SERENDIPITY

~27~ Lance And The Truth ✔️

Lance hurried to Mia's side as soon as we arrived, unintentionally waking Adrian in the process. Adrian, confused at first, visibly relaxed upon recognizing Ethan and me.

"Mia, my love," Lance whispered, a tear escaping his eye. "I'm deeply sorry for what happened. Please forgive me. Please wake up. It pains me to see you in this state..." He continued pouring out his heart, his words filled with remorse and longing.

"Ethan," I tapped him gently, trying to get his attention.

"What?" he replied, still visibly angry.

Rolling my eyes at his response, I shared with him what I had observed. "Mia's little finger was moving when we entered the room."

"What?" Ethan furrowed his eyebrows, his expression reflecting surprise and hope.

"You heard me," I replied, nervously biting my lower lip. "Don't you think we should call the doctor?"

"I don't think that's necess..."

"Mia?" Adrian's voice filled the room, cutting off our conversation.

We all turned our attention to the bed where Mia's eyes were slightly opened. She began squinting, adjusting to the amount of light in the room. In an instant, I was by her side, taking her other hand in mine and showering it with kisses as tears of joy streamed down my face. Adrian, on the other hand, remained seated, his gaze fixed on her as if it were the first time he was seeing her. Only God knows what was going on in his mind. Ethan arrived shortly after, followed by Doctor Blaq. I stood up, creating space for the doctor to examine Mia.

After approximately thirty minutes, the doctor approached the rest of us, a sense of anticipation filling the air.

"She is experiencing temporary paralysis in her legs," the doctor informed us, his voice carrying a mix of concern and reassurance. "She will be discharged either tomorrow or the day after. Right now, she needs some rest."

"Hasn't she rested enough already?" I couldn't help but voice my frustration.

"Odd as it may sound, she still requires it," Doctor Blaq replied, checking the time on his wristwatch. "I have to go now. I'll see you all tomorrow." With that, he left the room.

We gathered around Mia's bed, with me taking a seat on the only available chair beside her, holding her hand tightly.

"Raquel," she whispered weakly.

"Shhh... Relax. I'm here," I whispered back, my voice filled with tenderness.

"What am I doing here? Why can't I feel my legs?" she questioned, her voice filled with confusion and concern.

"You're going to be okay, sweetheart. Don't worry," Lance reassured her, his voice filled with love and support. Oh no! The slip of endearment slipped out unintentionally.

"You," she narrowed her eyes, her voice filled with anger. "What the hell are you doing here?" she managed to yell, her voice rising above the room.

"Please, Mia, calm down," I urged, holding onto her tightly.

"I told you this wasn't a good idea," Ethan muttered quietly from beside me.

Ignoring him, I made a difficult decision and addressed Lance directly. "You need to leave, Lance," I stated firmly, locking eyes with him. "It's clear that she doesn't want to see you right now."

"But..." Lance began to protest.

"No 'buts,' Lance. Just go," I interrupted, my voice resolute.

"Fine," he raised his hands in mock surrender as he slowly retreated towards the door. "I'm not giving up on you, Mia," he added before opening the door and leaving.