It has been five days since the incident took place and Elizabeth still didn't gain her consciousness back. Leo hasn't seen her yet – he couldn't bring himself to go see her. She was in the same hospital but he just couldn't bring himself to see her in the condition she is in. He was told that she was out of any extreme danger but still doctors are keeping a close eye on her since she hasn't gained her consciousness back yet. It was already hard enough for Leo to know that today Elizabeth was in this condition and Rene was gone because of him. He knows he didn't do it but yet he feels responsible for everything. Maria and his father come to meet him daily. Mr. Harrison even came to see him a few times in the last five days but Silas didn't show up – not even once. Not that Leo was expecting him to visit Leo but he thought that he would come and confined him for putting his sister in such a situation. Leo expected the same from Mr. Harrison but he didn't do it either in fact – he never once brought up Elizabeth in front of him – no one does until he asks them himself. That is another reason why he was so scared to see her – what if everyone was lying to him and Elizabeth wasn't okay?
After five long and excruciating days, Leo was getting discharged. During these five days, Leo was visited by the police every day to question him and take in his statement. He wasn't a fool – he knows that at one time the police even suspected him to be involved in the shooting but after his alibi – the police didn't question him like he was one of the suspects. Still, he had to see them this afternoon again. Mia was in their custody – she will be presented in front of a judge in two weeks while Liam was with his grandmother. They came to visit him as well. Where Mia's mother was shocked and couldn't believe that her daughter had such criminal tendencies – Liam, even being a child, didn't seem shocked. The poor girl has been through so much under his mother's protection. That is another thing Leo is feeling guilty for – Mia was doing everything for her child and Leo was blinded and couldn't see what Liam was going through.
Leo was sitting on his hospital bed with his fresh clothes on his body – he was going home – a place where he never wants to return. He heard a knock on the door before the door opened and Gavin walked in with a smile on his face, "You are finally going home, buddy." He said cheerfully but went silent when Leo didn't answer her. Gavin sighed and looked at the papers in his hand, "You will have to be on rest for the next two weeks. Your wound might be healing but you are not allowed to do any kind of labor for the next two weeks." Gavin told Leo. Leo looked at his friend and a colleague before he gulped and asked, "How is Elizabeth now?" He asked. Gavin didn't expect him to ask him this out of nowhere. Gavin nodded his head, "She is fine now," He replied before he walked closer and started to tell Leo about the medicines he will have to take and about his next appointment but Leo cut him off in the middle, "Tell me the truth, Gav. How is she doing?" Leo asked again.
Gavin looked at his friend wordlessly before he sighed and bobbed his head. He knows that Leo wasn't going to let this go until he answers him in detail. He put the papers on the bed and sat beside him before he blew his cheeks out. It was safe to tell Leo the complete truth now. After a pause, Gavin spoke, "She is out of extreme danger. Last night she was shifted from the critical unit to her private room. Her vitals are getting better with each day passing but – um – but she hasn't woken up yet. A lot of medical procedures now depend on how long she takes to wake up." Gavin answered his friend softly. Leo was also a doctor he didn't need to listen to anything else. He knows what it was about. He knows that there is a possibility that Elizabeth might take a long time to wake up or God forbid – he didn't even want to think about anything worse. He let out a shaky breath as his eyes glossed.
Gavin saw the moisture in Leo's eyes and placed his hand on his shoulder, "She will wake up soon. She is showing improvement every day. I am telling you – she will get better. You don't have to worry about anything." Gavin said. Leo didn't want to talk about how he was feeling to anyone – like he always does. The only person he opened up to was Elizabeth and now – he felt like she was drifting away as well. Gavin got on his feet, "I will go and prepare your discharge papers," He told Leo. Leo only bobbed his head without looking at Gavin. Gavin wordlessly picked up the papers from the bed and walked out of Leo's room – just when Maria walked in. "Oh, hey Dr. Pollard." Maria greeted Gavin on his way out. Gavin smiled and greeted her back before he walked out and Maria came in. "Hey, brother." She tried to sound as cheerful as she could.
