Chapter 14 - Out of coma

They all stood anxiously outside Emily's hospital room with their faces masked with concern. But among them, Justin was the one who seemed the most worried. His brow was furrowed and his eyes were fixed on the floor as if he was trying to will himself to stay calm. His emotions were in mess. Alex, on the other hand looked like he was lost in thought. He was busy thinking about how Emily's sudden stirring could ruin everything he had. He had grown accustomed to being with Emilia with the days she'd been absent, and the thought of Emily waking up and reclaiming her place in his life didnt sit well with him. As he stood there, Alex couldn't help but think that it would be best for everyone if Emily just stayed in her coma. He could continue his life with Emilia, and Emily would never have to know about his infidelity neither would he continue to pretend to be a doting husband. Mr. Johnson, Emily's father, looked like he was holding on to hope. His eyes were red-rimmed from lack of sleep. Since he received a call concerning her accident, he hadn’t eaten properly knowing his daughter was in a coma but now there was a glimmer of hope. The three of them stood there in silence, patiently waiting for the doctor to finish checking on Emily. Justin kept pacing back and forth with his agitation growing by the minute. "I’m starting to feel scared. The doctor has been there for a while, whats taking so long?" Justin muttered with his voice low and evident with frustration. Alex shot him a calming glance. "The doctor needs to make sure Emily's okay. We have to be patient." But Justin just shook his head, his eyes clouding over with worry. "I really hope she’s ok." Mr. Johnson placed a reassuring hand on Justin's shoulder. "she’s going to be fine, son. She has her father, husband, and friend out here waiting for her. We'll wait for the doctor's update before we start worrying ok." Just then, the doctor emerged from Emily's hospital room, a warm smile on his face. “Suprisely she is awake and healthy. she just needs rest.” They all had a mixture of emotions on their faces. Justin looked like he was about to pass out while Alex was like guarded with his emotions and her dad was about to cry his heart out. Justin, Alex, and Mr. Johnson exchanged hopeful glances, their faces reflecting their mix of emotions. Justin looked like he was about to collapse from relief, while Alex's expression was more guarded. Mr. Johnson, on the other hand, looked like he was on the verge of tears. "When can we see her?" Mr. Johnson asked, his voice trembling. The doctor nodded. "One at a time, please. She's still weak and needs her rest." "I'll go first then." The doctor smiled and gave Mr Johnson the space needed for him to see his daughter. As he entered the room, Justin and Alex were left standing waiting for their turn to see Emily. Alex excused himself and walked far enough away from Justin to make a call in secret. He dialed Emilia's number, his heart racing anxiously. Emilia answered on the first ring. "Hey, baby. What's up?" "Emilia, you need to pack your things and get out of the room. Now. like right now." He said in a low urgent voice. Emilia's tone turned icy in an instant. "What's going on, Alex? Why are you being so tensed and scared?" Alex hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "Emily's awake, Emilia. She's out of her coma." There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, Alex wondered if Emilia had hung up on him. But then her voice came back, angry and venomous. "I'm not leaving, Alex. You can't just get rid of me like that. When are you going to tell the world that I'm your true lover?" Alex's eyes darted around the hospital corridor, making sure no one was listening. "Emilia, please. Not now. We'll talk about this later. For now, just pack your things and get out of the room. We can't leave any trail of you being there." Emilia's laughter was cold and mirthless. "You think I'm just going to disappear, Alex? You think I'm going to let you go back to your precious Emily without a fight?" Alex's voice turned smooth and persuasive. "Emilia, baby, please listen to me. I know this isn't ideal, but I promise you, it's just temporary. Once the dust settles and Emily is...dealt with, we can be together openly. No more secrets, no more hiding. Just us." Emilia's tone softened slightly, and Alex could sense her resolve weakening. "You promise me that, Alex? You promise me that we'll be together, no matter what?" Alex's voice was filled with conviction. "I promise you, Emilia. On my life, I promise you. Now, please, just pack your things and leave the room. For us, for our future together." There was a pause, and for a moment, Alex worried that Emilia would refuse. But then, her voice came back, resigned. "Fine, Alex. I'll leave. But you owe me, and I'll be collecting soon." Alex let out a silent sigh of relief. "I'll make it up to you, Emilia. I promise." With that, Emilia hung up, and Alex was left standing alone in the hospital corridor, feeling like he'd just dodged a bullet. Mr. Johnson sat beside Emily's bed, holding her hand in his. Emily's eyes were open, but they looked unfocused as if she was still trying to remember where she was and what had happened. "Hey, kiddo," Mr. Johnson said, his voice soft and gentle. "Welcome back. We've missed you." Emily's gaze slowly shifted to her father's face, and for a moment, they just looked at each other. Then, Emily's lips curved into a faint smile. "Hey, Dad," she whispered, her voice barely audible. Mr. Johnson's eyes welled up with tears as he smiled back at her. "I'm here, sweetie. I'm here. Where’s Alex? And how’s Justin? He was badly injured; has he been treated." He squeezed her hand gently. " Justin has recovered, he and Alex are outside. You got us so scared. Justin guilt has been eating him up and Alex checked up on you.” “I’m sorry dad, i wasn’t paying much attention to the road,” she said. “it's alright. At least you're safe now, the doctor said within two weeks. Let me call Alex in.” Emily's gaze drifted away from her father's face, and she nodded slightly. Mr. Johnson leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I'll be back soon, kiddo. We'll talk more later." With that, he stood up and smiled at Emily once more before turning to leave the room, leaving Emily alone with her thoughts.