CHAPTER 4

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20 years.

Her words echoed in his head, shaking him to the core. Suddenly, he was back in his comatose state after he'd gotten shot all those years ago.

The painful realization ricocheted like a bullet, going straight to his chest, shattering the tissues surrounding his heart. He'd be lying if he said it didn't feel like he had been hit again.

His bottom lip quivered and almost as if it was done in synchronization, his eyes began to fill with tears. He bit the inside of his mouth, hoping to stop the inevitable.

He then moved his head so it could lay back in the middle of the pillow, no longer inclined towards the nurse. His eyes were facing the ceiling now, a lump forming in his throat. He wanted to close his eyes but knew that at least one tear would fall if he did that.

Instead, he let out a small sigh and gathered the strength to speak.

"A mirror." His voice broke into a soft plead. "Please."

The nurse nodded her head before he had time to finish his first word, complying to his request right away.

She knew that he needed to look at himself in order to believe what she had told him and she understood his desire to know what he looked like, if 20 years had really gone by.

She couldn't fathom what he was going through. She had not seen herself age through the years but that was different. He had fallen asleep as a thirty-something-year-old and was now a middle-aged man, his infant daughter herself was now an adult.

She moved towards the cart, grabbing a red-colored and round-shaped mirror, one side was plain while the other was magnified, allowing more details to be visible to the human eye.

She quickly turned back around, opening it for him as she was greeted by the heartbreaking sight of a man crying over the loss of half of his life.

He had not been able to contain the tears any longer and they fell, freely, each one rolling down his cheeks faster than the last.

His face had reddened and the misery was written all over his features. The corners of his mouth were down, forming some sort of a bent line.

As he took a deep shaky breath, the woman held the mirror in front of him. She patiently waited for him to turn his head back to the side so he could look at himself.

She was letting him take all the time he needed.

Silence filled the room, all the other patients still peacefully asleep. He mentally prepared himself for what he was going to be greeted by and turned his head, his eyes catching his reflection for the first time.

There, he could see his fully grown dark beard, the wrinkles around his eyes and forehead that had never been there before. He couldn't believe that he happened to be the man in front of him.

To him, it was like looking at a stranger, somebody who had familiar features, that he was supposed to know but that he didn't quite recognize.

He no longer felt like Brandon Hart, the FBI agent, husband and father of one. His own identity was a mystery to him and although he had only been awake for a couple of minutes, he was feeling more like he was being born again and that the first 34 years of his life had never existed.

He knew now that the accident would define him forever.

He had registered too many informations, too soon and acknowledged that he'd be better looking away but he simply couldn't. His eyes kept fixing his reflection and he broke down.

Eventually, he closed his eyes tightly, the wrinkles around them even more apparent.

All he could think about at this moment was Ariel and his daughter.

He had never wanted to miss her first birthday and had hoped to come home to spend that special day with her and there he was, having missed 21 one of them.

***

Hands on the steering wheel, Ariel sat in her car. She had no idea how long she had been in there but she knew, indeed, that it had been for at least a couple of minutes.

She was parked in the hospital parking lot, far away from the main entrance. She'd heard the news about an hour ago and she was still attempting to wrap her head around it.

At first, she had thought that she had been dreaming or that it was a disgraceful prank and, after uttering a couple of not-so-nice words to the innocent doctor, she'd been mortified by her choice of words upon realizing that it was reality.

In her defense, she had waited twenty years for that moment. Twenty years of her life had been spent wishing for that day to happen.

And, although a significant part of her had long given up hope, the other side of her had still held onto the possibility that this miracle could happen.

There was a chance in a million and Brandon was her chance in a million. But, as happy as the news were supposed to make her, it was not as simple as she'd have imagined.

Things were different now.

She was a different woman with her own life and she assumed that Brandon would be too, as soon as he'd begin to be conscious enough to discover his own new identity and did some self-searching.

After all, one could not spend twenty years sleeping and wake up unchanged.

Even if to him, yet, he was simply waking up from a long sleep and he was still in a completely different decade, oblivious to all the technological prowess and major events that had occurred since.

In fact, if she had to be honest, the idea of coming face-to-face with Brandon petrified her. She'd visited him so many times she'd lost count.

For years, she was there every day and then the years passed and the doctor's hopefulness began to fade and questions arose concerning the idea of unplugging him and naturally, her visits decreased.

She could no longer bear watching him, not moving, begging him to wake up with tears rolling down her cheeks until her body laid exhaustingly on top of his. It was not good for her mental health and visiting him every day never changed a thing.

Each time, she refused the doctor's suggestions and gave the simple answer that Brandon needed more time. It was a selfish act on her part, being unable to let him go. Being unable to accept the fact that he was gone and clinging to the little part of him that was still very much alive.

There was no telling about the condition in which he'd wake up from and if he did, her stubbornness could have led to a life of misery and incapacity for him.

Now, all of her distant prayers had been answered and she was oh so thankful for the decision she had made and for trusting her instincts.

She had been made aware and reassured by the medical crew that the ex-FBI agent was not insuring any danger and all of them had insisted on the fact that it was a veritable miracle.

