Chapter 97

Sienna's screen was flooded with links, a confusing blur. None seemed helpful. She paused, then typed: [Mantis bites mantis]. The page refreshed, revealing something in one entry: [After mating, a female mantis bites off the male's head and consumes his body]. Sienna stared at the screen, expressionless.

A few days later, deep into the night, Josiah was at the Flynn residence while Miranda recovered from surgery. Josiah had long fallen asleep when his phone's sudden ringing jolted him awake. His initial irritation vanished when he saw the caller ID. He sat up, instantly alert. It was Howard's attending physician.

"Hello," Josiah's voice was low and rough.

"Mr. Flynn, Howard has woken up," the doctor said.

Josiah froze. A chill raced down his spine. He couldn't believe it, afraid he might be dreaming. "Say that again."

"Howard woke up. He opened his eyes," the doctor confirmed.

Relief surged through Josiah, overwhelming him with tears. After all these years, Howard had finally woken up. He wouldn't be tethered to machines in that cold hospital bed for the rest of his life.

"Mr. Flynn?" The doctor's voice broke through Josiah's thoughts. "When can you come by?"

Josiah snapped out of it, his voice trembling, hoarse with emotion. "Right now. I'll be there immediately." Howard had woken up, and Josiah wouldn't waste a second getting to him.

"Understood," said the doctor.

Josiah hung up and hurried to get dressed. Reaching his closet, he stopped and turned. "Grandma, I need to tell Grandma." It was such monumental news that he'd almost forgotten to share it with Miranda, even though it was the middle of the night. It wasn't about fearing Miranda's scolding; Josiah simply couldn't keep this joy to himself. He had to share it.

Minutes later, Josiah and Miranda left the Flynn residence together, heading to the private hospital where Howard was staying. In the car, Miranda couldn't stop crying.

"Grandma," Josiah said gently, his own eyes red as he handed her a tissue. "Please, don't cry anymore. You need to take care of yourself. I know you're happy, but your health matters too."

"Don't lecture me!" Miranda shot him a tearful glare.

"You think I'm lecturing? I can't help it!" Josiah tried to smile through his tears. "Howard... poor Howard... He's awake. He's finally awake!"

Miranda clutched her chest, her sobs wracking her body. "I thought... I thought he'd spend the rest of his life lying there, never opening his eyes, not even before I left this world."

Josiah's heart ached at her words. "That wasn't going to happen. Howard's always been kind and loved us. And see? He woke up!"

That night, Yvette was on set for a late-night shoot and wasn't at the Flynn residence.

"What a pity," Miranda sighed. "Of all nights, she's not here. Howard wakes up, and she's not around."

"Don't worry," Josiah reassured her. "I've already spoken to her agent. Once Yvette finishes shooting, she'll be informed and will come straight back."

"I suppose that's the best we can do," Miranda replied.

The hospital room was quiet. The dim light from the wall sconces cast soft shadows across the room; the overhead lights remained off in the stillness of the night. Josiah gently supported Miranda as they quietly approached Howard's bedside. Howard lay there with his eyes closed, looking no different from how he had during his long coma.

"Is this...?" Miranda's eyes were clouded with confusion as she looked at the doctor.

The doctor understood her unspoken question. "Mrs. Flynn, please don't worry. Howard just woke up, but he's still resting. Why don't you try holding his hand and speaking to him?"

"Alright." Miranda's hand trembled as she reached out to grasp Howard's hand. Before she could speak, tears began to fall. She couldn't bring herself to raise her voice. "Howard... Howard, it's me. I'm here. I came to see you."

Everyone in the room held their breath, eyes fixed on Howard. They were all terrified of missing something.

Finally, Howard's eyelids fluttered. Slowly, they opened. His gaze first landed on Miranda, then shifted to Josiah standing beside her.

"Howard..." Josiah stepped forward, wanting to ensure Howard could see him clearly. "It's Josiah. I'm here with Grandma."

In an instant, tears welled up in Howard's eyes, and his eyelids drooped as the tears began to roll down his face. Miranda couldn't hold herself back anymore. She squeezed Howard's hand tightly, her voice breaking as she sobbed, "Howard, my Howard."

Josiah, concerned that Miranda might not be able to handle it, gently supported her. "Grandma, don't cry like this. Howard can see you. It's hard for him too."

Miranda turned to the doctor, her eyes silently pleading for an explanation. Is this all? Didn't they say he'd woken up? Is it just about opening his eyes? she wondered. Since they'd entered the room, Howard hadn't spoken a word.

The doctor understood the concern and explained, "Mrs. Flynn, don't be upset. It's normal for someone who has been in a coma for years. He had been in a coma for years. He will need some rehabilitation. Right now, Howard is just conscious. But he's like a child now. He needs to relearn how to speak, walk, and take care of himself."

"Mrs. Flynn, don't worry. He will get better with time," the doctor added.

"Okay," Miranda exhaled, relieved. She gently patted Howard's hand. "Did you hear that? You'll be fine. Don't rush. It's alright."

Although Howard couldn't speak and even blinking was slow, his tears flowed even more freely. Knowing he understood, Miranda's heart ached. "You must be so tired. I'm sorry to wake you up so late. Go ahead and sleep. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

"Yeah," Josiah added quietly. "I'm here too. I'm with you, Howard."

Howard slowly closed his eyes again, unable to say a word.

Once Howard fell asleep, Josiah helped Miranda out of the room. The doctor was waiting outside to explain more about Howard's condition.

"Tell me the truth," Miranda's expression was serious, her authority still evident even after all these years as the head of the Flynn family. "Can Howard recover to be a normal person?" she asked.

The doctor hesitated before answering honestly, "Well... I can't say for sure. In medicine, nothing is ever guaranteed. The outcome of any treatment varies from person to person." Seeing the worry on Miranda's face, he quickly added, "What I can promise is that we will do everything possible for Howard, Mrs. Flynn. We need to stay hopeful."

The doctor looked toward Josiah, seeking his support. Josiah's mood was heavy as well, but he couldn't let fear show. Howard hadn't fully recovered yet, and right now, the Flynn family was still relying...