SR3. 29. Come Back

Upon arriving at the hospital, Aryan was immediately attended to by the doctor on duty in the emergency room. After about 30 minutes of examination, the doctor decided that Aryan needed to be hospitalized for a few days. Once everything was ready, Aryan was transferred to a VIP ward. Arabella, who was with Laura, tried repeatedly to comfort her as she continued to cry.

"Laura, Andra and I are going home now; Baby Azka was fussy earlier. I'll come here later, and if you need anything, Jefri's contact number is on your WhatsApp now," Arabella explained as she sent Jefri's contact information to Laura.

"Yes, thank you, Ara," Laura replied.

Arabella said her goodbyes after Aryan was settled into his hospital room. Earlier, the doctor had explained that Aryan's stomach condition was quite severe, so for the next few days, he would have to consume porridge, specific fruits, and get plenty of rest. Aryan's acid reflux had flared up due to his excessive consumption of caffeinated beverages and smoking. Andra had sensed that something like this might happen when he visited Aryan in his room the previous evening, finding cigarette butts scattered on the carpet and empty coffee cups everywhere. Aryan's condition was also chaotic at that time.

"I'm going home now, alright? Don't be sad; Aryan is okay. He just didn't get enough sleep and smoked too much," Andra said, gently stroking Laura's head with a soft smile.

Arabella watched Andra's gentle demeanor towards Laura with emotion. Throughout their friendship, Arabella had never felt jealous of Andra's closeness to Laura because she knew that Andra cared for Laura like a younger sister.

After Andra and Arabella left, Laura cleaned up the table and stored her belongings in the hospital room's cabinet. Laura felt relieved when she checked Aryan's body temperature, which was starting to decrease. She then went to the bathroom to freshen up, not wanting to look disheveled when her in-laws arrived.

Slowly, Aryan opened his eyes, trying to recognize the all-white room. He attempted to sit up, but a sharp headache returned, causing him to wince. He closed his eyes again to suppress the pain, which had now spread to his stomach.

Click... The door to the bathroom opened, and Laura entered without her headscarf. She glanced at herself in the mirror for a moment, dabbing her wet face with a tissue. Afterward, she sat back down beside Aryan.

"Honey," Aryan called with a hoarse voice as he tried to smile.

Laura didn't respond; she just looked at Aryan with teary eyes while holding his hand and kissing the back of it. "Rest," Laura said briefly, her voice trembling.

Aryan smiled and then pulled Laura into a tight embrace. "Forgive me, Honey," Aryan whispered. Laura tearfully let herself cry in Aryan's arms.

"I love you, Aryan. I don't want to lose you," Laura replied, her tears breaking out again.

"Hey, I'm okay, Honey. Please don't cry anymore," Aryan said as he released his hold on Laura and wiped the tears from her cheeks with his fingertips.

Aryan's face, which had been pale earlier, now looked fresher. However, he still felt pain in his stomach when he moved. For who knows how long, Aryan and Laura just held each other's hands, gazing into each other's eyes as if conveying all the pent-up emotions from the past few days. Although they had only been apart for three days, it felt like they hadn't seen each other in years.

"Promise, never leave me again, no matter what happens, always stay by my side," Aryan muttered, breaking the silence as he caressed Laura's tear-stained cheek.

"I promise!" Laura replied shortly, nodding.

"Excuse me." The door opened, and Liana and Andre entered with worried expressions. Laura immediately got up, shook hands with Liana and Andre, and then moved to the guest sofa, allowing Liana and Andre to see Aryan's condition.

"Mama already said to quit smoking and drinking coffee, see what happened? Your acid reflux flared up. Be careful, or you'll make Mama panic again," Liana grumbled with tears in her eyes as she looked at her youngest son in a weakened state.

"You gave Mama a near heart attack, Aryan. Enough of your stubbornness; you're married now," Andre added with an annoyed tone but clear panic in his eyes.

"Sorry, Aryan. Ma, Pa, Aryan promises not to make you worry anymore," Aryan replied and brought Liana's hand to his lips, kissing it.

Laura, who witnessed Aryan's interaction with his parents, was deeply moved. Unconsciously, tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away with a smile.

After chatting for quite some time, Liana instructed Laura to eat first, and she herself fed Aryan with the porridge she had cooked with her own hands. Laura nearly choked on her food several times as she observed Liana's attitude toward Aryan, treating him like a child. Aryan could only sulk without being able to protest when he realized he was being teased by his wife and father.

