Identity Crisis (BWWM) COMPLETE

Chapter Twenty-Five: Mama Bear Loves You

"H-he's alive, yes," her mother answered.

"What does that mean? What are you not telling me?" Naomi thought she would be relieved by the simple answer of yes, but she was wrong. She needed more. She needed he was alive and well, not just alive.

"Well, honey... the bullet hit his spine. H-he's alive, he just... he can't walk, Naomi. At least for now, he cannot walk. He's also in a coma, he has been for three days. The doctors are trying to remove the bullet, but... they can only do a little at a time. They're praying he makes it, but it looks shaky," Ruth finally burst with a heavy heart.

Naomi couldn't breathe. She suddenly felt the room closing in on her, she felt herself beginning to slip away again, but she refused to fall into that dream once more. Her heart couldn't take it.

"Naomi, there's hope. I do not need you to give up on him. He hasn't given up on you and little JC. He's showing signs that he's awake, he just can't say he's awake. He's fighting for you, Naomi, so don't you dare not fight for him!" Her mother scolded as Naomi nodded, her breathing picking up significantly. "Naomi, honey, you have to calm down."

"M-my husband," was all Naomi could mutter. Her mother leaned down to hug her body once more, cradling her daughter in her arms.

Naomi, finally properly registering everything her mother had told her, began to cry. Her body shook with sobs, but that was okay. The therapist was clear that screaming was bad for her, whereas crying was proper. The first time Naomi woke up, all she could do was scream, and they had to give her a drug to put her out. That was only yesterday, but Naomi was just feeling the pain of her nearly perfect life being put in jeopardy until that very moment.

Ruth held her daughter until she had fallen asleep. Once she was sure Naomi was out, she pressed her lips to her forehead, then snuck out of the room. Doctor Treating was standing not even two feet away from the door with eager eyes.

"So?" He questioned.

"You're gonna have to let her see him. She's a worrier. Doctor, did you hear me when I said she loves that man?" Ruth questioned with squinted eyes.

"Y-yes ma'am," nodded the doctor.

"She... she loves him. It's unlike anything I've ever seen before. She is so in love with him that she would rather him suffer with her in this world, even if he's unresponsive just so she could have him around. Now, let her see him. I don't care how you do it, make it happen. And also, let her hold her child. She needs to see Joshua first, then let her spend as much time with her child as possible."

"Y-yes ma'am. The baby should be okay to come out of the NICU now. She's going to have to learn how to feed. And I'm a little worried about the proper bonding between them since they've been separated from birth. Naomi's in shock right now, and I'm not sure if she can display the proper love and affection. This could mess up their relationship for the rest of their lives."

"No."

"No?"

"No. She wouldn't mess up their bond after ours was messed up. Doctor, I need you to trust me. Get her in that room with her husband, let her stay for only fifteen minutes, then get her out before she loses it. As soon as she gets back in this room, I'm gonna bring her her child. I will stay to teach her how to feed, then I'm going to sit outside of this room and wait until she either says she's tired or the baby goes to sleep. All the love and affection she has for Joshua, she will give to her baby because that is proof of their love. She's my daughter and I know her better than she knows herself. I know that when she loves someone, she loves them harder than anything. She loves Joshua more than Regina, the first person outside of her family she has ever loved, and she loves Regina more than anything, so imagine how much she loves Joshua. None of this means anything to you, but to me, that means she will love that child even more than Joshua, and that's impossible. So, make. It. Happen," Ruth all but growled. She had screwed Naomi up for so long and she refused to do so any longer. The last thing she would ever do was protect her family, and she was doing just that.