Hearts in the Shadows(m×m)

I need you

Over the next few days, Leo remained in the ICU, and I hardly left his side. I managed to get some rest in the on-call room, but my thoughts were always with him.

My team was supportive, understanding the personal nature of this case for me, and they made sure I was kept informed of every change in Leo's condition.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Leo began to regain consciousness. I was sitting by his bed, holding his hand, when I saw his eyelids flutter. My heart leapt into my throat.

"Leo?" I called softly, squeezing his hand. "Can you hear me?"

His eyes opened slowly, and he looked around the room, disoriented. When his gaze finally landed on me, there was a flicker of recognition.
"Alex?" he croaked, his voice barely a whisper.

Tears filled my eyes as I nodded. "Yes, Leo, it's me. You're safe now."

A mixture of emotions crossed his face-confusion, relief, and something else I couldn't quite place. "What... what happened?" he asked, his voice weak.

"You were in a road accident," I explained gently.

"You've been through surgery, but you're going to be okay. You're in the hospital now."

He seemed to process this information slowly, his eyes darting around the room as if trying to piece together the fragments of his memory. "How long?" he finally asked.

"You've been here for a week days," I replied, not wanting to overwhelm him with too much information at once. "But you're safe now. Just focus on getting better."

I squeezed his hand weakly, my eyes filling with tears, but I blinked them away and gave him a big smile. His eyes held something I couldn't quite understand.

I had thought he would be excited to see me, but his expression was different, as if he never wanted to see me again.

I knew I was the reason for this, and I was determined to win him back. I didn't care what he had done in these seven years; he was mine, and no one else could have him.

"Shh, don't talk now. Just rest," I said. "We'll have time to talk later. Just focus on getting better."

Leo nodded slightly, his eyes drifting shut again. But this time, it was different. He was resting, not unconscious. He was healing.

I stayed by his side, holding his hand, my heart filled with a mix of relief and anxiety.

There were so many questions, so many things left unsaid. But for now, all that mattered was that he was here, alive, and with me.

As the days passed, Leo's condition continued to improve. The critical window passed without complications, and he slowly began to regain his strength.

I visited him every day, bringing him food, reading to him, and just sitting by his side, reassuring him that he wasn't alone.

One afternoon, I was returning with food for him, but I saw a little girl and a woman in his room.

My heart sank to see them laughing together. The emptiness that had been in his eyes since he woke up was now gone, replaced with affection. My hands turned into tight fists.

"What's going on in there? Who let them in?" I asked a hospital staff member who was walking out of Leo's room.

"They are his family," he said quickly before leaving in fear. His family? That word cut sharply into my heart.
I pushed the door open and walked in. As expected, as soon as Leo saw me, his expression turned cold.

"You have visitors?" I asked, trying to control my voice. Leo sighed in frustration as he reached out to hold the little girl's hand.

"This is Doctor Alex Kensington. He saved me," he said, looking at them and then at me. He spoke as if I was just a doctor doing my duty. It was so painful to be treated as a stranger by the person who was my entire life.