Leo looked at his sister. He sighed, "You don't have to act so happily for me, Maria." Leo said as he could see how miserable she was. The smile on Maria's face dropped as she sighed. She mashed her lips together, "At least, let me try Leo." She told him softly as she slowly made her way to him. Leo glanced at her before lowering his gaze. Every day when Maria comes to visit him and each day he sees the pain in her cried out eyes. She lost a friend. Her sister-in-law was in poor condition and her brother was attacked as well. And with all the tragedy – she was taking care of her child – whom Leo is yet to meet. Leo doesn't know how she was holding up. Like every other day, her eyes were red and puffy. She had her hair up in a bun. She looked tired and emotionally drained. She gulped and put her crutches by the side of the bed before she sat on the chair beside the bed.
Both siblings were silent for a while before Maria sighed and spoke, "Tomorrow is – Rene's funeral." She told her brother. Leo looked at her – he felt like his heart fell in his stomach. He promised himself that he will go see her but each day he would get so frightened to see her lifeless and would decide not to go. He still couldn't believe that a face that would always greet him with a smile on her face would be gone so soon. With each passing hour – Leo would feel more burdened by the guilt. He feels like he is responsible for everything that happened to all three of them. Leo couldn't speak so Maria continued with tears falling from her eyes. She snuffled, "I – I will be going to attend the funeral," she told her brother. "At least this way I will be able to see her one last time," Her voice broke but she cleared her throat and continued, "I don't think that I will ever be able to forgive myself for the way I cut her off my life after all that book fiasco – even when she had nothing to do with it." Maria broke into sobs – she couldn't keep them in any longer.
Amanda raised her hand to knock at Ethan's door but withdrew it the third time. She sighed and decided to just knock and walk in and with that, she once again raised her hand but only to withdraw it away. She was startled when she heard a sigh from behind her – she turned around to look at an unfamiliar face, "Come on don't give up. Knock – knock – knock – knock," the guy chanted for her with a grin on his face but when he saw that she wasn't returning his smile – he sighed and cleared his throat, "Alright, let me do it for you." He said before he knocked on Ethan's door. Amanda couldn't even protest before he heard Ethan's voice from in the room, "Come in, Dr. Fletcher." Ethan called out. The stranger chuckled while Amanda's shoulder sunk as she glanced at the guy before she blew her cheeks out and opened the door to see Ethan typing something on the laptop.
Amanda cleared her throat, "Um – can I come in, Dr. Griffiths?" She asked. Before Ethan could reply to the stranger behind her chuckled again. "Dr. Griffiths? They call you by dad's name?" The guy asked Ethan. Ethan looked behind Amanda and sighed before his gaze went back to his laptop screen and spoke, "Griffiths is our surname, Oliver." Ethan answered the guy uninterestedly. Ethan looked at Oliver once again before he closed the laptop, "I will see you later, Oliver. Please wait for me outside," He said before he looked at Amanda, "Dr. Fletcher, come in," he asked Amanda. Amanda looked at Oliver standing behind her. He passed her a sweet smile before he walked away. Amanda licked her lower lip and walked into Ethan's office, "Is everything okay, Dr. Fletcher?" Ethan asked her.
Amanda hasn't been well since Rene passed away. She wasn't her usual cheerful self for the past five days and then Leo was also attacked and she has been worried about him as well. Amanda smiled softly and bobbed her head, "I am alright," She replied before she stopped right in front of his desk. Ethan looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Amanda shook her head, "Oh yes, right –" she said before she continued, "Um – I was wondering if I could get two hours off tomorrow?" She asked him. Ethan brought his eyebrows together, "Uh – sure – but why? Is everything alright?" He asked. Amanda sighed, "I want to attend Rene Cooke's funeral." She replied. Ethan looked at her and leaned back to his chair, "Oh," was his first reaction before he cleared his throat and continued, "Are you sure about that, Dr. Fletcher?" He asked. "I mean," he wanted to continue but Amanda cut him off, "Yes, I do." She replied to him short. Ethan sighed and nodded his head, "Alright, then." He couldn't say anything else.
