The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus) novel Chapter 357

He paced anxiously outside the emergency room with an air of restless worry, muttering nonstop, "It can't be. She'll be fine. She'll be fine!"

He was about to go mad! He banged heavily on the ER door. "Doctor, let me in, Natalia-"

His loud voice drew the ire of a nurse. "Sir, this is a hospital. Please keep your voice down. And don't bang on the door!"

The flashing red light above the ER filled Hector with dread. He never thought that the girl he had breakfast with this morning could be in a car accident.

After what seemed like an eternity, the door finally opened, and several medical staff rolled out a gurney.

"Doctor, is she okay? Is she okay?" Hector, frantic and disoriented, rushed over.

The lead surgeon removed his mask, shaking his head with an air of pessimism. "The patient's condition is critical. She could slip into a vegetative state at any moment. Whether she wakes up depends on her will to live."

Hector felt as though he'd been electrocuted. The idea of sweet, innocent Natalia in a vegetative state was unthinkable. No, it couldn’t be!

"Doctor, please save her, she's so young, she can't become a vegetable! Doctor, please!" Hector grabbed the doctor's hand, pleading desperately.

The doctor, well accustomed to the comings and goings of life, was indifferent to the pleas. Noticing Hector's panic-stricken face, he suggested, "You could try talking to her once she's out of the woods. Try to awaken her will to live. If she's given up, there's nothing more we can do."

Hearing this, Hector felt his heart break into a million pieces. Looking at Natalia's pale cheeks, as white as paper, he felt a stabbing pain in his heart. It was all his fault for not taking better care of her. How could this have happened?

Hector kept vigil outside Natalia's room for a whole day and night, not wanting to leave until the doctor said she was temporarily out of danger.

Relieved, Hector quickly followed the doctor into the room. After they moved Natalia into the sterile ICU, Hector entered, looking at her bruised arm, his heart aching so much he could barely breathe. He took care of Natalia with all his heart, spending all day by her bedside.

Half a month went by, and Hector was unkempt and unshaven and was on the brink of a breakdown.

One day, sitting by Natalia's bed, looking at her lifeless face, he was filled with guilt. "Natalia, can you hear me?

"Natalia, can you open your eyes and look at me?

"Natalia, I know your heart still belongs to Magnus, I know. If it weren't for those disgusting rumors about him, you wouldn't be like this.

Hector was in despair, crying uncontrollably. The doctor on duty rushed in, trying to pull him out. "Sir, you need to stay calm. The patient is still unconscious. Your crying won't help, please be rational."

Hector's face was streaked with tears. He argued with the doctor, "Stay calm? How can I stay calm when she's been lying there motionless for half a month?! I wish I was the one lying there, not her!"

With that, Hector reached for Natalia's hand, holding back the urge to shake her awake. Tearfully, he begged, "Natalia, please wake up. I'm willing to trade my happiness for your safety for the rest of my life. Just please wake up!"

The doctor sighed. Hospitals saw too much life and death, too much helplessness, and they were used to it.

Then, Hector suddenly stood up and grabbed the doctor's collar. "Doctor, look, her fingertip just moved. Really, go take a look!"

"Alright, alright, let me take a look." The doctor rushed to examine the unconscious Natalia. After a flurry of activity, he turned to Hector with a look of regret. "The situation is still quite bleak, Hector. You need to brace yourself for the worst."

"No!" Hector roared. "I felt it just now. Her fingertips twitched. They really did! It wasn't a hallucination."

The doctor nodded. "Yes, it's possible that was just an involuntary reflex. Here's what you can do: continue talking to her and try to ignite her will to live. To be honest, many people who lose consciousness do so because they don't want to face themselves. They hide in a world of their own making, unwilling to wake up. I hope you can stimulate her belief and help her regain her vitality."