand felt cold.

Amber pressed it against her forehead as sobs escaped her chest.

“You better not leave me,” she cried quietly. “Do you hear me?”

The machines continued beeping softly in the silence.

Amber leaned closer, tears falling onto the hospital blanket.

“We still have plans,” she whispered brokenly. “You promised me we’d fix everything.”

Her voice cracked completely.

“So please… please don’t let this be goodbye