"Are you sure?" I think Cody asks.

What is there not to be sure about? She is dead. My wife is dead. The doctor has just confirmed it.

"We're not sure how long she'll stay unconscious, but we're positive she'll wake up."

Huh?

My eyes snap to Dr. Shirman instantly, twenty million different emotions rushing through my blood faster than the speed of light. "Wake up?"

"That's what I said," he confirms. "Mrs. Storm shouldn't receive too much visitors as the chance of her catching an infection is pretty high, it should stay between a few people only and they should make sure to be one hundred percent healthy. Even the slightest bacteria could have tremendous consequences."

Dr. Shirman smiles at me, handing me an ipad with Sierra's medical records. I skim over it, only understanding every other word or even less.

"As of now, Mrs. Storm is stable. She's in a coma, but she's strong, so we're positive she'll be out of it soon. Could be a few days, or weeks. That we can't tell you."

I scroll down the endlessly long document. "Are you sure?"

Dr. Shirman chuckles, nodding—I think. I'm not exactly looking at the man.

"Dude, didn't you listen?" Cody nudges me with his elbow. "She'll live."

-♡-

Sierra is hooked up to a machine that's breathing for her and a machine that's monitoring her heartbeat. Her entire torso is wrapped in a bandage, a few spots on her arms are still covered with blood. Dried blood. Probably from when she was bleeding out.

I think I asked the nurses like ten times if I could clean that off, but each time they tell me it's too early. Too early for what? I doubt a little water on her arms will send her into some shock and kill her.

Besides, she needs to be cleaned, right? The bacteria talk, remember? She's getting changed daily, well, I change her clothes. There's no way I'll let some sleazy intern change my wife's clothes. Especially not when they're a guy.

I'm holding her hand in mine, barely registering that I'm half asleep, with my head resting on her bed.

"I don't think he's left his spot on the armchair next to Sierra's bed in a week," I hear someone say. I'm sure that's Cody talking.

He's the only other person, besides my mother and me (and Allie, obviously) who are allowed to visit Sierra. Well, Allie and I don't count, we've been here for a week now, not leaving this room even once.

Okay, another correction; Allie has been outside of this room. I swear Cody and my mother have been taking her out on walks. I barely acknowledge whenever they're here. The only times I get up from this chair are when I have to use the restroom or take care of Allie.

Honestly, I doubt I've even taken a shower or changed my clothes in a week, for that matter. It's not like I don't have the time to do so, I just don't want to leave Sierra's side, not even for a second.

"That's not healthy for him," another voice says, one I recognise as my mother's. "He has to walk around for a little while."

"He has to take a shower."

"Darling—" a hand lies down onto my shoulder "—don't you want to go home, just for one day?"

My head jerks up instantly. "Hell no."

"You have to parent, Atlas. I hate to break it to you, but you're no longer nineteen. Spending your days at a hospital simply doesn't work anymore. You have a daughter to take care of. I know this is a really difficult situation, but Sierra would want you to be there for Allie. And that little girl misses her parents."

I roll my eyes. "I miss Sierra too."

"I know, darling. But you're almost thirty years old, Allie is thirteen weeks old. She doesn't understand why she can't cuddle up to her mommy, and she doesn't understand why her daddy abandons her." My mother crosses her arms in front of her chest, looking at me with raised eyebrows.

God. I hate that she's right.

Turning my head, I look at Cody, or more like Allie. She's in his arms, completely mesmerised by the collar of his shirt.

I sigh, feeling the heavy weight of my heart. She is right. Allie deserves a father that's there for her, especially when her mother can't be at the time.

"Go take a shower, Atlas."

I shake my head. Oh so suddenly I feel as though I'm sixteen again, too cool to take a shower, because those were for the nerds and losers. "Sierra could wake up and I wouldn't be here, because I'm in the shower."

I'm certain that at this point, my mother is about to strangle me with her bare hands. I wouldn't even blame her for it. "So if she wakes up, one of us will get your ass out of the shower. Now go."

It's funny, truly. Mothers never stop mothering. They'll always successfully tell you what to do, even at the age of twenty-nine.

-♡-

Not that it's anyones concern.

I can't believe they're already going back into that building. It has only been two weeks since the shooting, I bet some of my employees are still traumatised, I know Athena is.

