Chapter 181: Unexpected shock

Meanwhile, last night after the paramedics had taken Lucas away, some officers were at the accident scene. They were looking around for means of identification or any important belongings of the victims.

One of them had crouched beside the damaged vehicle, still checking carefully. That was when he spotted a phone lying just beneath the driver’s seat. Miraculously, it was intact despite everything else.

As he picked it up, the screen lit up and began to buzz instantly.

Alex was calling.

The officer hesitated for a second, then answered.

“Hello?” he said, his tone steady but cautious.

“Baby, please let’s…”

The voice on the other end started but stopped abruptly.

A beat of silence before Alex asked, “Who is this?” Alex’s voice was sharp, laced with confusion and rising dread. His chest tightened in fear. Was it another kidnapping? His thoughts spiraled.

The officer straightened slightly, glancing at the wreckage before speaking. “This is a police officer.

The fear was still there as he asked, “Officer? Where is Lucas?”

“I’m calling from the scene of a road accident. May I ask whom I’m speaking with?”

There was a pause, too long, too heavy.

“Why do you have Lucas’s phone?” Alex demanded, his voice tightening.

“Sir,” the officer replied gently, “Can you tell me your relationship to the owner of this phone?”

Another killing pause followed.

“I…I’m his fiancé,” Alex said, the word coming out strained, like it hurt to say it out loud in that moment. “What’s going on? Where is he?”

The officer exhaled quietly, choosing his words with care. “There’s been an accident. A collision involving his vehicle and a truck. He was found unconscious at the scene.”

For a second, there was nothing.

No breath and no sound. Then…

“No,” Alex whispered, the word breaking apart. “No, that’s not possible. I just saw him hours ago. He was fine. He…he was driving back to the hotel.”

“I understand this is difficult,” the officer said, voice calm but firm.

“He’s been taken to the hospital by paramedics. He was alive when they transported him.”

“Alive?” Alex seized on the word, desperate. “So he’s okay? He’s going to be okay, right?”

The officer didn’t answer immediately.

“We don’t know the full extent of his injuries yet, sir. You should head to the Davidson Emergency Hospital right away. They’ll have more information.”

A shaky breath came through the line, followed by the sound of something crashing in the background. That was because Alex had accidentally knocked something over in his haste.

“What’s the address please?” he demanded.

The officer gave him the details.

“I’m going over there,” Alex said quickly, voice unsteady but determined. “I’m coming right now. Please dear goodness let him be okay.”

The hospital doors slid open before Alex could even slow down.

Cold air hit his face, sharp with antiseptic. The fluorescent lights were too bright. Everything felt unreal, like he had stepped into a nightmare he couldn’t wake from. His eyes darted around frantically until he spotted the reception desk.

“I…I’m looking for Lucas,” he said, breathless with a shaky voice. “He was brought in from an accident, minutes ago.”

The nurse behind the desk typed quickly, her expression shifting the moment she found the file.

“Are you family?” she asked.

“I’m his fiancé,” Alex answered immediately, his fingers curling tightly against the counter.

She hesitated, then softened slightly. “He’s been admitted to the ICU.”

The words hit like a physical blow.

“ICU?” Alex repeated, barely above a whisper. “Oh no, he’s not… it can’t be that bad.”

“I’m sorry,” she said gently. “He’s in critical condition. The doctors are doing everything they can.”

For a second, Alex just stood there, frozen. Then he staggered back a step, dragging a hand through his hair as panic surged through him.

“Can I see him?” he asked quickly, almost desperately.

“Not right now,” she replied. “You’ll have to wait until the doctor comes out.”

The word wait felt unbearable.

Alex turned away, pacing the length of the waiting area like a man possessed. His footsteps echoed against the tiled floor, uneven and restless. Every few seconds, he would glance toward the ICU doors, as if sheer willpower could make them open.

“Please…” he muttered under his breath, his voice cracking. “Please be okay, Lucas…”

He pressed his palms together, bowing his head as if in prayer.

“I’ll do anything,” he whispered.   “Just… let him be okay.”

Memories crashed into him, Lucas’s voice, his eyes, the hurt he had seen there, the doubt Alex had allowed to grow between them. Guilt twisted painfully in his chest.

“I’m sorry,” he choked out, his shoulders trembling. “I’m so sorry, Lucas… I shouldn’t have doubted you. I shouldn’t have pushed you away.”

His voice broke completely, raw and desperate.

“Just wake up, please, I swear, I won’t ever distrust you again. I won’t question you, I won’t hurt you. I’ll only love you. I’ll take care of you, I promise. Just… just come back to me…”

A nurse passing by slowed, glancing at him with quiet sympathy, but said nothing.

Hours dragged on. The night deepened, the hospital growing quieter, yet somehow heavier. The steady beeping of distant monitors and the occasional rush of footsteps were the only reminders that time was still moving.

Alex didn’t sit, he couldn’t. He kept pacing, then stopping, then pacing again. Sometimes he would lean against the wall, eyes fixed on the ICU doors, as if he could see through them. Other times, he would press his hands to his face, trying, and failing to steady his breathing.

At some point, his legs began to ache. His eyes burned. But he didn’t leave. He didn’t sleep, not even for a second.

By the time the first light of dawn crept through the hospital windows, pale and quiet, Alex was still there, standing in the same place, eyes red, clothes wrinkled, hope and fear tangled tightly in his chest.

He was still waiting, praying, making promises, and holding on to the fragile belief that Lucas would open his eyes again.

Later, he was out of danger and was brought out to a private ward as Alex requested.

Hours later he woke up, and the doctor’s attention was called.

After he had explained their observations, the room had fallen into a fragile silence. The kind that made every sound feel too loud. The monitor, the soft shuffle of shoes, Lucas’s uneven breathing.

From the corner of the room, as Alex shifted.

He had been unmoving, watching, waiting. His fingers clenched so tightly at his sides that they had gone pale. He had watched every flicker of movement Lucas made, every breath, every sign that he was still there.

The moment Lucas woke, hope had surged so violently in his chest it almost hurt.

Now, he couldn’t stay back any longer. So he stepped forward slowly, as though approaching something fragile.

That was when he got the unexpected question. When Lucas asked him who he was, he took it to be nothing serious.

His gaze softened, voice trembling despite his effort to steady it.

“Lucas.”

Lucas was still staring from him to the doctor in confusion. Then he winced as pain rippled through his head.

Alex swallowed hard, then reached out, gently taking Lucas’s hand in his.

It was warm, and he didn't pull away so relief flooded Alex.

“Baby,” he whispered, forcing a small smile. “Don’t worry, everything will be alright.”

For a second, just a second, he allowed himself to believe it.

Lucas stared at him like he was confused. His brows slowly drew together, eyes scanning Alex’s face. It was like trying to place him, like a stranger seen in passing.

The silence stretched.

The doctor kept observing Lucas’s reaction.

Alex’s smile faltered.

“Lucas?” he called softly, his grip tightening just a little.

Lucas’s lips parted. His gaze didn’t change. Then, quietly, almost uncertainly, he asked again, “Who are you?”

The words didn’t just land. They cut deep.

Alex froze again.