"Mom, it's getting late, we should go so they can rest," Andre said when he noticed the round white wall clock in Aryan's room showing 11 PM.

"Alright, Mom and Dad will leave now, you need to get enough rest. Mama will come again tomorrow morning," Liana said, then kissed Aryan's forehead and shifted to embrace her son-in-law.

"Are you both okay?" Liana whispered while affectionately stroking Laura's shoulder. Laura nodded with teary eyes, confident that Aryan's parents were aware of all the issues in their marriage.

Liana did indeed know about all the problems in Aryan and Laura's marriage, but she chose to stay silent and not interfere in their affairs. It's not that Liana didn't care; she just wanted Aryan and Laura to realize their feelings for each other on their own. Liana only wished for her children to live happily with the partners they loved. And now, she felt relieved knowing that Aryan and Laura were now in love and had experienced the fear of losing each other.

Right after Liana and Andre left, a nurse entered to check Aryan's condition and administer an injection. The female nurse smiled warmly, greeted Laura and Aryan, but Laura noticed something odd when the nurse repeatedly smiled while looking at Aryan.

"Honey," Aryan called out when the nurse had left the room, while Laura remained still, adjusting the folding chair to make it a bed.

"Laura?" Aryan called again, struggling to get out of bed. Laura, who saw Aryan attempting to get out of bed, immediately became concerned and approached him.

"What are you doing, Aryan?" Laura asked with annoyance, holding onto Aryan's arm.

"I need to use the bathroom," Aryan replied briefly, stealing a quick kiss on Laura's cheek. Laura turned with an irritated look but still guided Aryan into the bathroom and waited for him at the door.

"Come here," Aryan grabbed Laura's arm as she was about to leave after guiding him back onto the bed. He adjusted his sleeping position and then told Laura to lie down beside him.

"It's too small, Aryan. I'll sleep over there," Laura protested, pointing to the bed she had prepared earlier.

Aryan didn't care about Laura's protest; instead, he pulled her into his embrace. "I miss you," Aryan whispered, burying his head in the crook of Laura's neck, inhaling her scent deeply. Laura didn't resist in Aryan's arms as she felt his steady breaths against her neck. She slowly released Aryan's arms wrapped around her waist and turned her body to face him.

Laura smiled with amusement as she imagined the hospital bed suddenly collapsing under their weight. The two of them would definitely go viral for breaking the hospital bed due to their antics. And if the bed could protest, it would probably be screaming in pain by now for having to bear their combined weight.

With a smile on both corners of her lips, Laura's eyes continued to explore the handsome face before her. She gently touched the fine hairs beginning to grow on Aryan's jawline, which both accentuated his handsome features and made him look more mature. Sometimes, Laura felt that Aryan's soul was trapped in a 20-year-old's body. Only when he wore a suit did Aryan look his age.

"I love you, my hubby," Laura whispered and sank into Aryan's embrace comfortably, joining him in the world of dreams.

***

Knock, knock... A female nurse entered with a tray of medicine. "Shh..." Aryan hushed her by placing his index finger on his lips when he saw the nurse about to speak. The nurse was shocked to find that the patient's bed was occupied by a visitor while the actual patient was casually sitting on the sofa, watching television. She nodded and then gave Aryan his medication. Before leaving the room, the nurse smiled as she saw Laura sleeping soundly under the blanket.

"Last night, my wife didn't sleep, Sus, so let her rest for now," Aryan explained in response to the nurse's unspoken question. The nurse looked at Aryan and nodded before gently closing the door.

The faint sound of the television disrupted Laura's comfort, and she woke up, realizing that she was in a white room.

"Aryan!" Laura called out, sitting up abruptly and removing the blanket hastily.

"Are you awake, dear?" Aryan asked with a beaming smile. A warm blush spread across Laura's face upon hearing the endearing term, making her feel both warm and embarrassed.

"Why are you here? It's because of your bed that I ended up here, right?" Laura said with a guilty conscience, tying her hair back hastily and moving to sit next to Aryan.

Aryan smiled and then gave Laura a quick kiss on the lips, causing Laura to be taken aback. She instinctively covered her lips with both hands, feeling embarrassed for not having cleaned her face or brushed her teeth yet. Still covering her lips, Laura quickly headed to the bathroom, while Aryan chuckled at Laura's reaction, the girl who always managed to make him laugh.