The One

PART 6

Finnigan awoke with a pounding headache and a sense of disorientation. The sound of beeping filled the room, and as he slowly opened his eyes, he realized he was not in his bedroom. Feeling dizzy, he shut his eyes again and tried to piece together what had happened. His mind replayed his heated argument with Brielle, and a wave of dizziness washed over him at the memory. Faintly groaning from the pain in his head, Finnigan heard his mother's voice, bringing him back to reality. With blurry vision, he looked at his mother and weakly inquired about what had transpired. She explained that he had fainted, recounting how Brielle had mentioned he collapsed while heading to the bathroom. Finnigan was grateful that his mother hadn't mentioned their argument and asked about Brielle's whereabouts. His mother informed him that Brielle was with her parents, seeking comfort as she appeared visibly shaken. Finnigan nodded weakly, absorbing the information as he slowly regained his composure.

His mother stroked his head tenderly and kissed his forehead. "The doctor said your blood pressure was too high. That may be the cause of your fainting. They are doing some blood tests to ensure nothing else," she said, holding onto his hand. "Get some rest. I will be here with you," she added, and Finnigan nodded in agreement. He didn't have any energy right now. He closed his eyes and tried to rest. "I will be back. I want to let the others know you are awake," she said, kissing his forehead again before walking out of the room to inform the others. She knew something was up between him and Brielle. Finnigan wasn't usually sick, and she noticed the cuts on his hand, confirming her suspicion that Finnigan had kept something to himself.

When she reached them, they were all looking at her. "He's awake but still feels weak. I told him to rest," she said, and everyone sighed in relief to hear that except Brielle, who didn't react. "Brielle, he is searching for you," his mother said. Brielle looked at her. "Go be with him," her mother then said. Brielle nodded and stood up, walking over to his room. She walked in and saw that he was sleeping. She looked at the monitor and sighed softly; at least his blood pressure wasn't as high as before. She didn't know that he wasn't well. How could she know when all she thinks about is just her? She was shocked to see him fall on the floor and not move. After she couldn't wake him up, even after splashing some water on his face, she called for an ambulance immediately. When they arrived at the hospital, she immediately called their parents. She didn't know why, but deep down, she was scared she might lose him. While waiting for the doctor to treat him, she was crying outside and prayed for God to save him. She was scared that he would die because of her.

Brielle lowered herself onto the chair positioned by the bed. Her gaze lingered on his tense expression, knowing she was the cause. Observing the cut on his hand that she had inflicted, she couldn't understand why he had allowed himself to be hurt this way. The question lingered in her mind – why couldn't he just let her go and put an end to all the pain? As she reached out to touch his cheek, she noticed his awakening and promptly withdrew her hand. Finnigan turned his head and caught sight of her standing beside him. As their eyes met, she asked him, "Why didn't you let me know you were sick?" His gaze shifted away from her as he responded, "Why should I? You don't care if I'm sick or not." She knew she had it coming. "I'm sorry," she uttered, grasping his hand. As her touch reached him, Finnigan realized he had longed for it more than he had admitted to himself. "Why? You haven't done anything wrong," he said, gazing at her. "I have. I caused all of this. I caused you so much pain by being with me," she said, still holding his gaze, but Finnigan could sense the intensity of her emotions this time. "It's okay. It's not your fault," he gently held her hand. "Just let me go, Fin. You can end the pain that I might cause if we continue to stay together," Finnigan released her hand upon hearing those words. "Please," he said with a weary look in his eyes, "I don't want to talk about this again." He looked away from her, clearly seeking some space. "I want to rest. Please leave me alone for now," he said, his voice tinged with exhaustion. He didn't want to stress himself out any further. It was evident that he had reached his limit.

It must have been difficult for Brielle when he let go of her hand, and she could see that he was still unwilling to let her go. She stood up and left the room when he asked her to be alone, leaving him to deal with his emotions. As he found himself alone, he started to cry, clearly struggling with his feelings. Despite never expressing a desire to let her go during their years of marriage, she seemed to continue to desire it. He tried to compose himself and quickly wiped away his tears at the sound of someone entering the room. He pretended to be asleep to avoid an uncomfortable confrontation, only to discover that it was his parents and in-laws. This situation was emotionally challenging for all involved. "He's sound asleep, so I think we should head home for now and come back later," he overheard his father say. His father-in-law agreed, "Let's give him some time to rest." Eager for them to leave the room, he waited until his mother approached him and kissed his forehead tenderly. Gently whispering, "Stay strong, honey," she rejoined the others. As the room emptied, he wearily opened his eyes and sighed deeply. Respecting his silence, his mother recognized that something troubled him, but he wasn't ready to share it.