Chapter 81: Chapter 81 could this be love???
Holding the envelope, Daniel slowly staggered back to the hospital. He desperately tried to picture the stranger’s face—a Michael, someone with a smiling face, a perfect look, attractive hair, and defined eyebrows—now lying six feet underground, being covered by earth.
The way he shuddered was profound, and the thought itself was vile. How could someone as sweet as that Michael be destined to die so soon? Life was profoundly unfair. People like Adrian, who was as malicious as the devil, were still breathing—though Daniel doubted for how long. But it was people like Adrian who were supposed to be killed, not a sweet soul like Michael.
Still wearing the jacket and clutching the test results, he walked to the ICU room and saw that it was finally open.
Through the open door, he saw Draven. He lay on the bed, lifeless, with tubes connected to his nose and mouth to aid his breathing.
"Oh, poor Draven. This wasn’t supposed to happen to you," Daniel muttered, hesitating as he tried to find the right moment to enter.
Shame held him back from stepping inside. Before Draven was shot, it felt as if he had called out Daniel’s name, expecting a rescue—and Daniel had failed. He had let him get shot, and now here he was, lying like a vegetable.
Spotting one of the doctors, he rushed over and gripped a female doctor’s hands. "What’s the overall condition of the patient in the ICU unit, the one you just operated on?" Daniel asked, bracing for the worst.
The nurse beside the female doctor smiled at the young man’s caring attitude and gently held his hands. "The surgery was successful. He should awaken from the coma within 24 hours. By God’s grace, the injury wasn’t that deep," the woman said with a smile.
A heavy weight seemed to lift from Daniel’s shoulders. He staggered back in joy, and the woman rushed to steady him. "Sir, are you alright?" she asked. The nurse moved to check his pulse, but Daniel waved her off, shaking away any help.
"It’s just a wave of excitement, nothing more. I am good—better than good," Daniel smiled. He was right; this news made him absolutely excited and happy. Draven was okay and out of the danger zone. Didn’t that call for a celebration?
Smiling sheepishly, he thanked the doctor and nurses profusely, overjoyed that everything had worked out just as he had prayed.
"You’re welcome, son. Go on and stay with him. When he wakes up, tend to his needs," the female doctor advised. Daniel nodded and rushed out.
"He looks so in love," the nurse chimed in. The female doctor watched Daniel’s fading back. "Yeah, definitely in love. But isn’t he the one married to the famous Xylander Wolfe, the billionaire and richest man in the world?" she questioned, trying to place where she had seen his image.
The younger nurse nodded in confirmation. It was him—Daniel Morreti, Xylander’s groom.
"Oh my God, it’s him! That’s Daniel Wolfe! Jeez, how come I didn’t recognize him earlier? I’d love to get his autograph," the nurse gushed, but the older doctor rolled her eyes.
"This isn’t the time. Come on, we have a patient to attend to, not indulge in online gossip that isn’t our concern," the doctor stated firmly, heading on her way, followed by the nurse carrying a tray of medical tools.
*******
The moment Daniel walked into the ward, a magnetic pull seemed to draw him closer. He felt a protectiveness toward the man lying on the bed that he couldn’t explain. He wasn’t romantically interested in anyone, not yet, but this pull was undeniable.
Reaching the bed, he sat down beside Draven and began stroking his wavy red hair. "I’m here now, Draven. I’m back. Dan is back, and you’re not going to be alone again," Daniel promised, forgetting his surroundings. It was as if he had been transported to an alternate universe where only he and Draven existed.
How wonderful would that be?
"Gosh, I missed you so much, Draven. You can’t imagine how often I’ve thought about you, wondering what you were doing and if you were wondering where I am. Well, I am here, and all you have to do is wake up so we can talk," Daniel whispered, smiling.
He reached for a pack of biscuits and began to devour them one by one while watching Draven’s sleeping form. His appetite seemed to have increased drastically lately; he was craving one thing after another almost every minute.
Minutes later, Daniel had fallen asleep beside Draven, holding his hand and resting his head on Draven’s legs from his seat on a nearby chair. Exhausted from the day’s events, he fell into a deep sleep.
Like a shadow, Alexander crept from the darkness near the doorway where he had been standing, watching the scene. Daniel’s mood had lightened considerably, which made Alexander feel a little happier. At least he wasn’t as angry as he had been after their confrontation in the hospital canteen, where Alexander had blurted hurtful and degrading words. He was sorry and wanted to apologize, but Daniel seemed so preoccupied with Draven that an apology didn’t seem welcome.
Draven’s phone rang continuously beside the unconscious figure. It was nearing 30 missed calls. It was evening, and Draven was never this late. Charles was so worried that he kept calling, but unfortunately, the phone was on silent mode, and no one heard it ring.
As it continued, Charles began to panic and started tracking the places Draven had visited after school.
Xylander, on the other hand, was driving at intense speed after Alexander filled him in on what had happened. He, too, was shocked that Daniel and Alexander hadn’t visited his company as planned. The surprise he had planned for Daniel was wasted when he heard the devastating news that they were at the hospital.
But the worried man didn’t get the full details; he mistakenly thought Daniel was the one injured. He was now rushing to give Alexander a piece of his mind for failing to protect Daniel as he had ordered.
Reaching the hospital, he ran to the nurses on duty. "I’m looking for my husband, Daniel Morreti. An injured man was brought here. What is his room number?" he demanded.
The ladies on duty checked the files but found no one by that name. It was then that one nurse looked at him more closely and realized who he was. "Oh, ladies, do you know who you’re talking to? That’s Xylander Wolfe! The one whose wedding we were streaming on YouTube and Twitter!" the slender nurse explained excitedly.
The others’ eyes bulged, and they screamed. "Goodness, that’s really him! Everyone, Xylander Wolfe is here!" the middle-aged lady who had been writing yelled. All the hospital visitors paused and began screaming, rushing toward Xylander.
Xylander, whose sole priority was to find Daniel, was now almost suffocated by dozens of people swarming him, asking for autographs and pictures. This infuriated him. How could such incompetence be tolerated in a hospital this large?
He tried to find a way to escape but was swallowed whole by the crowd of fans.
Alexander, who had received Xylander’s call saying he had arrived, wondered what was taking him so long. Forty minutes had passed with no sign of him. "Xyle, where the heck are you?" Alex snapped, dialing his number continuously.
Meanwhile, Draven’s fingers twitched—a movement that woke Daniel, who felt the touch. He saw it clearly. Draven was trying to slip out of the darkness; he was slowly coming back.