He didn’t speak immediately. His eyes, sharp as knives even in his grief, studied the child. Tiny hands reached out, eyes wide and watchful, unafraid. For anyone else, he might have been just another abandoned child. But something about the boy made the air shift.
He took a careful step closer.
Richard
Dragone(MC DAD)
Alone
he murmured, almost to himself. The word carried weight—not pity, but calculation.
The nurse hesitated.
nurse
Sir… perhaps you should
He ignored her, crouching slowly so as not to startle the child. His fingers brushed against the boy’s tiny hand. Electricity—or instinct—sparked in that contact. For the first time in weeks, he felt a flicker of purpose stir within him.
Richard
Dragone(MC DAD)
This world…” he whispered, “will try to break you. But I… will not.”
The nurse exhaled softly, sensing the unspoken promise in his voice. Outside, the hospital’s fluorescent hum continued. Inside, grief, loss, and danger collided, giving birth to a fragile, unbreakable bond between a man and a child he had never expected to protect.
He lifted the child carefully, holding him close, feeling the tiny heartbeat press against his own. The nurse watched him, hesitant, but saying nothing. There was a gravity in his eyes that brooked no argument.
Richard
Dragone(MC DAD)
I’ll take him
he said quietly, more to himself than to her.
Richard
Dragone(MC DAD)
I’ll keep him safe.”
The nurse’s lips parted, then closed again.
nurse
“Sir… are you sure?
He shook his head, cutting her off with a glance that silenced the room.
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