The morning sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains as Emily slowly opened her eyes. Her eyelids felt heavy. She blinked, trying to adjust her vision. Slowly, she could see the clean white wall.
‘Where am I? What happened?’ Emily thought.
A strange feeling gripped her heart. She felt empty, like she had lost something important. Tears streamed down her cheeks, sadness overwhelmed her, but she didn’t understand what was happening to her. She no longer remembered herself getting lost in the forest and meeting her biological father, Thomas.
The machines beside her bed hummed softly, their rhythmic beeping a constant reminder of her fragile state. The graph on the monitor tracked the rise and fall of her heartbeat. An IV drip was attached to her arm, clear fluid flowing slowly, aiding her weakened body. A breathing apparatus accompanied each of her heavy breaths.
“Congratulations on your marriage, Mrs. Alice,” Maria’s voice sounded faintly, piercing through the fog of Emily’s consciousness.
“Thank you,” Alice replied.
‘Alice? Married?’ Emily thought, curiosity gnawing at her mind.
They both seemed unaware of Emily’s awakening. Until suddenly Maria shouted, “Mrs. Emily! You’re awake!” Her voice was full of surprise, making Emily jump.
Emily saw Maria’s face, looking shocked and relieved, approaching her. Beside her, Alice was just as surprised as Maria, also approaching her.
“I’ll call the doctor and Mr. Daniel to tell them,” Maria said.
“Go ahead, I’ll watch over Emily,” Alice said.
“Thank you,” Maria replied, before rushing out of the room.
“Emily, you’re awake? It’s me, Alice. You can recognize me, right?” Alice asked.
Emily blinked, her eyes staring blankly at Alice. She tried to speak, but only a hoarse sound came out of her throat. She moved her head slightly, nodding slowly in response to Alice’s question.
Her eyes then fell on a ring on Alice’s ring finger.
‘So Alice is married? Could it be with Daniel?’ Emily thought, the question gnawing at her mind. Her heart felt crushed and sore.
“You must be confused about what happened,” Alice said, her voice soft. “You were shot at that time,” Alice paused for a moment before continuing. “You became unconscious and ended up in a coma. You are now in the hospital,” she continued, her voice trembling slightly, showing deep concern.
“I came here to visit you. Daniel is taking care of his work. I’m sure he’ll be happy to hear about your awakening. He’ll be here soon,” Alice explained, her eyes welling up.
Not long after, the doctor came to check on Emily’s condition, followed by Maria behind him, her face filled with worry. The doctor carefully checked Emily’s vital signs, listening to her heartbeat with a stethoscope, and examining her wound carefully. He also conducted a neurological examination, asking a few simple questions to see Emily’s brain function.
“Emily, you suffered a gunshot wound to the chest that caused you to be in a coma for a year,” the doctor explained, his voice calm and professional. “Fortunately, you have started to recover. Your gunshot wound has healed well, and your internal organ function is also stable.”
“However, you will need therapy to restore your muscle strength and nerve function,” the doctor continued.
The doctor then reminded Alice and Maria about the next checkup schedule. After the doctor left the room, Alice immediately reached for Emily’s hand, gripping it tightly. “Emily, you’ll recover soon. I believe in you.”
Daniel, who had already heard the news that Emily had woken up from her coma, immediately rushed into Emily’s hospital room. His breath was catching, as if he had just run a marathon. He immediately approached the bed, looking at Emily with tearful eyes. “Emily,” he called, his voice trembling with emotion, showing how much gratitude and love he had.
Alice, who was standing beside the bed, looked at Daniel with understanding. She knew how much Daniel loved Emily. Gently, Alice signaled to Maria to leave them both. “I’ll wait outside,” Alice whispered, her voice soft and calming.
“I miss you so much, Em,” Daniel said, his voice trembling with emotion. His fingers gripped Emily’s hand tightly, as if wanting to transfer all his longing into that touch. “A year has passed and every day has felt so suffocating for me. I was so afraid you would leave me. I’m grateful you’re back to me, Em. Never leave me again.”
Emily’s eyes welled up, she tried to smile, but only a slight movement was created on her lips. Her mind drifted to Grace and Fred, but she still had difficulty speaking. As if reading Emily’s mind, Daniel said, “Grace misses you too. We always pray for your recovery. After she gets home from school, I’ll bring her here to see you. She’ll be very happy to know you’re awake.”
“Your father is also very worried about you. He’s waiting for you to wake up. He wants to show you his new girlfriend. Everyone loves you, Em,” Daniel said.
Daniel bent down, kissing Emily’s forehead gently. “I love you so much, Em. Forgive me for my mistakes all this time. I promise I will make you happy and will never make you cry again.”
Emily remembered the conversation between Alice and Maria earlier, she wanted to ask Daniel about Alice’s marriage, but she couldn’t ask because she had difficulty speaking. Was Daniel really married to Alice? Curiosity and worry gnawed at her mind.
When noon came, Grace came to visit Emily.
“Mom,” Grace sobbed, looking at Emily who was still lying weakly. “I miss you so much.” Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, dripping onto Emily’s hand.
Emily looked at Grace with tearful eyes. Unconsciously, a year without seeing Grace, Grace’s face had become more mature than her last memory. She wanted to hug her daughter, comfort her, but her body still felt heavy and weak.
“Mom, don’t get sick again. Never leave me and Dad,” Grace said, her voice trembling with tears.
Emily looked at Daniel with confusion. Did Grace know that Daniel was her biological father?
“Yes, Em,” Daniel replied, looking at Emily with loving eyes. “I’ve told Grace that I’m her biological father.”
Grace held Emily’s hand and Daniel’s hand, her eyes welling up. “Mom, Dad, don’t separate again. Can you get back together? The three of us will live together forever.”
Daniel nodded quickly and smiled softly at Grace. “We’ll always be together. The three of us.”
Emily looked at Grace with love. She understood what her daughter wanted. She also missed Daniel, missed their togetherness. But wasn’t Daniel already married to Alice?
***
Emily carried out therapy according to schedule with burning enthusiasm. She wanted to recover quickly and return to her normal life. Daniel, Fred, Grace, and Victoria, Fred’s girlfriend, always accompanied Emily. They took turns taking care of Emily, giving her encouragement, and entertaining her so that she wouldn’t feel lonely.
Until one day, Emily sat in a wheelchair, trying to practice her balance with the help of a therapist. Daniel waited for her patiently, his eyes never leaving Emily. The only sound in the room was Emily’s ragged breaths, signifying her hard work to recover.
After finishing her therapy, Emily, with a serious expression, said to Daniel, “Can I ask you something?” Her voice was still a little hoarse, but clearer.
“What?” Daniel asked, confused.
“Are you married to Alice?” Emily asked, her eyes looking at Daniel, as if holding back tears. “If you are married, please stop giving me hope.”