Wing Of Change
Chapter 99

Thirty minutes later, Frank walked into the private room where Aria was admitted and placed little Evergreen who was still sleeping in her carrier on the sofa right beside the bed.

Feeling overwhelmed and emotional, he plopped down beside her on the bed before caressing the soft skin on her cheek.

The heart monitor was beeping as if it was counting her heart beat on a steady repeat. Her oxygen tube was sticking out of her nose uncomfortably. Aria chest was barely rising and falling under the sheet she was nicely tucked into.

Aria looked more asleep than in a coma. Her thick mass of brown hair was brushed backward and hidden under a blue hair net to avoid getting in the way.

Her skin look really pale without getting much sunlight as she has been kept in that room for way too long now. The white curtains covering the window was half drawn to allow only a bit of air into the room.

Frank took hold of her IV free hand in his and gave it a little squeeze before he began to speak to her like she could hear him.

“Hey darling_guess who is here with me. Our little princess is here too but she is such a sleepy head just like her mama” Frank gave a light chuckle at his own comment and took a quick glance at where Evergreen laid and back at Aria as if to say ‘see? As they were both sleeping at the moment.

He shook his head wryly with a sad smile as he continued to grasp her cold hand in his.

He had so much he wanted to tell her. Evergreen was just like her in many ways. Her charming little smile was a daily reminder not to mention the slender little fingers that would hold on to him tightly without wanting to let go.

If only Aria could wake up and see her for herself and live as one big family.

Frank was so engrossed in his little talk that he didn’t realize Evergreen has woken up at this point and was beginning to whimper. It wasn’t long before she began to cry hysterically and grabbing her father’s attention as well.

“Look who is finally awake_ sleeping Evergreen” he cooed at her before picking her up into his arms and walked back to seat beside the bed.

“I was talking to mommy about you little one. Do you want to meet mommy now? Say hello to mommy”. He said in a sing song voice.

It took him a little while to get her to stop crying totally as soft babyish whimpers were still erupting from her mouth while her father continued to smoothen her with k****s and sweet words.

Frank thought he heard a faint whisper of his name and turned to look at Aria and his heart skipped a beat when he found her eyes opened and just staring at him.

” Ari_Aria darling?” He heard each word stumbling out of his mouth and watched with wide eyes as she blinked once and then twice then stopped.

“Can you hear me my love?” When she said nothing but continued to stare blankly at him. He turned the baby in his arms to face her.

“Look darling!_our little girl” he announced happily.

Instead of responding, her eyes start to flutter a few times before she began to shake uncontrollably against the bed causing him to rush out in search of the doctor.

**

Two doctors and a nurse rushed into the room immediately while Frank was asked to wait outside. Evergreen was wailing at this point and they needed to concentrate at that very moment more than ever.

Frank could barely breathe as he stood waiting outside. He doesn’t know whether to think or not to think at that point as he clutched his child tightly to his racing heart. Was she finally awake? Or there has been a complication in her treatment that was affecting her.

He couldn’t tell for sure. All he knew was the fact that her eyes were open and were staring at him as if she could see and hear him.

The doctor’d warned him to watch out for reactions like that but that was too real to be a side reaction.

Too many questions running through his mind in that unpredictable moment of waiting for the doctors and nurse to tell him what could be going on that he didn’t realize_time was ticking by.

Twenty more minutes and he was being led into the room by the same nurse who had hurried in alongside the doctors. She looked unaffected by the fidgeting man staring back at him.

“You can go in and see her” she told him and began to walk away.

His first sign of hope was when his eyes met one of the doctor’s and he smiled back at him. “How is my wife doctor?”

Frank took two steps and stood beside her on the bed. She seemed to be sleeping again as her eyes were closed.”Is she going to be okay doctor?” He asked.

The doctor only shrugged and nod towards Aria on the bed. “Why don’t you ask her yourself. Your wife is awake!”

“Awake?_how?” The words barely a whisper.

“We don’t know how but seems she was triggered somehow and responded by waking up” one of the doctor had explained calmly but Frank was no longer listening as his attention was solely on Aria at that point.

He picked up her hand and squeezed at it only to have her squeeze back before her eyes flick open again and lock with his.

“Frank!” Her word coming out in another whisper but he heard it loud and clear and felt his heart leap for joy too.

Aria was awake and everything was going to be okay!!.

**

Aria had to stay at the hospital for another whole week under steady observation but she didn’t forget to stay awake. Not once did Frank ever left her side.

She was later moved to another private room to allow speedy recovery and visitors as well. Aria couldn’t wait to be back home.

Now that she knows she has a daughter who needed her and a husband who was dying without her_she was determined to make it out of the hospital.

Friends and colleagues all came to see her and wished her a much speedy recovery. Everyone had so much to tell her that she felt, she was going to need a whole year to catch up with everything she has missed out on.

Her family flew over to see her as soon as they heard the news. She was quickly surrounded by the people she loved the most. Just what she needed at that moment in her life. The love and affection of everyone she cared about to ease the fear of something bad happening to her again.

And then flashes of images on the day she was rescued finally crossed her mind and she remembered why she was in the hospital in the first place.

Henry!

No one has mentioned Henry or what had happened to him while she was still recovering. The doctor wasn’t exactly sure how the news will affect her but when she finally asked, Frank had no choice but to tell her the truth.

Henry was finally behind bars just like he deserved but was she happy? She wasn’t exactly thrilled but a huge sense of relief had washed over her at the thought of not having to see him again._Aria wished things would have turned out better for everyone. He had a good life and career going on for him to waste it all away on all the bad decision he made.

But if getting locked up will buy him some sense of reasoning then so be it. For now, she has to focus her attention on getting out of that bed and returning home to the people that matters. It was all she could do at that moment.

Her favorite topic was knowing all about her little girl, Evergreen, and how Frank even managed to do all that parenting on his own given the fact that, Evergreen was a small bundle of energy and managing her all by himself would have been some serious work.

Aria always knew he’d be a good father. Heck! He always did so well with Daniel but he was more than she had expected with an infant. She guessed_there was more side to her husband than she will ever know.

Few more days and she was free to leave the hospital but has to schedule regular check up just to make sure she was completely alright.

After signing off the discharge papers at the counter, Frank took hold of her hand and began to lead them towards the exit.

The floating cloud outdoor was a faint shade of ocean blue with the sun smiling so brightly from its highest point in the sky which had caused her to shield her eyes slightly, still heading towards the packing lot where his car was parked.

Aria felt weird walking directly under the sun again which was a common reaction after she had to stay bed ridden for so long and away from the sun as well. It has been exactly four months and fourteen days since she was admitted and she was walking perfectly on her own without the aid of a nurse or wheelchair. Even when the doctor had suggested it, she turned it down and her husband couldn’t be more proud of her decision.

She had little exercise with her therapist during those few extra days for moment like these and to see that she was putting in much effort was more than he had hoped for. Her limps had adjusted to frictions again and she was walking just fine on her own without wobbling around like the first few times she had tried walking again with her therapist help.

Frank on the other hand was watching her with careful eyes just in case she needed help. After a few bold steps, he was sure she’d make it to the car just fine. Evergreen was coiled up in his arms fast asleep_ with her baby pink sucker sticking out from her mouth stylishly.

After placing her inside her crib at the backseat after they made it to the car. He turned to face his wife with a knowing grin.

“Ready to go home darling?”

Aria replied with a smile and a nod before settling into the passenger seat with a soft sigh.

End!!