Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 265

Chapter 265 

50 

In the hospital, after breakfast, Briana headed to the ICU. The doctor had said she could visit today. But only one family member was allowed in, and only once a day. Each visit was limited to ten minutes. 

Briana really valued this opportunity. 

She knew she couldn’t do much, but just seeing Shepard, sitting by his side, and talking to him, even if he couldn’t respond, helped case her heart a bit. 

Once she had her protective gear on, Briana stepped inside. 

Olivia waited outside. 

There was a haunting chill in the ICU, an unsettling cold that seemed to linger in the air. The icy feeling pierced right through to her bones. 

Even though the room was kept at a steady temperature. 

Briana quickened her pace and made her way to Shepard’s bedside. 

He lay there, completely still. His face was drained of color, pale as a sheet. 

At just a single glance, Briana’s tears slipped silently down her cheeks. 

“Shepard,” Briana called out. Her voice caught with sobs, and her tears fell even harder. 

“I know you hate seeing me cry. Whenever you do, it hurts you, and you always end up sighing,” Briana said, quietly wiping her tears away. “So I won’t cry. I’m just here to see you. I’m okay, really. 

“It’s been days, Shepard. Why won’t you wake up? Can’t you just open your eyes for me? The baby and I. we’re both waiting for you. Everyone’s hoping you’ll come back to us. You’re the anchor for all of us.” 

Briana crouched down, wanting so badly to touch Shepard’s hand, but she hesitated. He was still connected to the IV drip. 

There were tubes everywhere, running across Shepard’s body. 

There was all kinds of medical equipment around her, stuff she couldn’t even begin to figure out. 

Every now and then, the machines would flash their lights. And sometimes, they’d make those beeping sounds. 

“It must be so lonely, lying here all alone,” Briana whispered. “But from today on, I get to stay with you for ten minutes. 

“It’s not much, but at least you can hear me. The doctor said you can hear my voice. He also told me to talk to you more, maybe it’ll help you find the will to wake up.” 

“I have no idea what you’re dreaming about, or what’s on your mind. All I ask is that you open your eyes and come back to us. Please don’t keep lying here. Waiting for you is so hard.” 

Briana’s fingertips gently touched Shepard’s, barely daring to make contact. 

She whispered, “I used to always make you wait. I was so naive and selfish, thinking, it’s just waiting, right? No big deal. I waited for you for five years, after all. 

“But now, I can’t even wait five days. I’m so scared, Shepard. I don’t want to lose you again. 

“Everyone around me has left, one after another. If you leave, too, who will I have left? Our baby needs their dad. I don’t want them to grow up without you, in a single–parent home.” 

10:06 Wed, Feb 18 ? 

Chapter 265 

Her fingertips gently traced over his nails and the pads of his fingers, one slow stroke after another. 

Touching him like this was the only way she could truly feel that he was still here, still real. 

Without even realizing it, Briana had already gotten used to Shepard’s presence in her life. 

His companionship, always being there for her, had become a part of her everyday world. 

He’d moved from the Carter Estate to Evergreen Estate. He spent every night on the couch. 

Briana knew deep down what Shepard had given up for her. She really wanted to forgive him, but fear held her back. He was scared it would all happen again and that once she finally had him, the charm would disappear. 

“Shepard, please look at me. Please come back.” Briana bit her lip, her voice trembling. “Are you upset with me? Upset because I always made you wait, because I never said I forgave you, because I ignored you, because I shut you out? 

“Honestly, I acted that way because I love you. Hate only exists because of love. If there’s no love, where would the hate even come from?” 

As she spoke, Briana’s tears streamed down, falling onto his hand. They fell onto Shepard’s hand. His fingers moved just a 

little. 

Briana noticed that tiny movement. She froze, staring at Shepard’s fingers, wide–eyed and afraid to even blink. It wasn’t a hallucination. It was real. 

“Shepard, can you hear me? You can hear me, right?” Briana was over the moon, her voice trembling with excitement. “Let me talk to you some more, let me stay with you a little longer! 

“If you wake up, we can be together forever, and never be apart again! Shepard, I’m not divorcing you. I want to grow old with you, spend the rest of our lives together, just like we vowed on our wedding day. 

“So, no matter where you are right now, no matter what’s in front of you, you have to wake up. Follow the light, and come back to where I am. Don’t get lost in the darkness, please.” 

Shepard’s fingers moved again. 

Briana smiled, happiness lighting up her face. She smiled through her tears. 

Ten minutes went by way too fast. She had to leave. The nurse was already nudging her to go. 

Briana got up, unwilling to leave, and gave Shepard a deep, lingering look. “I’ll be back tomorrow, Shepard. Wait for me. But 

I really hope you wake up soon, so I can be with you all day, every day, never leaving you for a second.” 

As she stepped out of the ICU, Briana let out a long, relieved breath. She couldn’t wait to share her joy with Olivia. 

“I saw Shepard’s fingers move,” she said, her voice trembling with excitement. “Twice!” 

Olivia’s face lit up. “Really? That’s amazing news!” 

“Yeah! I think Shepard’s going to pull through soon. He’s not going to end up in a vegetative state; he’s going to make it through this,” Briana said. 

“Yeah,” Olivia agreed. “So you need to take care of yourself too, stay healthy and strong while you wait for Shepard to wake up.” 

Olivia joked, “We all know Shepard’s temper. If he wakes up and sees his wife all skinny and exhausted, he’ll throw a fit and start blaming everyone around him.” 

Olivia was just trying to lighten the mood, but Briana seriously touched her face. 

10:06 Wed, Feb 18 

Chapter 265 

“Do I look worn out? Am I getting skinny?” she murmured. “No, I have to look my best when Shepard wakes up.” 

She decided she’d make sure to eat well. She tried to stay positive and keep her mood steady. 

Olivia sighed inwardly. She honestly thought Briana was starting to lose her grip on reality. 

Sometimes, Briana would just talk to herself. Or she’d just lie there on the hospital bed, staring out the window for half the day, not saying a word, not even drinking water, completely silent. 

Olivia felt a knot of worry tighten in her chest as she watched Briana. ‘Please don’t let her fall apart, Olivia thought 

“No, Briana, you’re still as beautiful as ever,” Olivia said with a cheerful grin. “I was just joking. You’re pregnant now, looking radiant and healthy. There’s no way you’re getting skinny.” 

She linked arms with Briana and headed toward the elevator. 

“The weather’s nice today, and the sun’s out,” Olivia said. “Let’s go downstairs for a walk, get some fresh air, and soak up some sun for a bit of vitamin D.” 

“Okay,” Briana replied. 

Arm in arm with Olivia, Briana walked out. 

The ICU was left further and further behind them. 

Back in the ICU, Shepard, still hooked up to all those tubes, his brows and eyelids suddenly twitched. 

At that moment, only one sentence kept repeating in his mind. “Follow the light, and come back to where I am.”