Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 196

Chapter 196 

Shepard started coughing so violently; it sounded like he was hacking up a lung. His face turned bright red 

Briana quickly rushed over and began gently patting his chest, trying to help him breathe easier. 

It took a while before Shepard finally stopped coughing. 

He frowned, then drifted back to sleep. 

Briana reached out to check his forehead, feeling for his temperature. 

It still felt a bit hot. 

‘How are you even taking care of yourself?‘ Briana muttered to herself. ‘Have you been skipping meals? Not getting enought sleep? 

‘Or are you just acting pitiful on purpose, trying to get my attention and make me feel sorry for you? 

‘Look at you now. If you knew things would end up like this, why did you even start? When I loved you, I never let myself fall apart like this No matter what happens, you’ve got to take care of yourself. 

She tucked the blanket around him, making sure he was covered up properly. 

Shepard, lying there in his hospital gown with an IV drip, looked heartbreakingly vulnerable. 

Normally, he was always in control, decisive and ruthless, but right now, he looked so fragile, almost like a tragic prince, the perfect mix of beauty, strength, and heartbreak. 

Briana sat quietly by the hospital bed, watching over Shepard. 

She wasn’t bored at all. 

Just looking at Shepard, memories from all these years just came rushing back to her. 

‘Did I love him?‘ she wondered. ‘Of course I did. I loved him deeply, with every fiber of my being. It was unforgettable. Did I hate him? Yes, I did. There was a time when my hatred for him even outweighed my love.” 

But now, looking back, Briana’s heart was utterly calm, no ripples, no waves, just quiet. 

She wasn’t going to dwell on it, forgive him, or even truly move on. 

She’d just let time do its thing, and let it all fade into oblivion. 

Shepard slept right through to evening. 

When he finally woke up, the light outside was dim and golden, fading into twilight. 

He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, feeling disoriented and groggy, having no idea where he was at first. 

After a few seconds, his head finally started to clear. 

“You’re awake?” That familiar, soft and sweet voice drifted over, and for a moment, Shepard wondered if he was still stuck in a dream. 

Because these days, the only place he ever heard Briana’s voice or saw her face was in his dreams. 

Shepard tilted his head a little. 

14:58 Fri, Jan 

Chapter 196 

Briana was standing by the bed, holding a cup of water and a spoon. 

Briana asked, her voice gentle, “Are you thirsty? Want some water? It’s just the right temperature, I checked 

Shepard tried to speak, but his throat felt raw and parched, making it impossible to get any words out. 

He could only nod. 

With painstaking care, Briana gently fed him a spoonful of water, every movement full of tenderness. 

After a few spoonfuls, his throat felt a bit better, and with a raspy voice, Shepard managed to say, “Briana?” 

“Yes, it’s me,” she answered softly. 

“It’s really you,” he whispered. 

“Who else could it be?” Briana joked, flashing him a gentle smile. “Are you feeling any better? If you’re uncomfortable anywhere, just let me know, I’ll call the doctor over.” 

Shepard couldn’t take his eyes off her, just staring in silence. 

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Briana teased. “You think you’ll heal up just by looking at me and get discharged?” 

She turned and set the cup down on the bedside table. 

Then, almost instinctively, she reached out and gently touched Shepard’s forehead. “Hmm, it’s not hot anymore. Looks like your fever’s finally gone down.” 

‘At least now I don’t have to feel so guilty anymore,‘ Briana thought to herself. ‘Maybe I can finally leave the hospital and stop keeping watch over him.‘ 

Shepard kept staring at her, unable to look away. 

He honestly couldn’t tell if this was reality or just another dream. 

‘Maybe this really is just a dream,‘ he thought, almost wishing it was true. 

Because Briana would never come to look after him. Not in a million years. 

Even if he was burning up with fever, or even turned to ashes, she wouldn’t even bat an eye at him. 

He knew just how deep Briana’s hatred for him ran. 

But if he was being honest, it wasn’t really hate anymore, just disappointment. 

Briana was beyond disappointed in him. She was done with him, and he could feel it. 

