“Mel,” someone calls from behind her. She turns and sees it’s Leo.
“Thomas is dead! He’s dead, Leo,” Melina says, sobbing and showing him her hands filled with Thomas’ blood.
“I know, Mel, but do you know something else?” Leo asks calmly.
She responds by shaking her head.
“Until a doctor fucking calls the time of death, Sotto capo is alive. Do you hear me?”
She nods her head, agreeing with him. Thomas could still be alive and just unconscious from blood loss.
“He isn’t dead until a doctor says so,” she whispers, looking at his chest. She stares at it, waiting to see it move, but it doesn’t. The little glimpse of hope of him being alive dies. She snaps out of staring at his chest when Leo bends down to her on the floor.
“Can you apply pressure to his wounds while we carry him to the car?” he asks, taking off his shirt and extending it to her.
“Yes, I can.” Melina takes his shirt and presses it against Thomas’ chest. His shirt quickly becomes soaked with Thomas’ blood. Melina bites her lip as she stares at it. Could Thomas still be alive after all this blood loss?
“Good.” “Jacob, she’s ready,” Leo says, and another male appears beside them. He grabs Thomas’ leg while Leo grabs his hands.
“On three,” Leo says.
“1”
“2”
“3” They lift him off the ground and start walking out of the building. Melina’s hands remain unmoving on Thomas’ chest as they walk outside and into the waiting car. Leo had to have planned everything while she cried her eyes out to a dying Thomas.
The car quickly picks off on the road once they set Thomas properly in the back seat. Melina doesn’t move her hands the entire ride to the hospital, even though they ache from being in one spot. She couldn’t afford to. The guilt of Thomas being dead without knowing she forgave him was already weighing down her heart. She couldn’t afford to be the reason he died because she rested her hands a little. She will not forgive herself if she loses the love of her life as a result.
They are heading to the hospital since it’s closer than the house right now. Once they got to the hospital, they had to forcefully remove Melina’s hands so they could wheel Thomas into surgery. She doesn’t want to let go and wishes to be there while they try to save his life, but she understands why she can’t.
Melina stares at the OR door, biting her lip and praying the doctors to come out soon and give her only good news when somebody calls her name.
“Kat,” Melina says, recognizing her voice, turning around to face her. Her face is red, and her cheeks are stained with tears.
“Melina,” Kat says, wrapping her arms around her.
“Thomas was shot, Kat, and there was a lot of blood. A lot.” Melina sobs in her arms, looking at her hand and clothes soiled with Thomas’ blood.
“I know, dear, I know,” Kat says, sniffing.
“He doesn’t know I forgave him, Kat. If he doesn’t make it, he’ll die thinking I didn’t forgive him, and I did. I did.” Melina’s heart aches as she remembers Thomas’ last words. Imagining Thomas not coming out of surgery alive is really heart-wrenching for her. She will never recover if he doesn’t.
“Don’t worry, he will live; my son will live,” Kat says, patting Melina’s back to calm her down. She’s really breathing heavily.
“He has to, Kat; he can’t die. He can’t die without knowing I forgave him and love him. He has to wake up and hear me say that; he needs to.” Melina tries to control her breathing. She’s starting to hyperventilate.
“He will. Thomas will get through this; I believe so.” Kat wraps her arms around her and asks Melina to take calming breaths, so she won’t pass out. Melina does, and her breathing slowly returns to normal. She lets Kat walk her to a chair and sits down. She doesn’t take her eyes off the OR door, staring at it for the next couple of hours and silently praying for Thomas’ life.