He was well-known around the hospital, having being there for as long as he had but none of them had known him in a different state other than his sleeping one.

It was a big adjustment for everybody.

What was she supposed to say to him? What if he was disappointed when he saw her? She had seen him age overtime, she knew what he looked like but he didn't.

What if he didn't like her wrinkles or no longer found the woman he once called his wife attractive? There were so many questions and she had no answers to any of them.

But most importantly, how would he take the news? How would he react? What were his expectations?

Without realizing it, the redhead was holding the steering wheel tighter, her hands almost shaking due to the force she was using. Her heart was racing and she was panting, rapid breaths coming out of her slightly parted lips.

She was trying to get herself to open the door, get out of her vehicle so she could reunite with the man she had loved with all her heart.

***

"Could I have some water, Babu?" Brandon murmured.

An extra pillow had been put behind his back for more comfort, keeping him in a half laid down, half sat up position. He had to take it easy, after all.

"Right away." The nurse offered him a smile, a little relieved to see he had calmed down from the horrifying revelation he had woken up to.

Of course, she knew that the pain wouldn't go away this easily, if ever but to see him articulate some words and to know that the shock had not caused any bad reaction on his body was already a huge improvement from the last four hours.

She quickly left the room to fulfill her patient's request, walking down the long and empty hallway.

She turned the corner, arriving to her destination when her eye caught the doctor's who was leaning against the wall, a folder displayed in front of him on the table as he sipped on a tasteless coffee.

"How is he doing?" He asked her when she entered the room.

There was no need to elaborate on which patient he was enquiring about, she already knew. The news had broken around the hospital and the FBI agent was already quite the star.

After all, it was not everyday that miracles like this happened and if he had to be honest, it was the first time he witnessed one as important.

"Morally, I mean."

He had come to see him shortly after he'd woken up, making sure that everything was okay and that there was no potential complications.

Then, he had gone back to his other patients for his usual round and was finally taking a well-deserved break.

"Well, Dr. Craig..." Babu began, grabbing a plastic cup. "As okay as you could, given the circumstances." She explained with a sigh as she leaned on her tippy-toes to reach for a pitcher.

Seeing her fingers wiggle as an attempt to grab the desired item, the man moved from his spot, pushing himself off the wall and lifted his arm up.

"Here, let me." He told her softly, his hand on the handle, removing the pitcher from the shelf and lowering it down to her level so she could take it from him.

"Thank you." The black woman nodded in appreciation, earning a movement of the hand from the doctor indicating that there was nothing to be thanking him for.

"Have you had time to call his family?"

"Yes. Yeah, of course."

He tilted his head to the side, grimacing before taking the last sip of his coffee and throwing the white plastic cup in the trash beside him.

"His wife should be on her way."

"The poor woman." Babu shook her head, closing her eyes for a moment as she filled the pitcher with water for Brandon to use later if he got thirsty again.

"It's going to be tough. Very tough." He admitted, straightening his white coat.

"Once he's began his journey to recovery, aside from physical therapy, I think we should look into getting him some psychological treatment. Getting back into the real world won't be an easy task and I think he needs some professional help for that. His family can only do so much."

"I think you're right, Dr. Craig. See, the first thing he asked about was his daughter. I'm afraid seeing her will cause him more harm than good. She's not a little baby anymore." She paused. "She isn't coming now, is she?"

"No, only his wife. I believe she said she was studying abroad."

"Good, that'll give him time to adjust."

A silence fell upon them and the salt-and-pepper haired man made his way to the door, grabbing his folder in the process.

"Babu?"

She raised an eyebrow, as if to encourage him to go on.

"Will you let me know when Mrs. Hart has arrived? I might be busy by the time she does but I'll have someone take over. I don't want to make her wait, she has waited long enough now. It's the least I can do."

"You can count on it." She smiled, closing the water container she held in her hands and setting it on a tray where the plastic cup was already on.

The doctor left the room and she didn't waste time returning to Brandon's room.

When she entered the private room he had been moved to, she saw him running his hand over the fluffy white blanket on his lap.

He had pulled it up to his chest, his head almost buried in it as he took in the familiar scent. His heart rate was normal and she could sense that this moment gave him peace.

"She'd visit every day, you know." Her voice startled him as he let go of the blanket to look up at her.

He could only smile at the information.

"One day she couldn't stand not being able to take you home so she said she'd bring home to you." She continued, recalling the redhead's thoughtful attention.

"And it never left your side since."

***

The clicking of her boots next to Babu's silent walk was the only sound in the deserted hospital hallway. She had never seen anything this white in her life. The walls, the floor, the ceiling, everywhere around her was of an immaculate white. The built-in lights in the ceiling shone so brightly, they nearly blinded her.

The lack of noise only accentuated her nervousness. If it hadn't been for the nurse by her side, she swore she would have turned on her heels and took off running.

Hospitals had always made her uneasy and seeing it so empty, devoid of any sign of life made her feel as though she had entered the set of a horror movie. She could feel a headache forming and the silence led her to a never-ending fight with her thoughts.

