Chapter 375: Book 5: Maddox Recovers

“He moved his fingers again!” Declan couldn’t contain his excitement. He had reached the hospital in record time and completed all the formalities promptly. The new treatment plan started, and the doctors monitored Maddox closely.

“Yes, he’s responding to the treatment. Keep talking to the patient. He can hear you.” The nurse smiled as she injected the medicine.

Declan’s heart swelled with hope as he sat beside his best friend. “Wake up, Maddox. There’s so much to do. You can’t lie here when you’re fit enough to lead a fulfilling life with Iris and your daughter. Yes, Iris has given birth to your daughter. Don’t you want to meet them?”

Maddox moved his hand as if in response to his words. Declan’s eyes filled with tears. “You must be thinking how I know so much about Iris. I’m sorry, I met her brothers without your permission, bro. They told me where Iris is. Open your eyes, Maddox.” His voice trembled as tears streamed down his cheeks.

A slight tremor went up Maddox’s body. Declan rose in excitement. “Call the doctor, please. The patient is responding.”

The nurse rushed out.

Declan couldn’t stop. He had to revive his friend. He was pleased to see Maddox responding to Iris’s name. Surely he would wake up if she arrived here.

He looked at his watch. It had been almost an hour since he came back. Why hadn’t Iris come over by now? Didn’t she love Maddox anymore? Had she moved on? After all, two years was a long time. Anything could have happened in two years. Fear gripped his heart. How would he heal his friend if Iris refused to return?

Something was definitely wrong. After his clarification, Iris should have forgiven Maddox and rushed here to help him revive the father of her child.

The doctor and his team arrived. Declan had to step back and allow them to revive his friend.

“Have you tracked his signs of awareness?” The doctor checked Maddox’s airway.

“Yes, doctor, I’ve used the GCS to track the patient. Here’s the report.”

Declan watched them try every way to revive Maddox. But he didn’t respond. How could it be possible? He had been responding well earlier. After a few attempts, the doctors stepped back and let him take over.

“Why don’t you try what you were doing earlier, Mr. Forrester? The patient was responding to you.”

Declan nodded at the doctor and sat down beside Maddox again. He picked up his limp hand and clasped it. “I’m still here, bro. Why did you stop trying? You’re almost there. Don’t give up now.” He watched out for a response. Somehow, he had the feeling Maddox was listening intently to every word he spoke.

He rubbed Maddox’s limp hand, drawing circles and massaging it gently. “There’s no threat to stop you from pursuing Iris now. Drexel is in prison as well. Don’t you want to unite with your family? Iris needs you, and so does your baby daughter. Please open your eyes, Maddox. Open your eyes and look at me. I promise to take you to Alpine Farms to get your family. We’ll all go home together.”

His eyes filled with tears as he spoke. He couldn’t control them anymore, letting them spill. He could feel Maddox’s hand twitch when his teardrops moistened his skin.

“You must fight, Maddox. Open your eyes. Tell me you’ll never die on me! I won’t let you. Do you hear me?” He lost his composure and broke down in front of all.

A gasp from behind made him look up. To his immense surprise, there was a teardrop trickling down Maddox’s cheek. It felt as if he could feel Declan’s sorrow vividly. Hope swelled in his heart.

“I know you can hear me, bro. The doctors are here to help you. But it’s up to you to strive harder and revive yourself. If you want to marry Iris, get a grip on yourself. If you want to see your daughter, fight for your life. And if you want to live a fulfilling life, don’t let Drexel and his evil sister win. Fight, Maddox. I know you can do it.”

Maddox’s lips trembled, and the doctors monitored him again. They injected medicine to calm his nerves.

“I won’t give up, bro. Open your eyes. I won’t go home without you. It’s been two years already. All your businesses are suffering. Camille hasn’t returned home in the last two years. You have a lot of work to do. How long will you lie here? The doctors have testified that medically, there’s nothing wrong with you. Fight the mental block, Maddox!” He wiped his eyes and watched his friend frown and stir. Yet he didn’t open his eyes.

