16 - A Fight Against All Odds.

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"There is no such thing as justice, all the best that we can hope for is revenge."

- Emilie Autumn

When Jay's call shattered the tranquility of the night, informing me of Uncle Ben's stabbing incident in prison, my heart plunged into a pit of dread, the weight of the world pressing heavily on my shoulders

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When Jay's call shattered the tranquility of the night, informing me of Uncle Ben's stabbing incident in prison, my heart plunged into a pit of dread, the weight of the world pressing heavily on my shoulders.

Benjamin Allen; Uncle Ben, and my biological father, John Hansley, were not just close friends, but also partners in the police force. Uncle Ben had always been a pillar of strength in our lives. When my father was brutally murdered, Uncle Ben didn't hesitate to adopt us into his own family, taking us under his wing and treating us like his own children. Until he was framed for my father's death and spent over two decades in prison for a crime he didn't commit.

For a while now, I had been persistently trying to get Uncle Ben's case reopened, working with whatever scraps of evidence I had. It was becoming glaringly obvious that whoever masterminded the stabbing was shaking in their boots, afraid of the damning secrets that might be revealed.

I knew who they were.

With Sawyer by my side, I rushed to the hospital, anxiety causing my heart to pound like a war drum, and tears flowing unchecked down my face. The terrifying possibility of losing Uncle Ben, the only family we had left, was very real.

Jay was waiting in the hospital hallway, an unmistakable air of melancholy surrounding him. I hadn't seen him display such raw vulnerability in years and it shattered my heart.

"Jay," I uttered, my voice just above a whisper.

Upon hearing me, he quickly crossed the distance between us, his arms reaching out for me in an all-consuming embrace. He cried, oh, he cried, spilling his heart out in the embrace.

Emotion surged up in me too, a blend of dread for Uncle Ben's wellbeing and relief at being able to hold my brother once more after a decade of distance.

"Talk to me.." I managed, my words coming out unevenly due to the swell of tears.

"They don't know if he's going to make it.." he answered, his own voice thick with emotion.

My mind spun into a denial when faced with the possibility of losing Uncle Ben, a concept I just couldn't wrap my head around. The idea felt strange, alien almost.

The sterile white hospital walls suddenly began to feel suffocating, almost as if they were slowly closing in on me as I awaited news regarding Uncle Ben. His uncertain condition left my mind awash with fearful possibilities of what life would be like without him. The dreadful reality of losing our only remaining family - losing him, was unbearable.

Sawyer stood next to me, his hand finding solace in mine as we both intently stared at the hospital room.

Just beyond that cold door was Uncle Ben, unconscious and fighting the odds. The last I had seen him was a sight that brought a lump to my throat, behind bars, looking terribly frail and physically destroyed. And here he was now, laying in a hospital bed and fighting for his life.

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