Chapter 1203: Oscar, Please Wake Up, Okay?
"Hannah, can you help me?" Manuel's voice trembled despite his efforts to remain steady. Hannah gritted her teeth, summoning her strength to push Oscar's hand from her arms.
Once Oscar released her, Manuel didn't linger, quickly carrying Oscar away.
Miguel and Michelle, frightened by Oscar's injuries and worried about Hannah, rushed to her side. She attempted to stand, her legs unsteady, and they supported her.
"Hannah," Miguel held her firmly as she nearly stumbled.
Gritting her teeth, Hannah whispered, "I want to see Oscar."
"Okay, okay, we'll go right away," Miguel said hastily. Though Hannah wasn't seriously injured, her distress alarmed him; he feared she wouldn't survive Oscar's potential demise.
They hurried down the mountain while Manuel, having already left with Oscar in his car, awaited them. The Coopers, despite lacking transportation, wasted no time in following. Fortunately, the Northfield rescue team arrived swiftly. Hannah was taken to the hospital.
At the hospital, Manuel waited anxiously at the emergency room entrance, his clothes stained with Oscar's blood. He glanced at Hannah upon her arrival, but remained silent, unable to find the words to comfort her. Hannah silently approached him, her gaze fixed on the operating room. A heavy silence descended.
What felt like an eternity later, the emergency room door opened, and a weary doctor emerged, removing his mask. Manuel rushed forward, while Hannah remained rooted to the spot, fear paralyzing her.
"How is he?" Manuel asked.
The doctor sighed heavily. "Commander remains in critical condition. Despite surgery, his vital organs suffered severe injuries. His survival is uncertain."
"What do we do now?" Manuel pressed.
He understood the gravity of Oscar's injuries; even survival wouldn't guarantee an easy recovery.
"The surgery is complete, but the Commander is unconscious," the doctor explained. "He'll be transferred to the intensive care unit for 24-hour monitoring. Further treatment will depend on his progress."
"Thank you."
"It's the least I could do," the doctor replied wearily.
Oscar was wheeled out, heavily bandaged, his pale face devoid of color. Hannah wept silently, fearing a complete breakdown.
Oscar was moved to intensive care, with Hannah, Manuel, and her parents at her side.
"Hannah, you're injured too," Manuel began gently. "Go get bandaged. I'll stay here with my cousin."
He still cared for her.
Hannah shook her head. "I want to stay with him." She refused to leave again.
"I'll ask the doctor," Manuel said, turning to leave.
Returning with the doctor, he said, "Hannah, go see him. Maybe… he's waiting for you."
Hannah nodded slowly. After changing into sterile clothing, she entered the intensive care unit.
Oscar, surrounded by tubes and a breathing mask, was barely recognizable. She reached for his hand, then hesitated, seeing his wounds. Tears welled, but she held them back, refusing to believe he would die.
"Oscar," she said softly, "I've compromised."
Only the steady rhythm of his heartbeat on the monitor answered.
"I'm not as indifferent as I thought," she murmured. "My pride… you abandoned me, so I built defenses. I told myself I couldn't forgive you, couldn't compromise. I was afraid of being hurt again."
The pain in her heart was immense. She realized that the greatest suffering wasn't her own injury, but the inability to bear a loved one's pain. She understood Oscar's struggle to live, to fulfill his responsibilities. Could she have done the same? She couldn't imagine life without him. Would she succumb to despair or live only for her responsibilities to Salem and her parents?
"Oscar," she whispered, "I love you."
Before Oscar, she'd loved others, experienced youthful uncertainties. But no one could replace him. Why else would she reject Doyle, fighting so hard to escape him?
Leaning close to his once handsome, now injured face, she kissed his forehead, tears choking her voice. "If you wake up," she whispered, "I promise I won't leave you again, or disappear. Oscar, please wake up, okay?"