Looking at Lily, who had turned pale as death and seemed to have lost her backbone from the moment she learned Ray might never wake up, Amy understood that she needed to stay strong for this girl right now.
She knelt down beside her, abruptly pulled Lily into her arms and hugged her. Finding herself in Amy's embrace, the girl buried her face in Amy's chest and sobbed bitterly.
When her crying subsided a little, Amy gently pulled back and said:
"Listen... We both know that Ray, even if he doesn't look imposing, is very strong. So we have to be strong and believe — he'll make it."
"Right now we need to talk to the police and find out what happened, and also talk to the doctor to understand how serious it is."
After these words, she helped Lily pull herself together, and they headed to the doctor.
"How bad is it, Mr. Tarly?" Amy asked when they were in the doctor's office — he turned out to be a middle-aged man.
"As a result of the attack, your son suffered several broken ribs and a broken right arm. But the worst of his injuries are the blows to the head, which worsened the effects of his old childhood trauma. He's currently in a coma."
"I can't say whether he'll regain consciousness or not. And even if he does..." the doctor paused, "you must be prepared for the fact that such trauma will not pass without consequences. Honestly, I can't predict what it might lead to. But I promise: we'll do everything we can."
Hearing these words, the girls turned pale. With great difficulty supporting each other, they managed to leave the office.
As soon as they stepped out, a sturdy man in a police uniform addressed them:
"My name is Keith Bartley."
He had wanted to talk to them right after arriving at the hospital, but seeing their condition, he decided to give them some time.
"How did this happen? And who did it?" Lily asked in a lifeless voice. These were the first words she'd spoken since they arrived at the hospital.
Seeing her condition, Amy feared that if Ray died, the girl might follow him. She herself was terrified, but she forced herself to stay strong — for this little one.
She remembered the girl Hina: Ray had asked her to adopt the little one if she survived her illness. During this time, Amy had often visited the child. She had always loved children, and although her son's request seemed strange to her, she quickly became friends with the girl.
Part of her wanted to just sit down and cry, but remembering her son, who had always been strong, she couldn't allow herself weakness. He was still alive. That meant she still had hope.
Besides, there were people around her now that she needed to care for.
All these thoughts flashed through the girl's mind in a second.
"There were three attackers. Security cameras captured the assault, so all three have been arrested."
"As for the motive... I think it's connected to Lily Harrison. All three attend your school."
"Fred Tucker, Marty Kims, and Drew Sherman. Do you know them?"
"Yes," Lily replied. "Fred asked me out and was very persistent. The other two are his close friends."
Learning that she was the reason those three had attacked Ray, Lily turned even paler. Only thanks to Amy did she manage to stay on her feet.
Seeing this, Keith said:
"This is what he had on him at the time of the attack."
With these words, he handed the girls a ring box and a stack of documents. Opening it, Lily tried to put the ring on, but her hands were shaking, so nothing worked. Seeing this, Amy helped the girl with it, and then they headed to Ray's room.