Chapter 188 Adrian Falls into a Coma!

Chapter 188 Adrian Falls into a Coma!

During Adrian's first month in a coma, Violet pretty much lived at the hospital. He got hurt saving her, so she felt it was her job to take care of him.

Theodore came every weekend. The first time, he stood by the bed, looking at Adrian lying there with his eyes closed and not moving. Tears kept falling down his face, but he bit his lip and didn't make a sound. Violet pulled him into her arms. Theodore said sadly, "Mom, Dad will wake up, right?" Violet nodded. "He will."

Theodore cried for a while, then took a drawing out of his backpack. It was one he made at kindergarten, showing three people holding hands under the sun, with crooked words next to them: Mom, Dad, Theo. He taped it on the hospital wall and looked at it every time he came.

In Adrian's second month in a coma, Quinn came once. That day, Violet had just gone downstairs to grab Theodore's jacket from the car. When she came back, she saw Quinn standing outside the room from far away. Quinn didn't go in. She just looked through the glass on the door, holding an envelope. Violet stayed at the corner of the hallway and didn't walk over.

Quinn only looked for a bit, then turned and left. She tossed the envelope into the trash at the end of the hall. Violet waited until Quinn was gone, then went over and picked it up. Inside was a handwritten note with just one line: Adrian, I'm sorry. I can't hold on anymore. She folded the note, put it back in the envelope, and hid it at the bottom of the drawer in the room.

Half a month later, Dylan came to visit Adrian and brought news about Quinn. "She got engaged to Caleb," Dylan said, sitting on the couch with a complicated look. "The wedding's in two months. Invites are already out." Violet was wiping Adrian's hand and didn't stop, just gave a soft "Mm."

Dylan glanced at her. "Nothing you want to say?" Violet put the towel back in the basin. "That's her choice." Dylan stayed quiet for a moment, then smiled with a hint of self-mockery. "I used to think she was the better one—good family, good education, always proper. Now I see I was blind."

Violet didn't answer. Dylan stood up and walked to the bed, looking down at Adrian's pale face. "Bro, wake up already. If you don't, someone else is gonna take your wife. Julian keeps showing up at VelocityTech, and Sebastian brings her lunch every day. If you stay down, your spot's gone." Adrian still didn't move. Violet just rolled her eyes at Dylan's random words. Dylan didn't say more and left.

Violet sat by the bed holding Adrian's hand. It was thinner than before, the knuckles sharper. She gently squeezed his fingertips and said quietly, "Adrian, did you hear that? If you don't wake up, I really might have to find someone else." Adrian didn't respond.

Days passed, and Theodore started changing. He stopped bringing up Quinn on his own. Once, during a kindergarten craft class, the teacher asked the kids to draw someone they liked most. Theodore drew Violet, and next to it he wrote in crooked letters: Theo loves Mom most. When Violet saw the drawing, her eyes turned red right away.

By the third month, Theodore started helping out. On weekends he'd get up early, get dressed by himself, and come to the hospital with Violet. In the room, he'd sit in a chair and quietly draw or look at picture books, never making noise. Sometimes he'd tell Adrian about stuff that happened at school. Seeing how tired his mom was, he'd say to Adrian, "Dad, please wake up soon. Theo wants to talk to you. And Mom's so tired every day. Don't make her do it all alone." Adrian's eyelids moved a little. Theodore didn't notice and kept going. "When you wake up, the three of us can stay together forever."

Violet came out of the bathroom with a basin of water and saw Theodore leaning close to the bed, talking into Adrian's ear. She didn't interrupt. She just leaned against the doorframe and watched, feeling both sad and warm.

Over those three months, Edward came every three days. He'd just sit by the bed without saying anything. Eleanor visited twice. Both times her eyes were red, and when she left she'd hold Violet's hand tight without saying a word. After Adrian's accident, the old lady finally saw Quinn for who she really was. She realized her past mistakes and apologized to Violet. Violet didn't want to make things hard for her, so she let the old stuff go.

Sebastian came twice a week, supposedly to drop off company papers for Violet to sign, but he always brought a box of the desserts she liked and stayed to chat for a while. Julian came often too, but only stayed about ten minutes each time. He'd put flowers on the nightstand, look out the window for a bit, then talk to Violet—mostly about work. Once, as he was leaving, he stopped at the door and said, "Violet, you deserve to be treated well." Violet watched him walk away down the hall, feeling a bit guilty but mostly calm. She knew Sebastian and Julian both liked her, but she was clear about her own feelings. The one she wanted was still Adrian.

When Adrian threw himself in front of that truck to save her, she finally understood. All these years, she still loved him. From seventeen until now, she'd never really let him go.

Of course, Sebastian and Julian were decent guys. Once they saw Violet wasn't interested, they didn't push.

On the ninetieth day of Adrian's coma, Violet sat by the bed like usual, wiping his face with warm water. When the towel touched his forehead, his eyelashes moved. Violet froze. She held her breath and leaned closer. "Adrian?" His eyelashes moved again, then slowly he opened his eyes. His unfocused gaze landed on her face and stayed there.

Violet's hand shook as she held the towel, and tears started falling. Adrian's lips moved, his voice rough and dry. "...Violet." She pressed her face into his palm and cried so hard her shoulders shook. His fingers curled a little and brushed the top of her head. "Don't cry," he said, still hoarse. "I'm awake."

Just then, Theodore pushed the door open, holding the drawing he'd made the day before. When he saw Adrian's eyes open, he froze. The paper slipped from his hands, and he ran over and threw himself at the bed. "Dad! You finally woke up!"