CHAPTER 222: CHAPTER 222: AWAKENING

She didn’t want injections, didn’t want to eat spoiled food, she wasn’t crazy.

"Seraphina, can you hear me?" A gentle voice sounded again.

Seraphina Sinclair, however, was so scared she trembled all over, hurriedly scooting backward, mumbling in fear, "Don’t drag me for an injection, I’m not going, I’m not going! Get lost!"

Just as she was on the verge of breaking down, the gentle voice sounded again in her ear, "Seraphina, if you can hear me, just listen quietly. Don’t be afraid, calm down, this is all just a dream, not reality."

This voice seemed to have a magical quality. Listening to it, the fear in her heart slowly dissipated, and those accusing her vanished instantly, leaving her alone in the narrow hospital room.

In the pitch-black room, apart from a small bed, there was nothing else. She sat on the bed, staring foolishly at the closed door, wanting to leave.

"Seraphina, no matter what you’ve been through, it’s all in the past. Your life now is different from before. You have Jude, and you have me. I promise you, as long as I’m around, you won’t endure the pain of the past again."

"Everyone has a past, but the Seraphina Sinclair I know would never be defeated by these difficulties. You were so strong to give birth to our child alone and raise him all by yourself through tough days. What can’t you overcome?"

"If you want to blame someone, blame me. If I had known you and found you earlier, perhaps all this wouldn’t have happened. But Seraphina, no matter what you become, in my heart, you are always Jude’s mommy, and the woman Desmond Fairchild loves the most."

Listening to Desmond Fairchild’s words, Seraphina’s mood gradually stabilized. She looked up, blinking her moist eyes, seeing a beam of light shining through the crack in the door.

Turned out, her world wasn’t entirely dark.

Desmond Fairchild continued, "Seraphina, would you wake up? We haven’t gotten married yet, there are so many things left undone, and we haven’t raised Jude together. When you wake up, shall we go get married?"

Seraphina cried and suddenly smiled through her tears, "Desmond Fairchild, I do."

She wanted to leave here, she couldn’t just sit idly by.

No one knew what Seraphina experienced in her dream, but since a while ago, they noticed signs of her waking up.

After Jude noticed her eyelids move, Seraphina’s body started responding too.

Normally, no matter what they said or did, Seraphina wouldn’t even flinch. But now, her complexion was noticeably different.

Her brows were tightly knit, tears graced the corners of her eyes, and her chest heaved violently.

Camille White, upon seeing this, set aside her usual gentility and said anxiously, "Godmother must be having a nightmare. She’s conscious now, quick, keep talking to her."

Desmond Fairchild understood Camille’s intent; still, the words he spoke were heartfelt, with not a single insincere word to Seraphina.

Jude excitedly held Seraphina’s other hand, continuously calling, "Mommy, Mommy, wake up, today is New Year’s Eve, you promised to buy me a gift this year. Don’t break your promise."

"Seraphina, come back, we are all waiting for you." Desmond Fairchild’s deep voice pierced Seraphina’s eardrums.

In her sleep, hearing this, Seraphina rushed to get up from the small bed, pulling open that iron door she previously couldn’t budge.

To her surprise, the door, once seemed welded shut, suddenly opened easily.

The warm sunlight shone in from outside, so bright she couldn’t open her eyes.

"She’s awake, godmother’s awake," Austin White exclaimed in surprise.

Seraphina felt her eyelids heavy, and with effort, she barely managed to squint open a tiny slit.

Through that slit, blurry images surfaced. A magnified small face came close, calling softly, "Mommy, you finally woke up!"

"Jude..." Seraphina tried to speak, her voice hoarse and unpleasant.

She frowned, and before she could react, her weak body had already fallen into a warm embrace. By her ear was Desmond Fairchild’s ecstatic voice, "Wife, I knew you wouldn’t leave me and our son behind."

That title, wife, felt long-lost. She didn’t know how long it had been since she last heard Desmond Fairchild call her that.

"I’m back." Seraphina barely opened her eyes, intending to reach out to hug Desmond back, but found she lacked the strength to lift her arms, so she let him hold her instead.

Seraphina was awake.

This was indeed a joyful event.

Austin White immediately notified everyone, and Camille White quickly conducted a full examination on Seraphina.

However, Seraphina, who had been bedridden for over a month, though awake, had grown emaciated from not eating or drinking and sustaining only on nutritional IVs. Her bodily functions deteriorated to where she couldn’t even perform simple tasks like lifting her hand to wipe her face.

Fortunately, these issues were temporary.

Camille completed the examination and sighed in relief, "Godmother’s body is now without major issues, just some malnutrition. But for the next few days, she may have difficulty moving and will need our help with essentials like eating, drinking, and bathroom needs. In roughly three to five days, she should start recovering gradually."

"Will Mommy fall into a coma again?" This was Jude’s biggest concern now.

Not only him, but Desmond Fairchild and Austin White were eager to ask the same.

"It’s hard to say." Camille glanced at Seraphina, reluctance evident, but she still spoke frankly, "If godmother keeps holding onto the past and doesn’t move on, she might lapse into a coma again when triggered. If that happens, whether she’ll wake again is uncertain."

Camille believed Seraphina deserved to know the truth. Ultimately, resolving this depended on her; others could only assist. If Seraphina never wanted to move forward, no amount of effort from them would matter.

Though Seraphina’s consciousness was still a bit muddled upon waking, she understood what Camille said.

She released Desmond Fairchild’s hand and fell into deep thought.

For Desmond Fairchild, having a wife like her seemed like a burden.

"Seraphina." Desmond Fairchild frowned, gripping Seraphina’s cold little hand once more. He gazed at her steadfastly, showing no sign of retreat.

Only then did Seraphina hazily realize, was the Desmond Fairchild in front of her still the one she knew?

He appeared gaunt, with his once-handsome face dull, heavy dark circles akin to a panda’s, not to mention the sagging bags under his eyes, and an overall haggard complexion.

The beard on his chin and sideburns had merged, crowned with hair uncut for two months, he resembled a down-and-out street artist.

Luckily, his clothes were clean, indicating he bathed regularly, but just hadn’t groomed himself.

Looking at him, Seraphina suddenly felt heartache. Her voice, rough and tinged with sobs, asked him, "How did you become like this?"