While You Were Sleeping, I Waited

(Author’s POV) Far above the glittering skyline of London, the city lights shimmered beneath the dark velvet sky while expensive cars moved like streams of gold across distant roads. Inside one of the most prestigious and expensive hospitals in the entire United Kingdom, silence ruled the upper VVIP floor. At the end of the corridor stood a private room which itself was larger than many luxury apartments. Warm cream walls, soft dim lighting, polished wooden flooring, a sleek couch near the glass window, a small refrigerator and fresh lilies on the side table. Moonlight slipped quietly through the tall glass windows. Its pale silver glow fell directly upon the young woman lying motionless on the hospital bed. Ruby Vale is twenty-five years old now. Her long dark hair spread softly over the white pillow while her pale face remained still and peaceful, almost as though she were simply sleeping after a tiring day. A few IV drips were attached to her fragile hand, and faint scars near her collarbone disappeared beneath the blanket covering her body. But Ruby was not sleeping. She had been in a coma for two years, trapped between life and death. Doctors called it a miracle that she survived the accident at all. There were moments during surgery when her heartbeat almost stopped completely. Yet somehow, she lived. No one knew when she would wake up. Some prayed desperately for her recovery. Others wished she would never open her eyes again. And perhaps the prayers of the people who truly cared for her finally reached heaven that night because after two years of endless darkness, Ruby woke up. Not physically but her consciousness returned. At first, everything felt heavy and suffocating. She tried opening her eyes but nothing happened. She attempted to move her fingers, her legs, her lips but her body refused to obey. Panic spread through her chest instantly. ‘What was happening? Why couldn’t I move?’ Her breathing quickened internally though outwardly her body remained still. She tried harder, forcing every ounce of strength into her limbs, but it felt as though invisible chains held her down completely. Then voices reached her ears. “…her vitals are stable today” A man’s voice was professional, calm and mature. ‘A doctor!’ Ruby focused carefully on his words. “The muscle stiffness is severe due to prolonged unconsciousness. Frankly speaking, surviving two years in a coma itself is extraordinary”. ‘Two years’, her mind froze. For a moment, even her thoughts stopped functioning but suddenly fragmented memories crashed violently into her mind. Rain pouring endlessly against the windshield, bright headlights speeding toward her, the deafening sound of brakes screeching, glass shattering and pain, so much pain. Ruby mentally gasped as realization struck her. ‘The accident. That accident happened two years ago?’ Fear and disbelief consumed her. While she struggled to process everything, another voice suddenly filled the room. This man’s voice was deep, cold and dangerously calm, yet strangely alluring. Just hearing it sent an unfamiliar shiver through Ruby’s unmoving body. “She’ll wake up”. Only three words but the confidence in his tone made Ruby’s heartbeat skip. “Medically speaking, we cannot guarantee…” The doctor sighed softly. “She will wake up” This time his voice carried quiet certainty, not hope. As though he trusted her more than the doctors trusted medicine itself. Ruby’s heart trembled faintly. ‘Who was he?’ She was certain she had never heard this voice before the accident. Yet something about it stirred warmth inside her chest, a warmth she couldn’t explain. The room soon fell silent before footsteps echoed softly across the floor. Then the sound of the door closing reached her ears. The doctor had left. Only the mysterious man remained. For several seconds, only silence remained in the room. Then Ruby suddenly felt warmth around her cold hand. Her entire body shivered internally. A large masculine hand carefully held hers, his touch unbelievably gentle, as though afraid she might break beneath the slightest pressure. Slowly, tenderly, his thumb caressed the back of her hand. The earlier coldness in his voice disappeared completely when he spoke again. “Ruby…” The way he whispered her name made her chest ache strangely. There was exhaustion, pain and longing in his voice. Emotions so deep they felt almost unbearable. “You scared me”. Ruby’s breath caught. “I’ve faced people who wanted to destroy me without fear but seeing you like this… lying here without opening your eyes…” A quiet, bitter laugh escaped him. “It destroyed me” His voice cracked slightly. Ruby’s heart shook violently. ‘Who was this man? Why did he sound so broken over her?’ “Do you know how many times I asked myself what would’ve happened if I had reached earlier that night?” His fingers tightened around her hand carefully as he whispered. “Maybe the accident wouldn’t have happened. Maybe you wouldn’t have suffered like this”. Ruby felt warmth spreading through her chest. ‘For two years had he really stayed beside her?’ “You probably don’t even know who I am,” He murmured softly. “Funny, isn’t it? I’ve loved you for five years, and you never even knew I existed”. ‘Loved? Her? For five years?’ Shock crashed through her completely. “I still remember the first time I saw you…but I never entered in your life,” He continued quietly but Ruby’s heart pounded. Every word he spoke carried sincerity so raw that it frightened her. “I thought watching you from afar would be enough. As long as you were happy, I didn’t need anything else,” He admitted. “But then the accident happened” His breathing turned uneven. The room fell painfully silent for a moment. “That night, I thought I lost you…” His voice lowered dangerously. Ruby felt tears burning behind her closed eyes. “You became my first thought every morning and my last thought every night long before this coma, Ruby,” He confessed softly. “And these past two years…I fell even deeper” His thumb brushed gently over her fingers. Ruby’s heart melted slowly listening to him. No one had ever spoken to her like this before. No one had ever loved her with such quiet desperation. “I don’t care if it takes another two years or ten. I’ll wait” He whispered near her hand. A tear suddenly fell onto her skin. Ruby’s chest tightened painfully. Slowly, she felt him lean closer. His warmth surrounded her completely now. “You don’t have to fight alone anymore,” He whispered beside her forehead. “I’m here”. Then soft lips pressed gently against her forehead. The moment he kissed her, warmth exploded inside Ruby’s chest like sunlight melting frozen snow. Her heart fluttered wildly while unfamiliar emotions overwhelmed her completely. Ruby desperately tried opening her eyes, just once. She wanted to see him, wanted to know the face of the man who loved her deeply but her body still refused to obey. A few moments later, the warmth around her slowly disappeared. His hand slipped from hers reluctantly. Then footsteps echoed softly toward the door. Before leaving, he spoke one final sentence. “Wake up soon, Ruby”. The door closed quietly behind him and once again she was left alone in silence.