Chapter 53

• TWENTY THREE
• Everyone rushed to Marco's side as his mother gently helped him sit up on the hospital bed. Her hands trembled, but she managed to steady him, her face a mixture of joy and worry.
• "Oh my goodness, my son! Thank God you're awake," she gasped, her voice cracking with emotion. Tears welled up in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks as she caressed his face. "What would I have done without you?" Her words came out choked, her relief palpable.