The sirens were closer now — echoing down the hallway from outside.Ethan’s mom wiped her eyes, trying to calm herself, brushing trembling fingers over Ethan’s hair again.

  Alex hovered nearby, useless, anxious as hell.

  Then Mrs. Hartley noticed something.

  The neckce.

  It had slipped out of Ethan’s shirt when they moved him.

  White and bck chain.Gem faintly glinting in the fluorescent light.

  She frowned softly and reached for it on instinct.

  “Jewelry should be removed if the paramedics—”

  Her fingers brushed the chain.

  In that exact instant—

  Ethan jerked upright.

  Not groggy.Not confused.

  He shot up like someone shocked him with lightning.

  His hand cmped around the neckce, eyes wide and terrified.

  “DON’T!”

  The room froze.

  His mom gasped.Alex jumped.

  Mrs. Hartley snapped her hand back like she’d been burned.

  Ethan looked around wild-eyed, breathing fast, shaking like he’d been pulled from a nightmare and dropped into another one.

  His voice came out cracked and weak:

  “Don’t take it… please…”

  Everyone stared.

  His mom touched his shoulder carefully.

  “Sweetheart— it’s okay. We’re here. You fainted.”

  He was trembling so hard the cot shook under him.

  “I—I need it. Please. Don’t take it off—”

  His voice broke completely on that st word.

  Not anger.

  Not paranoia.

  Desperation.

  Mrs. Hartley took a step back, both palms up.

  “No one’s taking anything, Ethan. You’re safe.”

  He didn’t rex.If anything, he curled around the neckce like a lifeline.

  A crackle of panic ran through Alex’s spine.

  He’d never seen someone look so scared of losing… something.

  Something he couldn’t expin.

  Something he didn’t understand.

  His dad rushed back in — “Ambunce is here—” — and froze when he saw Ethan awake.

  “Son?”

  Ethan panted, chest tight, eyes gzed with exhaustion and fear.

  “Don’t… don’t take it…”

  His mom rubbed his back softly.

  “We won’t. I promise.”

  His shoulders sagged just a little, as if that single promise was the only thing keeping him from shattering.

  The EMTs stepped into the doorway.

  “Patient conscious but unstable?” one asked.

  Mrs. Hartley nodded. “Severe exhaustion, fainting, nearly unresponsive until moments ago.”

  Ethan clutched the neckce tighter like they would try to rip it away.

  And Alex…Alex just stared, scared and confused.

  Whatever that neckce was?

  It wasn’t just jewelry.

  And Ethan would rather pass out — rather nearly die — than let it go.