The Love That Passed

Third Person’s POVContent is © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.

Jared was looking at his wife, who was still lying on the hospital bed unconscious. He had been doing that for three weeks after he woke up and more than a month since Colleen was in a coma. Everyday his heart breaks as he sees him almost lifeless. He misses her smile, her voice and her love. He tried to be stronger than the other day and give himself hope that she would wake up soon.

After he woke up that day and had calmed himself, Ingrid told him about what had happened after he got shot.

*** Flashback ***

“Gen. Anderson’s man called the ambulance and brought you here.” Ingrid said, “You were out and getting colder and I thought we were going to lose you. It was a good thing that the bullet missed your heart.” she added,

“I bumped into a man before I got shot, maybe that’s the reason,” he said.

“Yeah, the man was so frantic. He was shocked that he thought he had been shot as well.” Ingrid replied, “As I brought you to the hospital, the man who was supposed to be watching you as well as the others searched around the perimeter and found the spot where the sniper was located. Gen Anderson was so good that he added CCTV’s around the area so they managed to find the gunman and eventually pointed to Derrick and the boss of the organization.”

“Didn’t they get alarmed when the gunman was found?” he asked,

“Gen. Anderson moved quietly. Because no one knew about the CCTV, they didn’t manage to tap it. All the CCTV around the area was dismantled and broken but not the one they installed.”

“So, the gunman told them everything?”

“Yes, apparently he knew Gen. Anderson and his elite men. I didn’t know that he was known for his brutal torture in the underground and that’s why many of them tried not to get caught by him. I guess Derrick and his boss thought that everything was fine since they got you. What they didn’t know was the fact that we have Gen. Anderson with us.”

“So they are both in jail now?”

“No, Gen. Anderson and his men made sure that they would never go to trial. He was sure that they would get back to you even if they were put behind bars. I am pro life but thinking about how Derrick managed to do this to you if he was in the cell, scares me. Just how many people he had asked for help so he could take his revenge against you.”

“That’s why the media is quiet and I have not heard anything about them?” he asked again, and Ingrid nodded.

“After the gunman pointed out their locations, Gen. Anderson started to make a plan. They didn’t announce that they had captured him, so their plan was very effective. Even the people who were watching you from the hospital had no idea about what they were doing, so I guess that’s the reason why they decided to lower their guard.”

“They should have something to show to the media, otherwise, they will be targeting the police once that exposed,” Jared commented.

“Gen. Anderson managed to get more information from them which made him raid another hideout of one of the biggest syndicates in the country. That was announced in public,” she replied, as Jared nodded.

“I can feel at ease now, right?”

“Yes and all you have to do is to look after Colleen and my niece. Don’t worry about the company, I can handle it well.” Jared nodded and said,

“Thank you so much,”

*** End of flashback ***

He looked at Colleen again and took her hand and brought it to his lips before he kissed it with care. Dr. Gerard went to check on her every day and tried to make Jared feel better. He knew that there were no words that could pacify his feelings or lessen the pain that Jared was going through right now, but he knew that hope would give him strength to continue looking after his wife.

“Baby Corrine can be transferred to the nursery. She was strong like her mother. Everything was normal and even Dr. Chin couldn’t believe it either.” he told Jared, who just looked at him and smiled, “Believe me, I know that you feel worse but I want to let you know as well that Baby Corrine needs you as well.” he added before he left him. Jared started to cry, thinking he was already neglecting his daughter unknowingly. He had never left Colleen’s side ever since he woke up and had not looked into their daughter ever since.

When Lucy arrived, Jared stood up and told her that he would just go and look at their daughter. Lucy smiled at him, nodding her head happily. She was already feeling sorry for her granddaughter because of what Jared had been doing. She started to think that he didn’t want to see their baby and was blaming her already for Colleen’s condition.

Jared arrived at NICU where baby Corrine was. He put on a hospital gown, mask, gloves, head and shoe cover before he got in. Baby Corrine was awake when he looked at her and he started crying again. He felt guilty for his daughter after he realized that he was being unfair to her that he even thought of aborting her before. He inserted his hand in the hole and took the baby’s hand. He felt calm when baby Corrine grabbed his thumb and held it tightly.

Jared wiped his tears and said, “Thank you for being strong, mommy and daddy are very proud of you.” he said as the baby Corrine’s lips started to get pointed and make a round shape as if she understood him and wanted to talk. Jared saw this and gently caressed her tiny hands, saying, “I promise you that I am going to love and give you everything I can to protect you. When the time comes that you will be able to understand things, I am going to ask for your forgiveness for what has come to my mind these past few weeks about you and I hope you’ll forgive.”

Baby Corrine’s hands and legs were now making unnecessary movements as she looked at him. Her little mouth continued to make a round shape as if saying something. He stayed there for a few more minutes because he was not allowed to stay there any longer. He went to Dr. Chin and talked about their baby so she introduced him to her pedia to explain to him more about the baby Corrine’s condition.

Jared said thanks and went back to Colleen. He sat on the chair beside her hospital bed and took her hand to engulf it while Lucy was following him with her gaze. “Hey, wife, our daughter is so beautiful. I just saw her and I think she was very talkative with the way she opened her mouth and made that round shape as if she wanted to scold me.” he said. Lucy, who was just listening to him, felt relieved.

“I’m sorry that getting rid of her came to my mind before. Thank you for not letting that happen. When she grows up, I am going to apologize to her and I hope that she will forgive me. Do you think she would? I am scared, so please, wake up so you can help me explain to her and tell her, you understand me, right?” he said in a hoarse voice and was still crying. Lucy didn’t want to see him acting like that, so she decided to leave him alone with Colleen.

She was heartbroken too and feeling sorry for Jared and she understood him completely. She too wanted to let the baby go so Colleen would be able to get the surgery that she needed. After that incident, she realized that Colleen was more of a mother than her. She already loved and was willing to risk her life for the baby who was not yet fully grown in her womb when she left Colleen and had not looked after her if not for the fact that she needed a house for her stepdaughter.

“I am no better than Jared,’ she told herself as she sat on the chair just outside Colleen’s hospital room. Tears ran down her cheeks, she knew that Colleen would be leaving them sooner or later and the fact that they were only waiting for that time hurt her even more. Yes, they were only waiting, the chance for Colleen to wake up was so small and she knew Jared knew it too. That’s why he never left her side.

‘My only regret is that she never got the chance to see the life that she gave her life for.’ she said to herself and closed her eyes and prayed deeply. ‘Lord God, if you are going to take her already, please give her a chance to see and feel her daughter.’