Secrecy (Hosie)

Part 99: Waking

I decided to give everyone a preview for the ending, the first few pages of part 99...let me know what you think!
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TEASER PREVIEW FOR THE FINAL CHAPTERS

Two Months Later...

"I brought you some food," Freya says sweetly as she enters the hospital room, making Josie turn her head from her place beside Hope's hospital bed.

"Thank you Aunt Freya," Josie smiles weakly, though grateful nonetheless.

Freya nods, "I figured you might like something better than hospital cafeteria food." She chuckles lightly, trying to lighten the mood, though it doesn't work well. She lets out a soft sigh, "You sure you don't want to go home for a little while? Maybe you'd rest better there."

Josie shakes her head, "I tried that about a month ago...I don't like being there without Hope."

Freya nods understandingly, taking a seat in the chair beside Josie and handing over some food.

"How are you holding up?"

Josie looks from Hope's unconscious figure to Freya, her eyes tired and more empty than they were just 2 months ago, and she shakes her head, "I can still feel her pain. Because of the mark her wolf gave me. And as the bond grows stronger over time, the pain gets worse...I hate knowing that she's hurting."

Freya gives her a sympathetic look, "Did the potion I gave you work? To minimize the pain?"

Josie nods, "It did. I think it may start wearing off soon, though."

Freya nods, "I'll have Rebekah bring more when she comes by later."

"Thank you," Josie turns back toward her fiancé, letting out a sigh as she rests a hand over her belly.

"Hey," Freya gains her attention again, speaking gently, "You've tried everything you could possibly do to help her. All of this stress can't be good for you, or for the baby."

Josie nods, her eyes glossy as she whispers, "I just want her back. I can't do this without her. She has to wake up—"

"She will." Freya says confidently, "But until then, you need to start taking care of yourself, Josie. She wouldn't want you to suffer like this."

Josie sighs, nodding, "I know. I'll try to do better."

Freya offers a weak smile and a nod before they get back to eating lunch. Until Elena comes into the hospital room, doing her rounds and checking on her niece, "Knock knock."

Josie smiles at Dr. Gilbert, "Hi Aunt Elena. Any new updates?"

Elena connects a syringe full of vampire blood to Hope's I.V., letting the liquid flow directly into Hope's vessels. It's something they've been trying to do regularly.

"Actually, yes," She removes the syringe and discards it into the trash before reaching for a folder, opening it and handing it over to Josie.
"Physically, she is recovering very well, and I'm still confident she will make a full physical recovery. What I'm more concerned about is her cognitive recovery."

Josie furrows her eyebrows before looking down at the folder, seeing several brain scans on the page, "This is her brain activity?"

Elena nods, before pointing to a particular spot on one of the scans, "See how most of the activity is concentrated here?"

Josie nods, "Brain stem."

"Exactly," Elena confirms, "Which is why she's able to breathe on her own, and why her heart can beat without any medical assistance. That part of her brain controls vital reflexes."
Elena points to a different spot, "She's got activity in her temporal lobe as well. That means there's a possibility she's able to hear you."