Chapter 62 62

Chapter 62 62
“Jaelen, Jaelen… are you awake?” Azxel’s mother’s voice came soft and steady. She stood by the side of the bed, with one hand resting lightly on the rail, the other adjusting the blanket over Jaelen’s legs.

The pulse oximeter on his finger blinked red, the heart monitor beeped slow and regular beside him. She had been coming here every day for two years bringing food he couldn’t eat, changing the flowers in the vase, talking to him like he could hear her.

His fingers twitched small, tears slipped from the corners of his closed eyes, trailing down his temples into the pillow.

Her breath caught, but she didn’t cry. She had cried enough to forget about the oains she haf felt two years ago, she had now grown stronger, strong enough to sit with the pain without breaking.

“Jaelen,” she said again. “I know you’re in there. I know you’re trying but Azxel wouldn’t like you to be this trapped in guilt, he needs you to wake up and live for him, live the life he never lived for him.”

The was no answer, just the beep-beep-beep of the monitor, the faint click of the IV drip. His chest rose and fell steady, but his face stayed still. The tears kept coming, out silently.

She leaned down, pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead, the way she used to kiss Azxel when he was small and scared. Then she straightened, wiped the tears from his cheeks with her thumb. “I’ll be right back,” she whispered. “I’m getting the doctor.”

She walked out, door closing softly behind her. In the hallway she moved past the nurses’ station, straight to the doctor’s office. She knocked once, and then entered.

The doctor, the same older man who had been monitoring Jaelen since the beginning looked up from his desk.
“Mrs. Rissa,” he said, standing. “Come in.”
She stood just inside the door, her arms placed at her sides.

“He moved,” she said. “He moved his fingers, and he had tears in his eyes with an expression like he was sad, but he’s still not opening his eyes.”

The doctor nodded, came around the desk. “I’ve seen the latest scans. The swelling in his frontal and temporal lobes is almost gone. Neural activity is increasing and areas that were silent for two years are lighting up again. The finger movements, the tears, they’re signs of emerging consciousness. He’s close to consciousness.”

She exhaled slowly. “How close?”

“Days or maybe a week. The body is ready and the mind is catching up. We’re seeing REM patterns like he’s dreaming. That’s the strongest sign yet. When he wakes, he may be confused, memory gaps, emotional swings but he will wake.”

She looked down at her hands, then back at the doctor. “He’ll remember Azxel?”

“Likely. The emotional centers are the most active. Whatever he was holding onto in the coma – the love, guilt, grief, it’s what’s pulling him back.”

She nodded, her eyes dry now. “Thank you.”
The doctor placed a hand on her shoulder briefly. “Go back to him and keep on talking to him. He hears you, you just have to keep talking.”

She left the office, walked back to the room.
Inside, Jaelen lay the same way with his eyes closed, tears drying on his cheeks, fingers still now. The monitor beeped on.

She pulled the chair closer, sat down, took his hand carefully avoiding the clip on his finger.
“Jaelen,” she said quietly. “Azxel wouldn’t be happy if you keep on dwelling on the past, he doesn’t want you to blame yourself, he had forgiven you, he needs you to wake up so you can go back to living your normal life.”

She squeezed his hand gently. “I promised him to look after you, the way you took care of him when I couldn’t, I promised to stay by you the way you did, when he pushed you away and i also promised to love you the way you loved him when he forgot how to love himself. Now it’s time for you to come back for him, i’m waiting paitiently, but…. You know? I can be tired, you need to wake up.”

She leaned forward, kissed his forehead again.
“I know you’re tired. I know it hurts but you’re not alone in this. Open your eyes, Jaelen. I know you have no one but you can always call me mum and rely on me.”

The monitor beeped on. His fingers twitched once more stronger this time. She smiled small, tears in her eyes but steady.
“I’ll be right here,” she whispered. “Until you wake up.” She stayed holding is hand waiting like always and thinking about the incidents.

FLASHBACKS (Two years ago)

“Jaelen, be quick! Azxel is getting discharged today, he’s waiting for you to bring him home.” Azxel’s mother called from the kitchen, her voice bright with relief. She was happy, truly happy for the first time in months. Her son was coming back whole.

Jaelen finished buttoning his shirt in the hallway mirror, fingers moving fast but careful. “Yes, Mum, I know. I’m more excited than anyone. What did the doctor say about his health?”

She appeared in the doorway, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “The doctors said his mental health is stable for now. The split self shouldn’t be a problem again. They adjusted the medication, and the therapy finally broke through. He’s… he’s back, Jaelen. He asked for you this morning and even called you Jae.”

Jaelen’s chest loosened. He smiled widely, the kind he hadn’t worn in months of Azxel being away. “He called me Jae?”

She nodded, her eyes shining. “He did. He said he missed you, he wants to come home to you.”

Jaelen exhaled hard, like he’d been holding the breath for a long time. “I’m going now. I’ll bring him straight home.”

He grabbed the car keys, hugged his mother quick and tight, then ran out the door.
The drive to the hospital felt shorter than usual.

Jaelen’s hands were steady on the wheel, but his heart raced happily and nervous.
He parked, and almost ran through the lobby, took the elevator to the psych ward. The nurse at the desk smiled when she saw him.
“He’s ready,” she said. “Room 312. He’s been asking for you.”

Jaelen nodded, walked fast down the corridor.
Azxel was sitting on the edge of the bed, dressed in regular clothes like jeans and a hoodie, his hair was combed, eyes clear, no more dull haze. When Jaelen appeared in the doorway, Azxel’s face lit up.

“Jae,” he said, his voice light and soft.

Jaelen crossed the room in three steps, dropped to his knees in front of him, took both Azxel’s hands.

“You’re here,” Azxel whispered, eyes filling. “You waited.”
Jaelen’s voice cracked. “Always.”

Azxel leaned forward, rested his forehead against Jaelen’s. “I’m sorry for everything and for forgetting you, especially for Sky and for hurting you.”

Jaelen shook his head. “Stop. You’re back and that was all I needed.”

Azxel laughed softly, “I missed you so much.”
Jaelen stood, pulled Azxel into his arms. Azxel went willingly, wrapping around him like he’d never let go again. They stayed like that, rocking slightly, breathing each other in.

The nurse came in with discharge papers. Azxel signed without looking away from Jaelen.

They walked out together, hand in hand down the hallway, past the nurses’ station, into the elevator. Azxel pressed close to Jaelen’s side, placing his head on his shoulder.

In the parking lot, Jaelen opened the passenger door for him. Azxel slid in, buckled up, then reached over and pulled Jaelen down for a kiss, like they were making up for every lost day.

“I love you,” Azxel whispered against his lips.

Jaelen kissed him again. “I love you too.”

They pulled out of the lot. Azxel’s hand found Jaelen’s thigh immediately like a habit, Jaelen covered it with his own.

The radio played low with some old song Azxel used to hum along to. Azxel sang quietly, off-key, laughing at himself. Jaelen laughed too, his eyes on the road but stealing glances.

They were almost home. Azxel turned to him, smiling soft. “I can’t wait to sleep in our bed with you and no more hospital.”

Jaelen squeezed his hand. The light turned green and Jaelen accelerated. Headlights flashed in the rearview fast and close.

A horn blared an Azxel’s smile froze realizing what was happening, the car coming slammed into them from the side, the metal screeching and glass exploding. The car spun, tumbled and scattered, everything went black.