A/N:
Happy new year to all of you who celebrate!
I'm sorry it's taken me 5 years to finish this book but i'm happy to announce that wet will be finished! It was very mean of me to leave this book on such a cliffhanger, haha. Enjoy!
-jaht
--------------------------
"Mr. Tuan?"
A soft voice called out to me. I flinched.
"Mr. Tuan? Do you need anything?"
I blinked my eyes in confusion. I frantically looked around the hospital room before sinking back into my chair I had fallen asleep on. I could still feel my racing heartbeat in my throat. I quickly looked over to Jackson, and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw his monitor, his vitals were perfectly normal.
"Mr. Tuan?" The voice called out to me again.
I turned my head to see the nurse that was standing in the doorway.
"Yes? I'm sorry, I had fallen asleep." I replied, my mouth dry.
"Oh, I apologize. I just wanted to ask you if you needed anything." She said, holding a big basket of medical equipment. She looked busy, so I declined.
As she left, I turned my gaze back to Jackson, stood up and reached out to hold his hand.
"I just had the most horrible dream. I think I'm losing my mind without you here."
I stroked his fingers with mine, slowly working my way up all the way to his shoulder. He looked peaceful, like he was just asleep. The idea of him just sleeping comforted me. He's just asleep, I thought to myself. He'll wake up, eventually.
Except he might not.
I broke down sobbing again. My tears felt hot and they burned my face as they streamed down my cheeks. I couldn't believe it. He saved my life. Is this how the universe paid him for his heroic actions?
I cursed under my breath. This isn't fair!
Between my loud sobs I stroked his hair with my hand, my other still holding his. His hair felt dry, coarse and I softly undid some of the tangles that had appeared during his surgery.
Suddenly, my knees felt weak and I swiftly made my way back into the chair. I kept crying like a little child, not wanting to look at him anymore, being surrounded with machines, tubes and wires.
"I owe you my life. I don't know anyone else who would've done what you did, not for me. I didn't deserve it yet you still did it. I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you", My voice broke down to a whisper. "I love you."
The hospital room fell quiet. Only sounds audible were his heart monitor, and the sound of his ventilator.
After what felt like hours, but had probably only been minutes, I jolted up. My heart started racing and I felt my insides drop. Suddenly my brain was fuzzy, like my head was filled with bees.
The reason?
Jackson had squeezed my hand.
My heart was beating so hard it was probably visible from my chest. I waited, my eyes glued to Jackson's face, holding breath. Had it been just a reflex? Did he really just squeeze my hand?
Then he squeezed again.
I gasped. My mouth fell open. "Baby?"
Jackson's brows furrowed and he kept squeezing my hand. I felt my eyes fill with tears, as my chest exploded with feelings of exitement and love.
"Baby can you hear me?"
Jackson moaned, slowly blinking his eyes open. Before I could stand up, he started gagging.
"Hey, hey, baby you have a ventilator in, don't fight it", I squeezed his hand a final time before dashing to the door. "Nurse! He's awake!"
Two nurses ran into the room, and before I knew it, his ventilator was gone and we were alone, together, and this time, awake.
"Hi baby", I whispered, crying, but this time with a smile on my face.
Jackson looked around the room, clearly loopy from his pain medication. Finally, he looked at me and smiled a little bit.
"Hey", he said, his voice hoarse.
Sobbing, I went in and gave him a hug, careful not to press on him too hard.
"Are you okay? Are you in any pain?" I asked as I sat back into my chair.
Jackson shook his head. "Not really. What happened? I don't remember much."
My smile faded. "It was a ploy. Chris was using Evan to get to me as revenge for you leaving him for me. He killed Evan and then shot me, but hit you by accident. I don't know where he is right now. It's honestly a miracle you even survived."
"Lucky me", Jackson smiled faintly. "We should get married quickly before I run out of luck."
I laughed softly. "We should. We will."
Jackson smiled, before coughing and leaning back in his bed. "I'm going to find that son of a bitch and make him pay. Fucking sociopath."
I leaned forward to stroke his hair. "Don't you worry about him. You just focus on getting better soon."
"No I mean it. After what he did to you, to us, I'm not resting until he is locked up for life."
"He will be. I already talked to the police, they'll catch him."
Jackson coughed again. I offered him water, which he gladly drank.
I was overjoyed. My Jackson, alive and awake.