Well, and I'm still stuck at the hospital, currently reading a book to Allie so she'd go to sleep. For some reasons, the cheeseball finds the story too amusing to fall asleep though. She laughs at every other word I say, and every picture I show her. I doubt it's because she comprehends any of that, but because of the colourful pictures and the way my voice changes on purpose.

Either way, I can't bring myself to stop. Hearing Allie's little giggles is the most joyful thing in my life at this point.

I roll my eyes, regretting it immediately as Allie doesn't like the annoyed look on me. She starts to cry, kicking her tiny legs around.

I pick up the pacifier from beside her, wipe it off, then give it back to her. That usually solves the crying. Not always, but a lot of times.

This time, it doesn't. Now all that's left is...silly faces. Yup. Silly faces. She loves them. Anything that isn't my usual expression, Allie totally digs.

She laughs at every single frown of mine, like her mother does. She laughs when I stick my tongue out, when I fake-gasp and hold the expression, when I look at her madly. Especially when I look at her madly.

Not sure why that is. She says no to annoyance, but anger is fun. Got it.

So; I narrow my eyes at Allie, my eyebrows falling into a mad frown. And just like that, the cheeseball laughs.

"Yeah, that's funny, huh?" She holds onto my finger, staring at the tattoos on my arm. "Anger is funny, isn't it?"

A soft smile creeps onto my face as I watch my daughter being completely mesmerised by my tattoos. The smile only grows when her eyelids keep falling shut, staying closed longer and longer with every blink until eventually, they stay closed.

Once I'm certain she's fast asleep, I carefully retrieve my finger from her grip. "Good night, cheeseball."

I check my phone for the time, noticing the text Athena has sent me 10 minutes ago.

Next thing I do is spend the next few hours sitting on the armchair in front of Sierra's bed, just holding her hand while I talk to her. I'm not sure if she can hear me, but if there's even just the slightest chance she'll know I've been by her side all this time, that she's not alone, I will take it.

So I tell her all about how I think Allie might be growing a tooth, because she's all whiny, loves to chew on her pacifier or anything really, and as far as I can tell, her gum is a bit swollen.

Then, I tell Sierra about the news I've received earlier. Nico was kind enough to let me know that Lisa will not be making it out of prison for the rest of her life. She has not been sentenced to death, but I'll take a lifetime in prison as well.

I'm pretty sure I fell asleep after that, because the next thing I know is waking up to someone coughing and choking on something. That doesn't sound good at all.

My eyes snap open, thinking it's Allie, but when they're opened and mine meet Sierra's, I'm so quick to jump up, I'm not even sure I register I just got up.

I press a button that'll have a nurse come running. While waiting, my eyes stay locked on Sierra's, as well as hers stay on mine. She's still chocking on the tube in her throat, which is pretty natural, I'd say. She no longer needs a machine to breathe for her now that she's clearly awake.

She is awake. Or so I hope.

Less than a minute later, a nurse comes running into the room, making her way right over to Sierra. "Oh. She's awake." I only manage to nod. I've been waiting for that to happen for two whole weeks, and now that the moment has come, I have absolutely nothing to say. I'm just...relieved? Happy.

The nurse removes the tube from Sierra's throat, but she doesn't remove the cords that are connected to EKG machine. Doesn't even matter because Sierra is awake, and keeping an eye on her heartbeat isn't the end of the world.

"A doctor will come see your wife in a bit, Mr. Storm." With that said, the nurse leaves the room, allowing me a minute with Sierra to ourselves.

"W—" Sierra's hand finds to her throat, rubbing it lightly. Her eyes look around the room, until they set on the water bottle on the little table next to her bed.

Sierra tries to reach for the bottle, but I beat her to it. "Sweetheart, let me help you, okay?" I grab a glass, fill it with water, then help her sit before I hold the glass to her mouth so she can drink. Although she looks a bit confused, she doesn't deny my help.

"Better?" I ask, she moves her head away from the glass and nods. "Do you remember what happened?"

Sierra shakes her head immediately, still looking at me as if she's really damn confused as to why I'm here. Then it draws on me, complications.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"I left your office after I told you I was pregnant, and then I—"

"That was a year ago," I interrupt.