Chapter 373: Adrian Lancaster, I Love You
The silver-gray metal door to the intensive care unit remained shut, a cold barrier between Adrian Lancaster and his family.
Adrian Lancaster had been lying in the intensive care unit for three whole days.
The machines beeped rhythmically day and night. The doctors gave the Lancaster family daily updates, telling them that Adrian Lancaster’s vital signs had stabilized.
His blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, and other indicators were slowly returning to their normal ranges.
But he just wouldn’t wake up. His eyes stayed shut, showing no signs of consciousness, as if he had fallen into a deep sleep from which no one could rouse him.
The Lancasters kept a constant vigil in the hallway outside the ICU. They had an unspoken agreement to take turns resting and keeping watch, each doing their part.
After three days, everyone looked haggard. The longer they waited, the more anxious they became.
Every passing moment added to their unease.
Even though they knew Adrian Lancaster was no longer in mortal danger, the fact that he hadn’t woken up was a tormenting ordeal.
Wren Sutton, in particular, was exhausted and heartbroken. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she had lost a noticeable amount of weight in just a few days.
She stubbornly stood guard at the spot closest to the door, clutching a warm cup of water she couldn’t bring herself to drink. Her thoughts were consumed by the man lying inside, Adrian Lancaster, who still hadn’t woken up.
’Adrian Lancaster, please wake up...’
「On the fourth day.」
Staring at the motionless ICU door and hearing the doctor’s reply of "still no signs of waking," the last shred of Wren Sutton’s restrained anxiety transformed into a desperate plea.
When the attending physician and his medical staff came out of the ICU again to discuss the patient’s condition with the family...
Wren Sutton practically stumbled forward, completely ignoring the gazes of others, and grabbed the sleeve of the doctor’s white coat.
Her eyes were red, tears welling up. Her voice, though trembling, was incredibly firm, filled with a humble plea. "Doctor, please let me go in to see Adrian Lancaster. Let me talk to him."
"He’s been lying there for three days. Let me go in and talk to him. Maybe... maybe he’ll feel it and wake up."
"Please, I’m begging you. Make an exception. I promise I’ll be quiet and won’t disturb his treatment at all."
The attending physician looked at her sincere and pitiful expression. After a moment of silence, he gathered the medical team for a brief, urgent consultation.
After a comprehensive assessment of Adrian Lancaster’s stable condition, they considered that verbal stimulation from a loved one was indeed a common method used to help rouse comatose patients.
After the discussion, the doctor finally relented and agreed.
"You are permitted to visit the ICU. You must wear a sterile protective suit, mask, and gloves for the entire duration. You cannot touch any medical equipment or do anything that might affect the patient’s vital signs. The visit is limited to thirty minutes. You must leave immediately when the time is up. Mrs. Lancaster, can you do that?"
Wren Sutton nodded vigorously, thanking him repeatedly through choked sobs.
"Yes, I can. Thank you, Doctor. Thank you all so much."
Soon, the medical staff brought a full set of sterile protective clothing.
Wren Sutton took it with both hands and, under the nurse’s guidance, clumsily yet urgently put it on.
The mask covered most of her face, revealing only a pair of eyes filled with anticipation and anxiety.
Disinfecting, washing hands—she followed the procedure strictly step-by-step, with the nurse supervising to ensure there were no mistakes.
The heavy, silver-gray door was slowly pushed open a crack. The strong smell of disinfectant, mingled with the scent of medicine, rushed out to meet her.
Wren Sutton’s heart clenched. She followed the medical staff, stepping cautiously into the intensive care unit.
It was frighteningly quiet inside. The only sounds were the rhythmic beeps of the monitors, rising and falling, cold and mechanical.
Beds were lined up in neat rows, each occupied by a critically ill patient connected to various monitoring devices. The stark white lights cast a chill over the space, leaving it devoid of warmth and creating a suffocating atmosphere.
Guided by the medical staff, Wren Sutton walked step by step toward the bed at the far end of the room.
Finally, she saw Adrian Lancaster.
The man who was usually so full of life and had such a powerful presence now lay quietly on the hospital bed. His face was so pale it was almost translucent, his eyes were shut tight, and his brow was slightly furrowed, as if he were enduring unspeakable pain even in his coma.
Various transparent tubes were connected to his body. The steady lines on the monitor silently confirmed that his vital signs were stable.
Wren Sutton stood by the bed, biting her lower lip hard to keep herself from crying out on the spot.
Tears swirled wildly in her eyes, blurring her vision.
She approached cautiously, her gaze tracing every inch of Adrian Lancaster’s face. ’He’s lost so much weight.’
Her fingertips hovered in the air, not daring to touch him. She could only feel his faint breath through the space between them.
"Adrian Lancaster..." Wren Sutton whispered, her voice hoarse, each word catching in her throat. "I’m here to see you. Can you hear me? If you can, open your eyes and look at me."
