[Immunity] David Kay-Ch.4:TheManWhoNeverBreaks

Instructions

Hondo leaned against the far wall of the ICU hallway, arms crossed and head down. He'd been there for almost ten minutes—long enough for the nurse at the station to glance his way a couple of times, long enough for Tan to text him for updates, and long enough for Luca to come back with snacks that nobody felt like eating. But Hondo didn't budge. From where he was standing, he could see through the narrow glass pane of Annie's room. He told himself he wasn't really watching, just keeping an eye on things, but deep down, he knew that was a lie. He was focused on Deacon. Deacon—the guy who made it through the worst stuff without batting an eye, the one who could talk rookies down from freakouts, who kept everyone grounded when everything felt like it was falling apart, who never cracked under pressure. Hondo relied on him in ways he hadn't fully realized until now. And in that room, Hondo was seeing something he'd never seen before. Deacon was hunched over the bed, gently holding Annie's hand in both of his, head bowed, shoulders trembling just enough for Hondo to notice—a man trying to hold back a storm that was threatening to consume him. Deacon looked...small. Lost. Human in a way that freaked Hondo out. "Damn," Hondo muttered under his breath. He'd seen teammates injured, families torn apart, but he'd never witnessed Deacon like this. Not once. Deacon always had a way of shouldering the weight with quiet strength, keeping the job separate from the people he cared about. But this—this breach of his home, his family—hit somewhere deeper than any armor could protect. Luca came up quietly, sensing the mood shift."He won't leave her side," He said, his voice hollow. "I don't think he's even slept. I tried talking to him again, but... he's not really hearing us." Hondo clenched his jaw. "I know." They both watched through the glass. Deacon was rubbing his thumb over Annie's hand like he was afraid she'd disappear the second he let go. "Man..." Luca swallowed, blinking rapidly as his eyes got glassy. "I've never seen him like this." "No one has," Hondo replied softly.He thought back to countless nights in the locker room—Deacon always there with advice, that steady calm. The voice of reason who reminded Hondo to take a breath before doing something career-ending. The one who guided Tan through his badge troubles. The guy who pulled Luca back years ago when he was spiraling. And now, here he was—shaking, silent, hollowed out—facing the one thing SWAT could never prepare for: the fear of losing the person who made life worth fighting for. Hondo breathed out slowly. "I should go in there." Luca grabbed his arm, gentle but firm. "He doesn't want anyone in there right now." "He needs someone," Hondo pushed back. "He needs her," Luca said, his voice cracking. "We can't give him that." Hondo turned his gaze back to the room. Deacon was leaning forward now, resting his forearms on the bed, his forehead almost touching Annie's arm. He was breathing unevenly—fighting back tears, fighting back screams, trying to hold it together while everything around him was falling apart. Hondo felt the weight of it pressing down on him."Think he's blaming himself?" he asked quietly. "Of course he is," Luca replied. "That's just Deacon." Hondo shut his eyes for a moment. "That's what scares me." Because blame, once it digs in, can twist even the strongest guys into someone unrecognizable. And Deacon was already halfway there. Hondo straightened up, determination settling in. "We're not letting him deal with this alone." Luca nodded, wiping his eyes. "What do you need me to do?" "Stay with the kids," Hondo instructed. "Make sure they feel safe. Or as safe as they can be." "And you?" Hondo took one last look through the glass—at Deacon, at the slow, steady decline of a man quietly drowning in grief."I'll be right here," he said. "And when he finally looks up... when he realizes he's not carrying this alone..." He set his jaw. "...I'll be the one waiting."