Dave stood at the doorway. For the first time all night, he finally felt a bit of relief.

“He’s stable now. It was a very close call,” one doctor said. “Given Lucas’s age, we need to keep him calm from now on.”

Not far away, Bianca woke up slowly. She was wrapped in Dave’s coat.

When she heard that Lucas was stable, she stood up instantly. “That’s wonderful news!” she said, full of relief.

The doctors explained that because of Lucas’s age and weak condition, he might need to stay in the hospital for a long time to recover.

Dave had expected this. He nodded. “I understand. We’ll count on...