“Do you want Iris to find a new father for your daughter, dammit? Do you want her to move on? Why can’t you wake up?” He felt frustrated now. What was blocking him from opening his eyes?

He turned towards the doctor. “Is there anything wrong with him, doctor? Why isn’t he waking up?”

The doctor shook his head. “His cerebral edema has normalized now. The DAI has healed completely. The patient is now medically fit to live a normal life. We will discharge him soon. You can transfer him to any hospital of your choice.”

Declan frowned at his implication. Were they giving up? He turned to his friend and wiped the teardrop away. “You heard that, Maddox? They’re giving up on you. Please don’t give up on me....” He broke down as his throat constricted with hopelessness. Was this the end? Where would he take him?

“Wa...” croaked a faint voice near him. Despite the chaos all around, he had heard it distinctly.

Declan wiped her eyes and stared at Maddox. Did he just speak?

The hand he had been holding for so long gripped him. “Water....” croaked Maddox, making everyone go still.

“Mr. Laurier, can you open your eyes slowly? We’ll give you water.” The doctor soothed his head.

“De-Dec-Declan..,” whispered Maddox.

Declan leaned over and touched his cheek. “I’m here, bro. Everything is fine. Open your eyes slowly.” He was glad Maddox still remembered everything, even after lying in a coma for two years.

Slowly, his eyes fluttered open, only to close them again.

“Dim the lights,” the doctor instructed.

“Take it slow, Mr. Laurier. Try opening your eyes now.”

Maddox gripped Declan’s hand and slowly reopened his eyes to a slit. The lighting was bearable, and he felt alive. He looked around at all the faces surrounding him. For the last two years, he had heard them every single day. It felt so good to see them finally.

Then his gaze fell on his best friend, Declan. His eyes filled with tears of joy at the sight of his dear face. He knew Declan had been here for the last two years, trying everything he could to revive him. “Declan...”

“Yes, bro. I’m so happy you made it. Now everything will be fine. Let the doctor check you. Once they discharge you, we’ll be free.” He wiped his tears and smiled at his friend with relief.

“Iris...,” whispered Maddox, and more tears slipped down his cheeks.

“Yes, I’ll take you to Alpine Farms, where she lives. We’ll take her home with us.” He stroked his head as the doctors checked him.

Declan watched his friend’s condition improve. They gave him water and conducted a few tests.

“Mr. Laurier, you’re perfectly fit now. We will observe you for the next twenty-four hours before we discharge you.”

Maddox smiled with relief for the first time in two years. “How long have I been unconscious? I was on my way to Stanford when Drexel tried to kill me. He had killed Lennox the same way, Declan. Have you informed the police? He has torched my car as well. All my belongings were in the car. Drexel shouldn’t get away.”

Declan gaped at his friend. Didn’t he know two years had passed since he met with the accident? “You’ve been in a coma for almost two years, bro. In these two years, Drexel has been arrested and punished. He’s serving a life sentence in prison. We couldn’t retrieve your belongings. They all got badly charred.”

Maddox gasped in shock. “Two years? I didn’t realize I had been unconscious for so long. I could hear you faintly. Your words were mostly incoherent.”

“It doesn’t matter now. You’re fine, and we can start afresh, right?” He smiled to encourage his friend.

Maddox nodded, but his forehead creased with worry. “Has Iris given birth yet?”

Declan nodded with a smile. “Of course, bro. She has given birth to a baby girl.”

Maddox gasped in surprise. So he had heard him right, even in his unconscious state. He was now a dad to a baby girl!

His eyes filled with tears of happiness. “I’m a dad now, Declan! Can you believe it? Please take me to Iris and my baby girl. I want to see them.” He tried rising abruptly, but his head swooned.

“Easy, bro. We will go there once the doctor releases you.”

After three days, the doctor discharged him from the hospital. It was the happiest day of his life. Now, no one could stop him from uniting with his family.