Nathan's POV
The surgery is still going on and there is no update on her condition. It's been three hours since the surgery has started and as the time is passing the tension is increasing. I feel like I am a ticking time bomb and will explode any moment if I didn't get hold of any news about her.
Each moment is agonizing and torturous, and everybody is on edge. The sound of operation theater door opening causes us to snap our eyes towards the door in anticipation. Soon we rush towards the door as doctors appeared from the inside.
"Abigail Prescott?" they look at us expectantly.
"I am her father," Nicolas comes forward, his eyes filled with dread and worry.
"I am Dr. Brown and I am handling your daughter's case, and this is my fellow doctor," Dr.Brown nods at the doctor beside him," Dr. Cole."
"During the surgery, she crashed twice on the operation table, as her body went into shock. After the blood transfusion, we managed to stop the internal bleeding and treated other minor injuries too. Medication has been started to subdue her brain swelling, which thankfully showing results. However, as her vitals are not very strong," he looks at us, making sure we are understanding what he is saying, sighs," we are sorry to inform that even after everything we did, she slipped into the coma."
"Coma?" Nicolas frowns and whispers in disbelief.
"There is more, due to the injury to her right lung, her breathing is also very weak and she is hardly able to breathe on her own. She is on the ventilator right now. Chances are not very bright, but we are trying our best," he grimly says," she will be moved into ICU as we have to keep her under observation for 48 hours. If everything goes well, then she will be shifted into the room," he sympathetically looks at us," But right now you can't meet her as she is in the recovery room."
"You said chances are not very bright, what do you mean by that? " Beth asks, her tone surprisingly calm," Chances of her waking up from the coma or not waking up at all?"
My heart stops at her question.
"Currently we are not in a position to tell you that, but we suggest not to keep your hopes very high," he sighs and answers. After giving us a sympathetic look they leave allowing us to deal with this news.
My heart squeezing painfully at the thought of losing her. I clench my eyes shut, as tears fill in my eyes. I hate that she has to go through all this pain. I will give anything at this moment to switch place with her. I bit my lip to stop myself from crying.
Someone gently places a hand on my shoulder, I open my eyes to see Beth looking at me. She looks like she has aged ten years in a few hours.
"Thank you for helping us to find our daughter," she looks down for a moment, then back at me," You can leave now, as there is no need for you to stay here anymore. Her family is here with her."
"I am staying right here," I shake my head," I can't leave her."
"Why can't you leave her now? When you were never there for her in the first place?" she questions.
Each word feels like a slap on my face. I gulp and look down not able to meet her eyes.
"She is important to me. I will not leave her," I look into her eyes, letting her know that I mean every word which I say," Not again, because I love her. I will not disappoint her again. I will make everything right."
"Don't you think it is too late now?" she purses her lips as tears fall from her eyes," My daughter is barely alive and now you say that you love her? It is too late, Nathan, too late. She has given up, all this is too much for her."
"You wanted her out of your life, now she is," she takes a deep breath," Maybe she will be out of everyone's life," she chokes. My mouth completely goes dry by hearing this.
"I don't blame you for anything. Because it was our fault that we got her married to you," she wipes her tears, only for more tears stream down her cheeks," However, she paid for our mistake by being a part of loveless marriage. You should have hated us not her, she never deserved your hate."
She is right. Abigail never deserved my cold behavior, but at that time I was too blind to see that.
"What do you think we were not aware of your lifestyle after the marriage? About your dating habits?" she accusingly questions me," We kept silence because we were too coward to accept that we have ruined our daughter's life with our own hands when we only wanted the best for her. And that silly girl used to think we believe that whatever you are doing is just for an act and pretended like there is nothing wrong."
"I am sorry," I quietly apologize as everything, she said, fills my heart with guilt and regret even more.
"Nicolas loves her the most, he trusted you with her," her lip quivers," What does she ever did to you that you hurt her? Why did you hurt her?" she grabs my collar and shakes me.
Not able to answer her, I just wrap my arms around her and as for the hundredth time today I break down into tears.
"She doesn't deserve any of this," she sobs, "You said you will make everything right? Please make everything right."
"Nothing will happen to her, "I don't know whether I am trying to reassure her or myself.
"I promise, as soon as she will wake up I will make everything right," I wipe her tears," You will not regret giving your daughter's hand to me."
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Nearly after two hours they moved Abigail into the ICU and informed us that we can see her. Nicolas quickly goes towards the room on which ICU is mentioned, we all following him behind. Each of my nerves is desperate to see her, as soon as they informed we can meet her. However, I am controlling myself as he and Beth deserve more than anyone in this room to see her first.
I just want to see her with my own eyes to make sure she is fine. I don't give a damn what doctors say because with all my heart I believe she will be fine. She has to be fine, she can't leave us.
Nicolas comes out after five minutes. His face red and eyes brimming with tears. Dad goes and sits next to him on the benches outside the ICU.
"I can't see her like this," he shakes his head, his voice hoarse," I failed as a father."
"I have promised myself when she was born that I will protect her all her life," he puts his head in his hands, "I couldn't protect her... I have failed, Richard," he sighs.
"You are a good father who loves his daughter very much," Dad tries to console him," And I know Abigail also loves you dearly and she will not like to see you blaming yourself."
When Beth comes outside she silently goes and sits with Nicolas holding his hand. They both trying to draw strength from each other. I honestly can't comprehend the amount of pain they must be going through as they have loved her all her life and to see her in this state must be killing them. My own condition is not very far from them.
I stand in front of the door, as I try to muster up the courage to go inside the room. Finally, taking a deep breath I step inside the room and closes the door behind me.
When I turn to see her, my heart nearly stops as a fresh set of tears spring in my eyes. She looks so fragile and the bed looks like it is almost swallowing her. She looks so lifeless and defeated that it hurts my heart in a way that I never experienced before. Her skin so pale like almost all her blood has been drained from her body. I quietly reach up to her bed and take a chair beside it.
"Hey," I whisper while gently holding her hand. Instantly, I feel like everything is going to be fine and we are going to get through this.
"I am sorry," I lean forward, placing my elbows on the side of the bed," I am so sorry," I kiss her knuckles as I held her hand with both my hands.
"I know you hate me and you have every right to hate me," I bring her hand near my lips to place another kiss, "But please don't leave me. Prove everyone wrong and wake up."
"I have told you I don't give up on what is mine," I lightly caress her cheek with the back of my hand," You are mine and I will not give up on you or us. I love you and I am stupid not to realize it sooner, but now when I have realized, I will do everything to win you and your trust back."
"I will not let you give up," I swallow my emotions and shake my head," You are stronger and you have to fight for yourself, just like I am fighting for you. I believe in you."
"I have broken your trust, but please don't break mine," I bite my lip as my heart tearing up," Do not die! Are you listening to me? Do not die!" I croak out as tears slipped from my eyes.
"You have to live for yourself...for your parents...for your family," I close my eyes and take a deep breath trying to reign my emotions, "For me."
"Abigail Knight, you will come back to me and this time I will not let you go away from me," I carefully remove a few strands of hair away from her face, not touching her bandage on the side of her forehead, "It nearly killed me to let you go once and I am not repeating that mistake again."
"If you want you can even beat me with the baseball bat which Natalie has," I give her a small smile," but this time I am not going to let you go Mrs."
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