The only response was the beeping of the machines. Adrian Lancaster lay there, motionless. Not even an eyelash flickered.
Wren Sutton took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions inside her.
She slowly leaned closer to Adrian Lancaster and gently took the hand that was lying outside the blanket, the one without an IV.
His hand was cold and stiff. She quickly enveloped it with both of her own, trying to warm it.
"When my hands were cold, you always warmed them like this for me. Now, it’s my turn to warm yours."
"Adrian Lancaster, I believe you can feel it."
Wren Sutton looked at the comatose man before her, her heart aching. She wished she could be the one lying on that bed instead.
"When danger came, you didn’t hesitate to shield me and the children with your entire body, protecting us from any harm. In that moment, I finally believed that you love me."
She spoke softly, her tone gentle, her eyes holding both tears and a smile.
"Adrian Lancaster, I really believe you now. I believe every word you said to me, everything you did. I believe we can start over."
"And I believe even more that you can get through this and come back to me and the children, safe and sound. We need you. We all love you."
"Grandma, Dad, Mom, Julian, Lucia, Sean Sterling, Caleb Caldwell, Kevin Dawson... the whole family is waiting for you to wake up. Everyone is praying for you."
"So..."
"Adrian Lancaster, please stop sleeping. Wake up. If you don’t wake up soon, I don’t think I can hold on much longer."
As she spoke, Wren Sutton’s tears finally escaped, falling onto the back of their clasped hands.
"You were injured so badly protecting me and the children. If you don’t wake up, we’ll have to live with guilt for the rest of our lives. Especially me. I won’t be able to face your family, or any day in the future."
"You said you wouldn’t let me be wronged again, that you wouldn’t let me be sad or hurt. You have to keep your word. You can’t just leave me here..."
"We still have so many things to do. You promised you’d take me on vacation, take me to see the sunrise by the sea, take me to try food from all over."
"You also promised to stay with me for a lifetime, to never leave, to be with me forever."
"I don’t care about anything that happened in the past anymore. I forgive you."
"All I want now is for you to wake up. If you don’t wake up, who am I supposed to start over with?"
Tears blurred her vision.
Wren Sutton tightened her grip, her fingers intertwining with Adrian Lancaster’s.
"Adrian Lancaster, I know you can hear me. You have to be able to hear me. Don’t ignore me. Don’t leave me..."
She called out his name again and again, pouring out all her longing for him.
Time ticked by, second by second, and the thirty-minute visit passed in a flash.
The nurse reminded Wren Sutton, "Mrs. Lancaster, it’s time."
Wren Sutton was reluctant to leave, her face streaked with tears.
"Just a little longer, please? Just a moment."
The nurse looked at her, troubled. "I’m sorry, Mrs. Lancaster. I can’t break hospital regulations. If I make an exception, you might not even get regular visiting opportunities in the future."
Wren Sutton nodded helplessly and slowly let go of Adrian Lancaster’s hand, her eyes filled with reluctance and unwillingness.
Just before leaving, she suddenly remembered there was one more thing she had forgotten to say.
She leaned down again, gently brushed aside the stray hair on Adrian Lancaster’s forehead, and placed a light, incredibly devout, and loving kiss on his smooth, cool skin.
"Adrian Lancaster, I love you. I’ll wait for you to wake up. You have to wake up."
Just as Wren Sutton turned to leave, on the bed, Adrian Lancaster’s tightly closed eyelashes trembled ever so slightly.
The steady heart rate line on the monitor also fluctuated for a moment before quickly returning to normal, like an imperceptible flutter.
...
The heavy door swung shut with a dull thud, completely separating the two worlds.
Wren Sutton stood outside, stumbling back a step.
Lucia Lancaster quickly stepped forward to support her. Claire Sterling and Theodore Lancaster gathered around as well.
"Wren, how is Adrian now? Are there any signs of him waking up?"
Wren Sutton lowered her gaze and shook her head, heartbroken.
"His vital signs are normal, but he hasn’t woken up yet."
"I said a lot to him. I don’t know if he could hear me."
"..."
The faint glimmer of hope that had just ignited in everyone’s eyes was cruelly extinguished.
Theodore Lancaster’s brow furrowed. He let out a deep sigh and turned to walk toward the window, hiding his reddened, moist eyes from view.
Claire Sterling wiped away her tears and forced herself to comfort Wren Sutton. "Don’t worry. Let’s just wait a little longer. I believe Adrian will definitely wake up."
Wren Sutton nodded. Leaning against the wall, she stared at the closed door, the sensation of kissing Adrian Lancaster’s forehead still lingering in her mind as she hoped he had heard her calls and her confession.
Just as everyone was mired in silent agony, the ICU door opened again. The nurse on duty walked out quickly to report to the attending physician.
The hallway was quiet, so the Lancasters heard every word the nurse said.
