Punisher

Untitled Part 18

What if you woke up, and everything you've known was a lie?

Marinette woke up.

She opened her eyes. But she was not welcomed by the sun rays of her skylight. But a white tile ceiling. She shot up. Looking around. The room was mostly white. A TV playing some news. A door to what seemed to look like a bathroom. And the door was open as nurses strolled by with carts. Unable to be freed as something held her back. She looked down.

Wires, tubes, everywhere.

Her breathing got faster. Tears welling in her eyes. "Tikki?! Tikki!" She screamed. Trying to look for the red kwami. Marinette put her fingers to her ear lobes. Brushing her thumbs over them.

Nothing.

Marinette began hyperventilating.

Where are the earrings?

Marinette was panicking.

"Marinette!"

Her head whipped around to her mother. Her hand cupping her cheek, soft gray eyes looking at her. Tears forming in her eyes. "You're awake."

Marinette looked at her mother and father. They looked relieved. She was confused, confused and scared. What happened? Where was she? Where was her miraculous?! She clutched the white sheets. "Where am I?!"

They looked at each other. Then at her sadly. "You've been in a coma for three months..."

Marinette's face dropped into pure horror. Her shooting wide. Her worried bluebell eyes whirled with disbelief. And her pearl skin going ghost white. She shook her head. "No... No... this is wrong. I couldn't have been, I wasn't! There's no way. I...I was just with Chloe and Adrien yesterday...." She looked at them, hoping that they would tell her she was correct.

"Whatever you dreamed about in your coma... it wasn't real." Marinette's face crumbled. Tears began spilling down her cheeks. She shook her head. Looking down into her lap. "But what about Chloe? And Adrien?! And...and..Chat..." She sniffled.

Sabine sighed. "Mayor Bourgeois got caught and arrested for embezzlement. Audrey had refused to take Chloe in."

Marinette felt sick to her stomach.

Chloe... no...

"Adrien?"

"He's gone missing ever since you went into a coma."

Marinette looked at her parents desperately. "Bridgette?"

Her mother looked confused. "We don't know who that is."

Marinette was scared. Her stomach-turning unsteadily as she prepared the next question. She wiped some of her tears away. "Chat?" She swallowed hard. She hoped, she wished. She was praying for just some good news here.

"Chat has been dead for three months Mari...."

Marinette felt as if someone stabbed her in the heart. And began twisting the knife slowly.

She remained frozen.

Marinette laid down onto the pillow. Looking at the ceiling.

She had to deal with the guilt again.

Except this time, she didn't get to run into his arms.

She didn't get to laugh and joke with him.

She didn't get to enjoy his touch and kiss him.

Because he was gone, and he was gone for good.

He was just a figment of her imagination now.

And who's fault was that?