Chapter 68: The First Person He Saw
The hospital corridor felt endless.
Bright white lights reflected against polished floors while nurses moved quietly between rooms. The steady scent of disinfectant lingered heavily in the air, mixing with the faint smell of medicine and sterilized equipment.
Mary followed behind the nurse silently.
One hand rested instinctively over her swollen stomach.
The other clenched tightly against her side.
Her heart had not stopped racing since Joseph called.
Even now, after arriving at the hospital, it felt impossible to calm down.
The nurse eventually stopped before a private room.
Mary's eyes immediately lifted.
And froze.
Through the glass window she saw him.
John.
Lying motionless on the hospital bed.
Machines surrounded him.
An IV line disappeared into his arm.
Monitoring wires rested against his chest.
The steady rhythm of the heart monitor echoed softly from inside the room.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Alive.
Thank God.
Alive.
Tears instantly filled Mary's eyes.
The nurse standing beside her softened slightly.
"Would you like a few minutes with him?"
Mary nodded immediately.
"Please."
The nurse smiled gently.
"Of course."
A few moments later Mary was helped into the necessary protective gown and disposable coverings before entering the room.
The door closed quietly behind her.
The room felt colder than the corridor.
Quieter too.
The only sounds were the machines and the soft hum of the air conditioner.
Mary approached slowly.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
When she finally reached the bedside, her composure completely shattered.
Seeing him from a distance had been painful.
Seeing him up close was worse.
Far worse.
John looked pale.
Exhausted.
Too still.
This was not the same man who spent his days arguing with Joseph.
Not the man who buried himself in books and work.
Not the man who always acted as though nothing could touch him.
Right now he looked vulnerable.
Human.
Fragile.
Mary slowly sat down beside him.
Her trembling fingers reached for his hand.
Warm.
Still warm.
The realization made fresh tears fall.
She wrapped both hands around his larger one.
"I'm here."
Her voice came out as little more than a whisper.
For a long moment she simply sat there.
Watching him.
Listening to the monitor.
Praying silently.
Then her thoughts drifted backward.
Years backward.
To the first day they met.
Mary had been twelve.
John had only been ten.
Mia Bello had dropped him off at her grandmother's noodle restaurant before leaving for work.
At the time Mary had not thought much of him.
Just another quiet child.
A strange one too.
He rarely played.
Rarely complained.
Always seemed busy doing something.
Reading.
Cleaning.
Helping.
Studying.
It did not take long for her grandmother to become completely obsessed with him.
"John is hardworking."
"John is respectful."
"John is responsible."
"John is clever."
"John is wonderful."
Day after day.
Morning to evening.
John this.
John that.
John everything.
Eventually Mary had become annoyed beyond reason.
She still remembered sitting at home one night and deciding she would expose him.
If everyone thought he was smart, she would test him herself.
The next day she brought her school books.
Confident.
Prepared.
Determined.
The result had been humiliating.
Absolutely humiliating.
John solved mathematics questions faster than she could read them.
English.
Science.
Logic puzzles.
Everything.
Even questions she herself struggled with.
The worst part?
He did not even look proud.
He simply answered them.
Calmly.
As though it were normal.
When her grandmother found out, the old woman laughed so hard she nearly spilled hot soup.
Mary had been so embarrassed she cried.
Then immediately reported both her grandmother and John to Mia Bello.
Unfortunately Mia Bello had laughed too.
Even harder.
Remembering it now made Mary smile despite herself.
"You were so annoying."
The unconscious man offered no response.
As expected.
Mary squeezed his hand gently.
A fresh memory surfaced.
That same evening.
After everyone finished laughing at her.
John had quietly found her sitting behind the restaurant.
Crying.
The ten-year-old boy had stood awkwardly for several minutes before apologizing.
Over and over again.
As though solving questions was somehow a crime.
As though her embarrassment had been his fault.
The memory softened her heart immediately.
A few days later she learned the truth.
Everyone had simply been teasing her.
Especially her grandmother.
The realization had been infuriating.
Mary laughed quietly through her tears.
Then the laughter faded.
She looked at John again.
Really looked at him.
And suddenly her chest hurt.
"You need to wake up."
Her voice trembled.
"You hear me?"
Nothing.
The monitor continued its steady rhythm.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Mary lowered her eyes.
"You promised things."
Her hand moved protectively over her stomach.
The baby shifted slightly beneath her palm.
The movement almost made her cry again.
"You promised this baby would call you uncle."
Her voice cracked.
"You promised you would spoil my child."
A tear slid down her cheek.
"You promised to be there."
Her grip tightened.
"And I still haven't become your bride's maid."
She laughed weakly.
"How unfair is that?"
The room remained quiet.
Only the machines answered.
Several minutes passed.
The afternoon sunlight shifted beyond the window.
The monitor continued blinking steadily.
Then—
Something moved.
Mary froze.
Her eyes dropped immediately.
For a second she thought she imagined it.
Then she felt it again.
A weak pressure.
Against her fingers.
Tiny.
Barely noticeable.
But real.
Very real.
Her heartbeat exploded.
She stared at their joined hands.
The pressure came again.
Weak.
Unsteady.
Yet unmistakable.
"John?"
Her voice came out as a whisper.
No response.
Then his fingers moved.
Just slightly.
Mary shot upright.
Every muscle in her body tensed.
Her eyes immediately found his face.
Nothing.
Then—
His eyelids twitched.
Once.
Twice.
Slowly.
Painfully.
As though opening them required enormous effort.
Mary stopped breathing.
The movement continued.
His brows tightened faintly.
His breathing shifted.
Then finally—
His eyes opened.
Only slightly at first.
Blurred.
Unfocused.
Distant.
The bright hospital lights reflected weakly inside them.
For several seconds he simply stared at the ceiling.
Confused.
Disoriented.
Trying to understand where he was.
Trying to remember what happened.
His gaze wandered slowly.
Then stopped.
Recognition flickered.
Weak.
But present.
Mary.
He knew her.
Mary's eyes widened.
"John."
She spoke without realizing it.
The word escaped on pure emotion.
His eyes focused slightly more.
Still tired.
Still dazed.
Still struggling.
But awake.
Alive.
Looking at her.
Relief crashed into her so hard she almost broke down.
Tears immediately overflowed.
John blinked slowly.
Exhaustion covered every inch of his face.
Then his eyelids started lowering again.
Mary pointed immediately.
"No."
John blinked.
Confused.
"No."
His eyes narrowed weakly.
Still confused.
"Don't you dare."
For the first time since waking, genuine confusion appeared on his face.
Mary stood up so fast her chair nearly fell backward.
"You are not allowed to close your eyes."
John looked completely lost.
"As your elder sister, I forbid it."
Another slow blink.
Mary pointed dramatically.
"I am getting the doctors."
Then she hurried toward the door.
The moment she burst into the corridor—
"DOCTOR!"
Several nurses jumped.
"HE'S AWAKE!"
The peaceful hallway instantly erupted into chaos.
Doctors emerged from nearby stations.
Nurses rushed toward the room.
Footsteps echoed through the corridor.
Medical carts moved.
Orders were shouted.
Everything became movement.
Everything became noise.
And inside the room—
John Bello lay staring at the ceiling.
Barely awake.
Barely conscious.
Completely exhausted.
Wondering why the first thing he experienced after opening his eyes was Mary yelling at him like an angry mother.