"Rainbow, is everything okay?" I asked, walking over to her. She gripped my arms tightly and took a few deep breaths to compose herself.

"Jax," she sobbed, "there's-"

"-there's someone in the storeroom," I wheezed, "he says- he says-"

Suddenly, we could hear children screaming and the unmistakable sound of a gun going off.

Exchanging looks, Jax and I ran off in the direction of the noise. We entered the children's ward to find a woman pressing a gun to a child's forehead.

"I'm going to ask you one last time," she snarled, "where is she?"

"And I'm going to tell you one last time," Jo responded calmly, "I don't know, and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

The woman growled, "don't you understand you stupid child? I could blow your brains out with one pull of the trigger."

Jo rolled her eyes, "bro, I'm already dying. I don't actually care."

"Put the gun down," I ordered, my voice surprisingly calm. Jax and I raised our guns in sync and pointed it at the lady, "what do you want?"

The woman raised an eyebrow coolly, "Iris West-Brown?"

"Yes," I replied, not lowering the gun, "what do you want?"

"I think you met my colleague today," the woman ignored my question, "lovely man, isn't he?"

I swallowed and tried to keep my arm steady, "I might've," I said nonchalantly.

The woman smirked, "well, here's a warning," and she shot me in the leg.

I cried out in pain and dropped my gun, falling to the ground and clutching my leg.

"Iris!" Jax yelped and the doctors and nurses darted forward.

"Not so fast," the woman snapped, "or I'll kill her," she fired the gun three times more, this time hitting my stomach twice and my other leg once. Then, she turned and sprinted out of the hospital.

"Freeze!" The security guard yelled, but she was already gone.

Jax knelt next to me, eyes glistening with worry, "Iris!" He whispered, gripping my hand.

Black spots danced in my vision, and I wanted to go to sleep. However, I knew I had to tell Jax about what the man in the storeroom said.

"Jax," I mumbled weakly, feeling myself being lifted on a gurney. I tightened my grip on Jax's hand, "the man said," I took a rattling breath.

"Jax, please stay here," a nurse held Jax back.

"No!" I cried softly, not letting go of my non-biological brothers hand, "he said that-"

But I couldn't hold on. My hand slipped out of Jax's and I unwillingly closed my eyes, letting the darkness consume me.

I sat outside the operation theatre, my heart clenched and my emotions churning inside me, threatening to explode.

She'd wanted to tell me something. But what was it?

Suddenly, I heard a loud commotion at the door. I saw Iris' brothers come barreling through. After Iris was taken to the operation theatre, I'd called them and explained the situation.

"Iris West-Brown," Elijah said to the receptionist, "how is she?"

"She's still in the operating theatre," the receptionist replied.

"Get out of my way before I kill you!" Daimen yelled at the security guard, who had seen the gun in Daimen's pocket, "my sister has been shot, so I don't give a damn about protocol!"

"Jax, is she okay?" Oscar came over, closely followed by his twin and Julian. The latter two remained silent, their faces taut with anguish.

I slumped in my seat, "I don't know," I replied hoarsely, "some woman came and shot her in the leg and stomach four times. They've been in the operation theatre for hours now."

The brothers sat in the hard wooden seats around me. Doctors and nurses asked me about Iris, they consoled me slightly by saying the best doctors were operating on her.

"Where's Mr. West-Brown and Mrs. West-Brown?" I asked.

"I tried calling them but they didn't pick up, so I left a message," Will answered.

Dr. Green came out of the theatre. Her face betrayed no emotion as she walked over to us.

"Hi, you must be Iris' brothers," she said, "I wish we could've met in happier circumstances."

"Is my sister okay?" Elijah asked.

Dr. Green's next words pulled the world from under my feet. I sank to the ground, my breathing shallow and unable to hear anything apart from the pounding in my ears. Hot tears dripped down my cheeks and I vaguely heard Dr. Green saying something else, but it sounded like she was at the end of a very long tunnel. Her earlier words played on repeat, like a sick loop.

"She's in a coma."