The Man Who Waited vs. The Man Who Wasted novel Chapter 289

Sarah was equally terrified.

"That can't be for her... Liam, hold onto me, my legs feel like jelly."

Liam wrapped a supportive arm around her shoulders, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

"Don't jump to conclusions. It's a big hospital. Let's just find her."

Outside the emergency room, three police officers were waiting.

Jocelyn forced herself to take a deep breath and marched up to them.

"Hello, I'm Sylvia Reed's family."

The officer checked his notepad.

"Your mother is currently in surgery. The doctor will come out to give you an update, but... I need you to prepare yourself."

Jocelyn's heart stuttered.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Her vitals were extremely weak when the ambulance brought her in."

Jocelyn squeezed her eyes shut, her fingernails digging into her palms.

"How did this happen?"

"The victim was crossing the street and was struck by a civilian vehicle. The driver was a young male, significantly over the legal alcohol limit. He's currently at the precinct giving his statement."

Another officer chimed in. "He was driving at nearly double the speed limit, which is why the impact was so severe."

Julian stepped forward. "Is there dashcam or street camera footage? We'd like to review it."

The officer sighed apologetically.

"Unfortunately, that specific stretch of road was recently repaved. The traffic cameras haven't been reinstalled yet."

Julian processed this silently and didn't press further.

The agonizing wait outside the ER began—a nightmare Jocelyn was living through for the second time in her life.

She didn't know how to describe the sheer agony of this waiting game.

She would have gladly traded places with her mother just to end the torment.

Sarah silently prayed to any god that would listen.

Please let Sylvia survive.

Because she knew Jocelyn couldn't take another loss.

The woman on that operating table was the only real family she had left.

The red light above the emergency room clicked off.

Several doctors walked out.

The expressions on their faces made Jocelyn physically unable to step forward.

Julian approached them.

"Doctor? How is she?"

The lead surgeon shook his head grimly.

"We did absolutely everything we could. The trauma was simply too extensive."

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