Since he figured this was just a dream, Shepard let himself be a little reckless, he could say whatever he wanted without worrying about the consequences. 

So he blurted out, “Why did you unfriend me?” 

Briana blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected his very first words after waking up to be about that. 

When she didn’t respond right away, Shepard asked again. 

“Uh,” Briana said, a little awkwardly. “I didn’t unfriend you. You can still DM me if you want.” 

“So you just muted me,” Shepard rasped. 

14:58 Fri, Jan 9 

Chapter 196 

“Yeah, Briana admitted. “I just think it’s better if we keep our distance 

As long as we have a chat window, that’s enough. If we need to talk, we can, she wondered. 

Shepard smirked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Isn’t the distance between us already far enough?” 

He was at the Carter Estate. 

She was living with the Lane family. 

There was no way they’d ever live under the same roof again. 

He could only watch her from afar, never able to walk by her side again. 

“Don’t mute me,” Shepard said, his voice dropping to a low, almost pleading tone. “I promise I won’t bother you. I just want to see what you post on Instagram.” 

He just wanted to watch from the sidelines, see the photos she shared, read her random thoughts, just to feel a little closer. even if he could never be part of her world again. 

Briana just stayed quiet. 

She didn’t have to say a word, her silence was a clear no. 

Someone rapped on the door. 

“Mrs. Carter,” Daniel’s voice called from outside. “Is Mr. Carter awake yet? Are you hungry? Would you like me to bring up some dinner for you?” 

Briana turned and opened the door. “He’s awake. Can you get the doctor to come over?” 

Daniel peeked into the room from the doorway. 

His eyes met Shepard’s. 

Shepard raised an eyebrow slightly. 

Shepard thought, ‘Hold on, this isn’t a dream? This is actually happening?‘ 

Hidden under the blanket, he gave his thigh a hard twist, just to see if he’d snap out of it. 

‘Ow!‘ he winced. 

Shepard froze. 

He cringed at his own words, a surge of self–loathing washing over him. 

She’d already muted him, making it obvious she wanted nothing to do with him. 

And yet he still couldn’t take a hint, actually asking her to lift the mute. 

‘Man, I’ve really hit rock bottom,‘ he thought. 

Honestly, in front of Briana, his dignity was basically worthless, he might as well not even have any left. 

“I’m not staying for dinner,” Briana told Daniel. “If Shepard’s okay now, I should head back home.” 

“It’s pretty late already, Mrs. Carter. You should eat something, don’t go hungry. And Mr. Carter needs to eat too, so he can‘ get his strength back and recover faster.” Daniel turned and signaled with a wave. 

14:5 Fri, Jan 9 

Chapter 196 

An attendant wheeled in a food cart. 

The three–tiered cart was piled high with all sorts of dishes. 

67 

Do people really get this kind of treatment in the hospital? Briana thought, honestly a bit taken aback. This is seriously over the top. 

The attendant came in and began arranging the dishes on the side table. 

The attending physician showed up, checked Shepard’s temperature, asked a few quick questions, and said he’d need to stay a few more days for observation before heading out 

Once Daniel and the attendant finished laying out the food, they slipped out of the room. 

Shepard got out of bed, coughing a few times, his voice rough. I’m not going to force you to stay, but at least have something to eat, okay?” 

The hospital gown hung loosely on him, looking almost comically oversized. 

He looked so much thinner now. 

Briana’s nose prickled, her eyes stinging as she looked at him. 

“The man I once loved shouldn’t be like this. Briana thought to herself, so broken, so lost, with all the fight gone from his eyes. 

They sat down across from each other. 

Shepard thoughtfully handed her a fork 

Briana took it. 

“Why did you let yourself fall apart like this? Briana asked, her voice soft but full of concern. “You let a simple cough turn. into pneumonia, and a cold into a raging fever.” 

“It’s probably just the flu going around lately.” Shepard mumbled. 

Briana looked up at him, her eyes gentle but firm. You just haven’t been taking care of yourself.” 

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