She wished she could have, with the force of her mind, made appear a couple of people, patients like her or workers, so that her focus could drift on watching them going about their activities rather than the war inside her head.

But it wasn't the same, this time.

Yes, her day had been turned upside down once more but the news were good. She should be thankful, she reprimanded herself. The sight that would greet her eyes would be much more pleasant than the one that had greeted her twenty years ago.

"Maybe that was it", she thought.

The silence.

Every time she had come for a visit at this very place, she'd be greeted with this exact nothingness.

Her life with Brandon for the past two decades had been just that, silence. She had been so used to it, unwillingly, but now, it was about to change.

What if she no longer knew how to speak? What would be her first word to him? Her life had taken another turn and nothing or nobody could have prepared her for that.

Babu's welcoming smile had tightened a little, and she momentarily cursed her position - always passive, never really there. It was not her place to help her, ask her what was on her mind though she had a faint idea.

If it had been an assignment for her students, based on a book Ariel had made them read, she'd be a plot device, a secondary character. A surplus to the main story and removable if necessary. In short, there was nothing she could do or say that could reduce the weight of the pain the woman was carrying.

As she watched her, walking by her side, thorns worn down by a phone call that had left her visibly shaken up.

Inhaling deeply and revealing an expression downturned and humorless, the redhead stood tall. Her posture was straight as she stared right ahead, the sounds of the steps she took continuing to echo in the narrow corridor.

"How is this possible?" She heard herself ask, faltering.

Her hair was up, a thin strand falling down her right side, framing her face. She had not done anything to it today, having opted for an all-natural look.

Her curls still looked as vibrant as they did all those years ago but the volume was no longer there. She had lost it as she began to age. She wore a khaki trench-coach that stopped at her knees, complimenting her red hair and pale complexion.

As for makeup, it was minimal. She had been busy with paperwork and it was her day off. She'd only put on some mascara, blush and applied a pinkish lip-gloss for a better finish.

On second thought, she regretted not wearing foundation as her eyes wrinkles were even more visible without anything to cover them.

Letting her arm gently hit her own side, Babu took a ragged breath. "The doctors will explain it to you." She told her in a soft voice.

"But..." She continued, now gesturing with her hands in front of her.

"It's really like a miracle." And it was.

Ariel nodded her head, half-heartedly at best, a smile edging in cautiously.

"Can I talk to him?" She heard herself suddenly ask, having not even realized she had uttered those words.

If she had been pleased by the news, it hadn't been obvious... until now. There was a newfound excitement, a thrill in her voice and something in her eyes that had lit up as she threw her question in the air.

It had taken her a long time to process everything and as they inched closer to his room, it was beginning to dawn on her.

She was apprehensive of the nurse's response but a part of her also needed to make sure that she wasn't just going to walk in on a similar version of the Brandon she had looked at for so long.

"He can even answer you." The black woman reassured her, the same softness in her voice accompanied by an ounce of enthusiasm.

Throwing her arms around her as she walked, she turned to look at Ariel, watching her earnest face, taking in her features.

"It's..." She began, wobbly, her voice almost quavering. "It's incredible. After all this time." She finally added, breathlessly.

As they were about to round the corner, Ariel abruptly turned around, facing a Babu who had stopped in her tracks.

There was a reassuring sympathy in the nurse's body language, not an honeyed or pitiful one but rather, a protective and almost motherly one. She wanted to let her know that she had an ally in this, in her.

After all, she'd grown a certain fondness and appreciation for the woman she'd seen every day during her shifts.

"H—How am I going to tell him?" She swallowed hard, her eyes watering.

Her chest rose shakily while she attempted to control her breathing and then looked down, almost ashamed.

Head titled, Babu offered her a smile in understanding, acknowledging where she was coming from.

"For now, don't say anything." Her index finger moved around as she spoke.

Her tone was firm, wanting the redhead in front of her to listen to her carefully. "He needs to take it easy." She reminded her, lifting her head up high.

Ariel bit her lip, looking back at the nurse, her tongue going over her pearly-white teeth as she pondered for a moment, mouth nearly forming a straight line.

She did not want to lie to Brandon nor did she want to wait too long before letting him know what would be a huge part of his adjustment.

And, the longer she waited, the harder it would be and the bigger the shock. But she knew that Babu was right, it was still too soon.

Reluctantly, she agreed and let the woman in royal blue scrubs move her hand over her shoulder who then enveloped her arm around her, pulling her close.

"Come on, follow me." She whispered tenderly.

They soon resumed their walk, the teacher taking in the comfort of a welcoming pair of arms. How badly she wished that her mama could be with her right now. It was not something she wanted to deal with by herself.

Taking a deep breath, she looked straight towards the purple door that was within view.

Babu's hand had slid to her back in order to give her the little push she assumed she would need.

Number 218.

That was his new room, one that she was not familiar with and she thanked the Lord for that. Ariel paused for a second as they came face-to-face with the imposing door.

The nurse gently pushed her forward, her arm slowly falling back

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