Removing the Mask (Book Two)

Chapter 28

(3rd Person POV)
Marinette's eyes slowly open, adjusting to the brightness of the room. Her vision cleared, and she saw Master Fu looking down at her.

"Ah, you're awake!"

Marinette sat up, surprised that she wasn't feeling any pain at all.

"Marinette!" Tikki flies up to her holder and hugs her cheek. Marinette pats the top of her kwami's head.

"It's a miracle you're still alive after using three miraculouses at once," Master Fu says, "I've healed your body, so all the energy from the miraculouses should be gone"

She looked around the room to find Alya, Nino, and Chloé.

"Girl, you scared us back there," her best friend says.

"That was quite a battle last night," Fu says, "I'm very impressed by all of you for putting up with such a powerful opponent"

Suddenly, Marinette remembered what had happened. The power from all the miraculouses had overwhelmed her body, draining her energy. Le Paon was about to kill her, but Adrien took the hit. Marinette panicked at the thought of him.

"Master," Marinette says softly, "Where's... Where's Adrien? Is he okay?"

Suddenly, the door opens, "The doctors say he's in critical condition"

A blonde woman with tear-filled eyes steps in the room, not making eye contact with anyone. But everyone already recognized her. Their mouths dropped open as soon as they realized who she was.

"Madame Agreste?" Chloé couldn't believe it. Wasn't she dead?

Emilie doesn't say anything and takes the peacock miraculous out of her pocket, handing it to Master Fu. Everyone was even more shocked than they had been before. No wonder she was so worried about Adrien.

"Just take it. I don't want it anymore," the woman says with a shaky voice.

The little old man takes the miraculous without a word.

"Wait, Master," Marinette begins, ignoring the new guest, "If you healed all of us, can't you heal Adrien, too?"

Master Fu looks down, "If his injuries are that serious, I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that. I don't want to risk making it even worse"

Tears start escaping Marinette's eyes as Tikki looks at her with worry in her eyes. Marinette takes her earrings off and hands them to Emilie with tears streaming down her face.

"There's my miraculous. Take it, I don't care," she says through tears and runs out the door.

Emilie looks down at the earrings in her hand then looks back at the guardian.

"Master, may I have Chat Noir's miraculous?" She asks politely, "I would like to make a wish"

~

Marinette sat down next to Adrien in the hospital bed. He was unconscious. She knew he was alive, but just barely. Tears still ran down her face as she held her boyfriend's cold hand in her warm hand.

"Adrien," she gasped through her tears, "Please... Wake up. I can't lose you"

She leaned over and rested her head in one of her arms, still holding his hand as she cried into her arm. Adrien's hand twitched in hers, but she ignored it and didn't look up, thinking it was just her imagination.

"Chat Noir... I'm... I'm here. C-can you hear me?" Her voice shook as she spoke.

Adrien's hand twitched again. Marinette tried to silence her gasps and focus on his hand. This time, it caught her attention. Suddenly, she felt his fingers closing in around her hand. His hands felt warm now.

"I hear you, m'lady," Adrien responds.

Marinette shot her head up to see Adrien with his eyes open, smiling at her.

A huge smile lights up her face, "Adrien!"

Adrien sits up with ease, but Marinette panics.

"Hey, don't sit up yet! Lay back dow-"

"It's okay," Adrien says, "It doesn't hurt at all. It feels like the wound is gone, actually"

He unties one knot in the back of his hospital gown and takes his arms out of the sleeves. He pulls down the top of his gown and takes off the bandages, looking at his abdomen. There was no wound at all, aside from his scars.

"Wow. It really is gone," he says, "It's like magic"

They were both confused as to what had happened, but they shrugged it off. What matters is that they were both alive.

Adrien pulls his gown back up and inserts his arms through the sleeves. He didn't want the door to open all of a sudden only for people to find him shirtless with Marinette in the room.

"Thank you for saving me," Marinette says as she looks into his eyes, "But don't ever do that again, you idiot"

Adrien chuckles, "Hey, that's what I said to you"

Marinette giggles and places a hand on his cheek. They both leaned in until their lips met. His lips felt soft and warm against hers.

Suddenly, the door opened and Marinette quickly steps away from Adrien.

Why does this always happen when we try to kiss in a hospital? She thought.

Nathalie stepped inside with a doctor. The doctor was surprised to see that Adrien was already awake and sitting up. He saw that the patient had taken the bandages off and made his way over to the bed.

"Doctor, the wound is gone somehow," Adrien explains.

The doctor tells him to lay down as he takes a look at his patient. After a couple minutes, the doctor steps back, confirming his statement.

"How do you feel?" The doctor asks.

"I don't feel any pain at all"

The doctor nods, "Well, I guess that means you can go home then"

"But before that," Nathalie begins, "You have one more visitor"

Nathalie opens the door and a woman stepped in. Adrien immediately recognized her. She had long, blonde hair and Adrien's emerald green eyes. There were portraits of her all around his mansion, in his room, and on his phone. The woman who gave him love and comfort when he was younger.

His mouth dropped open as a small tear escapes out of the corner of his eye, slowly trailing down his face. He was filled with a mixture of surprise and happiness. His heart raced at the sight of the figure on the other side of the room just a couple feet from him. His lips trembled and curled into a smile as more tears escaped his eyes with no mercy.

"Mom..."