Chapter 262 Sweet family

Chapter 262 Sweet family
   Alex was reminded again that Lucas must not be exposed to stress. The moment the doctor and nurses stepped out of the room, Alex let out the breath he had been holding.
   He pulled out his phone and immediately dialed his mother's number.
   "Mom..." 
   The moment she answered, he couldn't stop the joy spreading across his face.
   "He's awake."
   There was a sharp gasp from the other end. "He woke up?"
   "Yes." Alex laughed, tears already gathering in his eyes. "He woke up."
   "Oh, thank God."
   "He remembers us, he's talking, and the doctor says he's doing well."    Alex glanced at Lucas, who was quietly watching him with a small smile. "But Mom, there's one condition."
   "What is it?"
   "The doctor said he mustn't be stressed. So... please keep this a secret for now. Don't tell anyone."
   "I understand," Sally replied softly. "Take good care of him."
   "I will, Mom."
   After ending the call, Alex phoned Emily. "Em."
   "You sound happy."
   "Yes, I'm happy. He woke up."
   Emily screamed so loudly that Alex had to pull the phone away from his ear.
   "Oh my God! Lucas is awake!"
   "Keep your voice down!" Alex laughed. "The doctor said he shouldn't be stressed, so tell no soul.”
   "I won't tell anyone."
   "Good."
   Alex hung up, feeling relieved, but less than an hour later, there was a knock on the hospital door.
   "Come in."
   The door swung open.
   Alex froze.
   His mother walked in first, followed by his father.
   "Mom?" Alex blinked in disbelief.
His eyes widened.
   "Dad?"
   Sally smiled sheepishly.
   Alex pointed accusingly at her.
"Mom! I told you it was a secret!"
   His father chuckled. "I'm worried too, son. You shouldn't keep something this important from me."
   Alex opened and closed his mouth, unable to argue.
   Mr. Benson walked straight toward Lucas. "Lucas, my boy..." His voice was unusually gentle.
"Welcome back."
   Lucas smiled politely before Sally reached him, taking his hand carefully. "We've all been praying for you. Get well soon, sweetheart."
   Before anyone could say another word, the door opened again.
   "Seriously?" Annie rushed inside.
Jason followed closely behind.
Right behind them were Emily, and Mr. Westman.
   Alex stared at the growing crowd before throwing his head back dramatically.
   "What kind of family do I even have?" he cried, laughing through his tears.
   He looked at Emily. "Em! You too? You can't keep a secret?"
   Emily scratched the back of her neck innocently.
   "Well, I couldn't help but mention it."
    "You all seriously don't know the meaning of the word secret, do you?"
   Laughter filled the room.
   Mr. Westman ignored Alex completely and walked directly to Lucas.
   He leaned down and gently kissed Lucas's forehead. "You did well waking up, son."
   His voice trembled with emotion.
"Don't ever scare me like that again."
   Lucas stared at him, completely stunned. "Dad..."
   His brows knitted together.
"Is... everything okay?"
   The question escaped before he could stop it.
   His father had spent years opposing his decisions and even his relationship with Alex. So why was he sounding like this?
   Mr. Westman looked at him before breaking into the brightest smile anyone in the room had ever seen.
"Son...I'm more than okay."
   He placed both hands dramatically on his chest. "No... I'm overjoyed!"
   Everyone looked at him curiously.
He suddenly threw both arms into the air. "I'm going to be a granddad!"
   To everyone's surprise, the dignified man began doing a ridiculous little victory dance in the middle of the hospital room.
“i'm going to be a granddad!"
   The room erupted with laughter.
Even Lucas laughed as his eyes watered.
   The commotion caught the attention of a passing nurse.
   The door swung open. The nurse stared at the crowded room in disbelief.
   "Oh my goodness..." He counted the people with his eyes.
"What exactly is going on here?"
   Silence followed.
   The nurse sighed dramatically.
"Didn't the doctor say he mustn't be stressed?"
   Everyone suddenly looked everywhere except at the nurse.
   "Only his husband stays," the nurse continued firmly. "The rest of you may visit in two days."
   "In two days?" Everyone chorused in disappointment.
   "Yes." The nurse folded his arms.
"Unless you don't want him to recover quickly."
   Nobody argued after that.
   Sally sighed. "Fine."
She looked at Alex. "I'm never revealing your secrets again."
   Everyone laughed.
   "Same here!"
   "Me too!"
   One by one, they approached Lucas. Sally kissed his forehead.
   Mr. Benson squeezed his shoulder.
   Annie kissed the back of his hand.
   Jason gently ruffled his hair.
   Emily hugged him carefully before kissing his cheek.
   Finally, Mr. Westman rested another gentle kiss on his forehead.
   "We'll see you soon, son."
   Each of them hugged Alex tightly before quietly leaving the room.
   The nurse watched them disappear before shaking his head with a smile.
"You have a lovely family."
   Alex smiled warmly. "I really do."
   The nurse nodded and quietly closed the door behind him.
   Silence settled over the room once again. Alex returned to his chair beside the bed. His eyes met Lucas's.
   "So..." He leaned over and kissed Lucas's cheek softly. "Thank you for coming back baby."
   Lucas intertwined their fingers, smiling tenderly. “So husband, when was the last time you actually slept?"
   Alex chuckled. "I so much like the sound of that baby."
   Lucas raised an eyebrow. "That wasn't an answer I wanted."
   Alex sighed dramatically.
"You woke me this morning. It counts."
   Lucas laughed softly.
"No, hubby, it doesn't."
   Alex smiled, brought Lucas's hand to his lips, and kissed his knuckles.
   "Now that you're awake," he whispered, "I think I'll be able to sleep... without being afraid you'll disappear again."
   Lucas squeezed his hand.
"I'm not going anywhere."
   Their fingers remained intertwined as they smiled at each other, the quiet room finally filled with peace instead of fear.
   Three days later, Lucas had improved remarkably.
   Although he got tired easily. He was finally able to walk short distances with Alex beside him. 
   Every careful step felt like a victory, and each day brought a little more hope. That evening, Alex left the hospital briefly for a meeting at the office, promising Lucas he would return before dinner.
   "I'll be back before you miss me." He added.
   Lucas smiled. "You'll be back before I even finish complaining."
   Alex chuckled, leaned over to kiss his forehead, and left.
   About an hour later, he was through. 
   He pulled into the hospital parking lot. As he locked his car, a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.
   "So... you just moved on like I don't exist?"
   Alex's expression darkened immediately.
   Larissa stepped out from behind a nearby vehicle, an expensive handbag hanging from one shoulder.
   He didn't answer.
Instead, he turned and began walking toward the hospital entrance.
   "Alex!"
   He kept walking.
   Her face twisted with rage. In one swift motion, she reached into her purse and pulled out a handgun.
   The metallic click echoed through the nearly empty parking lot.
   "If you take one more step," she shouted. "I'll take you to hell with me!"
   Alex's eyes widened as he turned and found the barrel aimed at him
   "Larissa..." His voice remained calm despite the little fear surging through him.
   "Have you completely lost your mind?"