Ethan knows that it will be hard for Amanda but he couldn't stop her – if she thought that she could take it then who is he to stop her? Amanda bobbed her head and thanked him before she turned around and walked out of his office. Ethan blew his cheeks out and leaned back to his chair with his hand over his head. He stretched his legs out when he once again heard his door knocked. He didn't even have to call him in and Oliver was already walking in with a smile on his face, "She is pretty," he commented with a grin on his face. Ethan rolled his eyes and twisted his mouth, "What pleasure do I owe you, brother?" He asked Oliver who sat on the chair in front of his desk. Oliver looked at the paints he made and gifted them to his elder brother that was now hanging in Ethan's office. "I have the exhibition of my paintings tomorrow afternoon – can you come?" He asked. Ethan mashed his lips – although he can make it to his exhibition for a couple of hours but he decided not to, "Sorry, Ollie but I don't think I will be able to make it tomorrow. I have somewhere important to be tomorrow afternoon," He replied to his younger brother.
Owen was sitting outside Elizabeth's private room. He often comes out and sits right in front of her room – it pains him to see his daughter like this all the time. Silas took Maria and Leo to the hotel. Leo refused to go back to his apartment – it must have been hard for him to go back although the police cleared the apartment and it was ready to use. Leo did come to see Elizabeth but he couldn't go in. Owen could see how scared he was to see Elizabeth in the condition she was in – with a bandage wrapped around her head bruises on her face, and tubes attached to her body. It was hard for Owen to see her daughter like that as well. Leo simply said that he couldn't do it and walked away. No one stopped him – they know it was hard for him. The terrifying memories of the night they were attack must come to his mind.
Owen didn't know that his daughter was in a relationship with Leo Wayne. He was sure that this wasn't a shock just for him but for everyone around. Owen had always find Leo intimidating with a scowl on his face. Everyone knew how much Leo hated Owen's family so, when they came to know that his daughter was in a relationship with Leo – he was surprised. He didn't disapprove of their relationship – Elizabeth is an adult – she can make her own decisions but the fact that she was so badly hurt by a woman that was obsessed with Leo raised so many red flags in Owen's mind but he didn't convey them to anyone – it wasn't the time. Right now, all he wanted was for Elizabeth to get better.
Owen stood on his feet and walked back into Elizabeth's room where she slept peacefully on the bed. His heart ached to see his daughter so bruised up. He gulped the lump he felt in his throat and moved nearer to her. He sighed and softly kissed the top of her head. "Please wake up, sweetie. Dad misses you," Owen whispered as a tear fell off his eyes and landed on Elizabeth's cheek. Owen then noticed something – he thought he saw Elizabeth's eyeballs move. He brought his eyebrows together and called out her name, "Elizabeth," desperately trying to get any sort of attention from her. He let out a cry of relief when he saw Elizabeth slowly opening her eyes before she closed them again and let out a groan. Owen immediately pushed the emergency button and looked at his daughter, "Elizabeth, honey – it is okay. You are okay," Owen mumbled to his daughter as tears ran down his cheek. He couldn't believe that she had woken up. His young girl was finally awake.
Elizabeth, after a few tries, finally opened her eyes and looked directly at his father. She looked at him bewilderedly, "Dad?" She whispered. Owen nodded his head, "Yes, dad is here – don't worry, sweetie." He told her as he cried. She moved her eyes around before she looked back at her father, "What happened?" She asked – her voice broke. "You – you had an accident but you are alright now, Elizabeth." He told her. She was silent for a few seconds before she looked around – completely confused. She gulped and flinched, "I don't remember," she mumbled. She looked at her father slowly blinked before she asked, "Dad if you are here then who is with mom?"