"Doctor, the patient’s heart rate curve showed a momentary fluctuation, and there was a faint, involuntary tremor in his eyelids. But it returned to normal quickly. His vital signs are still stable, with no further signs of waking."
An intense light instantly burst forth from Wren Sutton’s eyes.
She practically lunged forward and grabbed the nurse’s arm, her voice urgent and trembling as she questioned her.
"You’re saying Adrian Lancaster reacted? Does that mean he heard what I said? Does it mean he’s about to wake up? Is that it?"
The doctor saw the anxious tears in Wren Sutton’s eyes, patted her on the shoulder, and explained patiently.
"Mrs. Lancaster, please don’t get too excited just yet."
"The patient did show a weak conscious stress response, which is a good sign. It means his brain’s neural activity hasn’t completely ceased and can perceive external stimuli. This is beneficial for his eventual recovery."
"But this doesn’t mean he’s going to wake up right away."
The doctor’s tone shifted, becoming grave.
"He suffered a severe head injury. Although his vital signs are stable, his comatose state has not substantially changed. When he will wake up is still unknown. It could be in a day or two, or it could be much longer. None of us can say for sure."
"For now, all we can do is keep him in the ICU for observation and treatment, and wait for him to regain consciousness on his own with the help of medication and subsequent rehabilitation."
"The family needs to be prepared for a long wait."
The doctor’s words yanked the hope that had just begun to swell in Wren Sutton’s heart back down to reality.
She slowly let go of the nurse, the light in her eyes dimming slightly, but not extinguishing completely.
Even if it was just a faint stress response, Adrian Lancaster still hadn’t woken up. He was still trapped in that long, deep sleep.
But a reaction was better than no reaction at all.
This meant that Adrian Lancaster had heard what she said in the room.
Her company, her pleas—they hadn’t been useless. They had truly managed to touch his dormant consciousness.
Hope filled Wren Sutton’s eyes once more, and they gradually grew bright and determined.
Her demeanor was no longer one of humble begging. Instead, with unshakable persistence, she looked at the attending physician with a gaze that was both earnest and firm.
"Doctor, please allow me to enter the ICU again tomorrow. Let me talk to Adrian Lancaster some more."
"I promise to strictly follow all the visiting rules and not interfere with his treatment. I’ll just talk to him. Maybe with a little more companionship, he’ll wake up sooner."
The attending physician looked at the woman before him. In just a few short days, she had experienced collapse, desperation, and despair, yet she was still able to rekindle hope time and again. The resilience in her eyes was moving.
Verbal stimulation from loved ones was indeed an effective aid in rousing patients, and it wouldn’t have any negative effects.
However, the rational and calm doctor did not agree immediately.
The ICU’s visiting policy was strict. Today had already been an exception.
He pondered for a moment before speaking cautiously.
"Mrs. Lancaster, I understand how you feel, but the hospital has strict regulations. Frequent visits to the ICU are not allowed, as they can disrupt the patient’s rest and increase the risk of infection."
"After today’s visit, we need to observe the patient’s vitals overnight to confirm that there are no fluctuations due to external stimuli and that all his indicators remain stable. Only then can we consider allowing you to enter again."
"Please wait patiently for one night. Tomorrow morning, we will give you an answer based on the patient’s monitoring data."
Wren Sutton’s heart sank a little, but she also understood that the doctor’s words were reasonable.
’I can’t let my own eagerness end up harming Adrian Lancaster.’
"Okay. Thank you, Doctor."
...
The afternoon breeze carried the faint scent of osmanthus, not as strong as it had been a few days ago.
With Claire Sterling and Lucia Lancaster on guard at the ICU entrance, Wren Sutton went downstairs for some fresh air.
She sat quietly on a bench under an osmanthus tree and made a video call to her mother.
She didn’t hide anything, telling her parents the truth about Adrian Lancaster’s current condition. Then, she asked tenderly about Owen and Nina.
Since the car accident, Wren Sutton’s life had been reduced to a straight line between the hospital and her hotel. She hadn’t had time to take care of her children, and she missed them.
On the video call, Owen and Nina were obediently drinking their formula. Their perfectly cherubic little faces had gotten rounder, looking soft and adorable.
Wren Sutton fought back the moisture in her eyes as she interacted softly with her children through the screen.
Seeing the two little ones safe, healthy, and carefree put her mind at ease.
"Mommy loves you."
"Daddy loves you, too."
"My sweet babies, in a few more days, Mommy and Daddy will come pick you up together."
Owen and Nina responded with gurgles and coos, their milky voices warming Wren Sutton’s heart.
About ten minutes later, Wren Sutton reluctantly ended the call.
Just as she was about to stand up, she happened to glance up and see a woman sitting sideways on a bench not far away.
Wren Sutton’s pupils contracted slightly.
There was something vaguely familiar about that figure.