waking up married

Chapter 5 An Unexpected Turn

Fear gripped her as she realized the danger she was in.

Amidst the chaos outside, Caroline's focus remained on Eric's faltering breaths.

"Caroline, your mother's death wasn't an accident," Eric's voice trembled.

"They'll come for you. You're in danger," he warned, his words urgent.

"Let me shield you..."

As Eric's eyes fluttered shut, Caroline's heart pounded with dread.

"No..." Her cries pierced the air, echoing along the deserted road, refusing to be silenced.

With its siren blazing, the ambulance sped through the streets as a bewildered Caroline trailed behind, arriving at the hospital right beside it.

As Eric was hustled into the ER and the doors swung shut, her tears broke free.

He had shielded her from a bullet. Why would he do that for someone as coldhearted as her? She didn't deserve such a noble act!

The memory of him leaping to her defense without a second thought haunted her, and his words of unforced love from the night before echoed in her mind, along with the image of his tear-filled eyes.

Now, all she was consumed by was remorse and guilt. Eric's love for her surpassed his own life, and yet she had contemplated leaving him. She felt utterly despicable.

Seeing her covered in blood, a nearby nurse asked kindly, "Ma'am, are you injured?"

Caroline gazed down at the crimson on her fingers and shook her head. "It's not my blood."

Her eyes, fraught with worry, turned back to the ER doors as she inquired, "Is he going to make it?"

"The doctors are doing everything they can to save him," the nurse assured her, asking, "Are you related to the patient?"

Without skipping a beat, Caroline declared, "I'm his wife."

Merely an hour ago, she was overwhelmed with thoughts of divorce. She had never wholeheartedly accepted Eric as her spouse, yet in this moment, she was filled with remorse. Had she not been adamant about the divorce, Eric might have avoided this awful predicament.

"Would you like to clean up first? The restroom is right there," suggested the nurse, pointing down the hallway.

Caroline shook her head. "No, I'll wait until after his surgery."

She would patiently wait for him to pull through, and once he awoke, she would assure him in person that she was his wife and she would steadfastly remain by his side forever.

The nurse, familiar with such family reactions, nodded and withdrew.

Every minute of the wait felt agonizingly long.

Finally, Eric's operation concluded. As the doors of the ER swung open, Caroline rushed forward, gripping the doctor's arm. "Doctor, is my husband... okay?"

"Fortunately, the bullet didn't damage any organs. The patient is out of danger now and will wake up after the anesthesia wears off," the doctor assured her.

Caroline was overcome with a flood of relief, her tears now those of joy.

"Please, come with me to take care of his hospital admission forms," the nurse spoke gently.

Only then did Caroline finally consider washing the blood off her hands. Staring at the stains swirling away in the washbasin, her heart was gripped by a mounting anxiety.

Eric had suggested that her mother's death was no mere accident.

It occurred to her that the assailant might be connected to the same person responsible for her mother's demise.

How did she and her mother end up engulfed in such perils?

And what had transpired in the lost years of her memory?

Stepping out of the restroom, Caroline followed the nurse to complete the paperwork for Eric's admission.

Police officers were on the scene to take statements, but Caroline had no information on possible adversaries, her apprehension only intensifying.

Seeing her distress, the officers refrained from pushing too hard and left after gathering some basic details.

But Caroline's thoughts were solely with Eric now.

He lay on a sterile bed, his complexion ashen, his eyes sealed, and his breaths barely discernible.

Her hand reached for his, as cold as death itself.

"Eric, please come back to me," she whispered, pressing her face to his hand and letting her tears flow unabated, "I'm terrified..."

Her memories only stretched till she was 18. Now, at 24, she recognized the fact that danger stalked her relentlessly, akin to a malicious virus, forever in her shadows.

Eric spent the night wrestling with a relentless fever in his comatose state. Caroline tenderly cared for him, wiping his sweat and changing his clothes, while staying vigilantly awake throughout the night. As dawn began to break, Eric's fever finally began to recede. With a quiet sigh of relief, Caroline remained at his bedside and eventually succumbed to her exhaustion. She drifted into a fitful sleep.

When her consciousness returned, it was to greet the noon of a new day.

As her eyes fluttered open, she was met with the deep blues of Eric's gaze.

Staring at him blankly for a moment, she eventually gathered her thoughts. "Eric, are you awake?"

"Why are you sleeping here? You might catch a cold," he rasped, though his concern for her was evident.

Quick to action, Caroline rose, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, and hastily poured water for him.

Guiding the straw to his parched lips, she urged, "Take a sip; it'll help your throat."

Eric complied, but his gaze remained fixed on her, unwavering.

"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?" she inquired.

"I fear you'll vanish the moment I blink, as if you were but a dream," he murmured, shaking his head.

A wave of melancholy washed over Caroline at his words. "You silly man. You got hurt protecting me. I'm staying right here by your side; I won't leave."

If she still harbored thoughts of abandoning him at this moment, then she would truly be a despicable person.

"Really?" Hope laced Eric's voice as he tenderly pressed her hand to his lips. "Don't play tricks on me, or I'll be heartbroken."

"Don't be silly," she replied, her ears tinged with a slight blush. "Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"

The mere mention sparked his appetite. "Now that you bring it up, I'm starving. A burger, that's what I need."

"I'll go and buy it!" Suddenly, she realized a significant problem and blushed. "I don't have any money nor a phone!"

A gentle laugh escaped from Eric as he looked at her with tenderness. "Just grab my wallet; it has some cash in it."

She quickly stood up to grab his wallet, and handed it over together with his cellphone. "You haven't called your family since you were shot. Give them a ring!"

Eric afforded her a smile that touched his eyes. "I'll do that. Stay safe out there."

They shared a moment, an intimate slice of domesticity between them.

Once Caroline had left on her errand, the facade Eric maintained melted away.

"Come in," he signaled with a flicker of his eyes.

A striking young woman and a poised man sporting black glasses entered, both exuding an air of elegance.

The boy jokingly ribbed Eric, remarking: "We never pegged you for showing such a tender side, especially in front of Caroline. To keep her, you even arranged for someone to shoot you and orchestrated this entire drama. She must be crying her eyes out by now!"

The girl rolled her eyes at the boy, then turned to Eric. "Eric, don't worry. This will stay under wraps; no one will sniff out anything."

"No, it's essential that you look into the backgrounds of the dispatched individuals. We've got some rats," Eric stated emotionlessly while looking at his close subordinates, his eyes glinting with a touch of menace. "The instigator of this act genuinely sought to end Caroline's life."

Luckily, he discerned the opponent's intentions just in time, and Caroline remained unharmed.

Both of them looked visibly shocked.

The boy screamed in disbelief, "But you still took a bullet for her! Have you lost your mind..."

Eric cast a chilly glance at the boy, who had no choice but to inhale deeply and suppress the words he was trying to say.

"Understood. Rest assured that we'll thoroughly investigate this matter," asserted the boy, a harsh glint of resolve sparking in his eyes. "How dare he lay a hand on you? I swear I'll track down that vile rat!"

"He shouldn't have hurt Caroline," Eric stated icily, his lips curling into a frosty sneer. "I'll make sure those who dare harm her face severe consequences."