Josephine took the medicine and lay down. In al drowsy state, she finally fell asleep. Days passed one by one, and Ethan had been in a coma for half a month. His entire body became visibly thin, and even the doctors were planning new strategies, trying various methods to stimulate Ethan’s awakening.
Donna had shed all her tears, and Josephine, while waiting, learned to be strong. Donna was already filled with grief, and she didn’t want to distress Donna further. Now, it was Josephine’s turn to take care of Donna, who had collapsed in the hallway due to low blood sugar from not eating.
Another night descended, and Josephine had stayed awake for over twenty hours without rest. Jacques brought her another sleeping pill to help her rest. She knew that if she didn’t take a break, she might collapse like Donna. By then, the nurses would have to allocate their time to care for her instead. Josephine sighed and popped the pill into her mouth, washing it down with a sip of water.
Meanwhile, Donna was keeping vigil in the ward by Ethan’s bedside, holding her son’s hand. Scenes of her son growing up played in her mind, and the more she thought about it, the more sorrowful she became. Initially, the doctors had given them hope, and they believed Ethan would wake up soon. However, as time passed, their hearts grew anxious and even desperate.
When will Ethan finally wake up? Will he ever wake up? “Please get some rest, Mrs. Quarles.” A nurse approached to assist her. Donna let out a sigh and said, ‘It’s okay. I’ll stay with my son a little longer.”
The nurse had no choice but to leave. Donna was about to withdraw her hand when suddenly, she felt a force gripping it for a moment. She thought it was just her imagination.
At that, she quickly turned to look at her son’s hand. Was it just my imagination? Why did it feel like Ethan held my hand just now?
“Ethan? Ethan, can you hear me? It’s me, your mom! Please wake up. I’m begging you!” Donna pleaded with grief on the edge of the bed. She knew she must have been mistaken again, caught in a dream. Despair washed over her. intensely.
Lo and behold, a hand gently patted her. Donna thought the nurse had returned, so she mumbled while leaning on the bed, “I don’t want to leave. I can’t leave my son.”
However, the hand patted her shoulder again, and Donna lifted her head to look into a pair of open eyes. She was stunned in overwhelming joy.
“Ethan… you’re awake,” she said and pressed the call button for the doctor’s office. Tears. streamed down her face uncontrollably. However, she discovered that Ethan wasn’t comforting her but rather only staring at her blankly. At that, Donna touched his face, whispering anxiously, “Ethan, what’s wrong? Don’t you recognize your mother anymore?”
“Mother?” Ethan called out to her in a hoarse voice, looking at her with unfamiliar eyes. Donna couldn’t hold back her tears anymore. She covered her mouth and gazed at Ethan with incredulity. Can it be true that the doctors were right about Ethan experiencing amnesia?
Donna bent down and hugged her son, disregarding whether he recognized her or not. Her voice trembled with excitement as she said, “You’re finally awake. Thank God! I’ve been waiting for you to wake up.”
Just then, three doctors rushed into the ward and breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Ethan had awoken. Fortunately, they didn’t have to proceed with the second plan, which was cranial surgery. After all, Ethan woke up on his own.
“Please give us some time to examine Mr. Ethan’s condition, Mrs. Quarles,” one of the doctors requested. Donna nodded and went out immediately, promptly informing her husband. “Josephine! Let her know quickly.”
“Miss Jacobson probably took some medicine and has fallen asleep, ma’am.”
“Don’t notify her for now, then. Let her rest,” said Donna, then looked at her son through the window. He was cooperative with the examination, but…
He has amnesia! Does this mean he has forgotten about Josephine too? Donna suddenly felt a pang of anxiety. How devastated will Josephine be!
