"Are we really adopting a puppy?" Isla whined softly, her left hand gently stroking the arm of the man beside her who was driving.
"Yes, but I get to name it," the man replied with a mischievous smile.
Isla lightly smacked his arm. "Ah! I knew it, you're going to name it Buttface!" she exclaimed, pouting slightly.
Her reaction made the man burst into laughter.
He then turned to look at Isla, but somehow his face was covered in a haze, making it hard for her to see him clearly.
"Okay, okay. We'll choose a good name," he said. "But on one condition, you have to make lunch for your husband every day."
Isla smiled faintly. Husband, huh? Yes. The man beside her was her husband. The husband she loved very much.
"I already done that every day. Try asking for something else."
Her husband cleared his throat lightly. "Well… basically, you have to cook my lunch every day for the rest of your life. No exceptions. No matter what happens."
Isla clicked her tongue in annoyance. "What if I get sick? Do I still have to cook for you? How heartless!" she joked.
"Well, that's an exception. But don't worry, I won't let you get sick," her husband said, his tone slightly flirtatious.
Their light conversation continued, like a newlywed couple. The harmony in their relationship was unmatched, even though they had already been married for two years.
A charm hanging from the rearview mirror swayed along with the movement of the car. It was a photo of Isla and her husband… whose face was covered in light.
Why is this? Why can't I see his face?
Then suddenly, a truck sped toward them from behind. Her husband, who had noticed it, tried to react by turning the car, but it was too late, the front of the truck crashed violently into their vehicle.
Isla was shaken violently. Her head hit in random directions over and over again. She could only shut her eyes tightly and hope that whatever happened, both she and her husband would survive…
It felt like she lost consciousness for a moment, because when she woke up, everything was already in chaos. Smoke billowed in front of her, and voices from outside the car seeped into her ears. But there was only one thing in her mind. What about her husband?
With slow movements, Isla tried to glance to her side, only to find her beloved husband slumped over, covered in blood. A piece of metal had pierced through his stomach and chest, making Isla cry out silently.
Yes, silently.
Because in reality, no sound came out of her mouth. Seeing such a horrifying scene, Isla kept trying to shake her husband's body, but no matter how hard she shook him, he didn't wake up.
Isla desperately wanted to call his name, to scream at him to wake up and keep his promise to get a puppy. She even wanted to shout that he could name the puppy whatever he wanted.
But unfortunately, her voice was trapped, silenced.
Worse… Isla couldn't even remember her husband's name.
What was his name? Was this a dream? She couldn't even see the face of the man beside her.
But if this was a dream, why were her tears flowing endlessly, and why could she feel them soaking her skin?
Isla finally tried to unbuckle her seatbelt. She wanted to help her husband get assistance as soon as possible. But sadly, her consciousness began to fade.
~~~~~
Isla suddenly woke up, her gaze fixed on the hospital ceiling.
A hospital?
Strangely, her tears kept flowing nonstop, soaking her hair and ears. Had she never stopped crying since she was still in the car?
Right, the car.
Like being stung by a bee, Isla suddenly remembered what had just happened. Now, she only had one goal: find her husband.
She looked around. Many medical devices were connected to her, but even so, she forced herself to sit up. Unfortunately, her body was stiff and weak, causing her to accidentally knock over a glass beside her.
"Oh my God!" shouted a cleaner who turned toward the sound. The woman had been tidying a sofa covered in scattered clothes.
Isla was startled as well, only then realizing there was someone else in the room.
"Oh my… this is a miracle…" the woman said before running out of the room in a hurry, leaving Isla confused.
~~~~~
"What did you order?" Susan had just sat down at a bench in the hospital cafeteria.
Theo rubbed his face gently. "Fish and chips."
"Again?"
Theo let out a heavy sigh. From the bags under his eyes, he looked like a zombie who hadn't slept in years. He nodded. "I just want her back."
Susan sighed as well. She gently cupped Theo's cheek. "I'm sure she'll come back soon."
Theo only responded with a faint smile. To him, it all sounded like empty words.
Everyone in the hospital and his family had been saying the same thing for the past three months. But where was the proof? The woman he had been waiting for still hadn't woken up.
Susan then patted Theo's shoulder. "I'm sure she'll come back and scold you once she finds out you've been forcing yourself to eat fish," she said with a snort.
Hearing that, Theo chuckled lightly. Indeed, Theodore Vale hated fish and all kinds of seafood. But unfortunately, he had fallen in love with Isabella Moreau, who loved seafood, especially her signature dish, fish and chips.
For three months, Theo had been forcing himself to eat fish, hoping that by doing so, the woman he loved would wake up, praise him, and lecture him about how healthy fish was.
As they waited for their food, Susan's phone suddenly rang.
"It's Margaret," she said, quickly answering the call.
"What is it, Margaret? Do you need anything while we're downstairs?" Susan asked gently.
"What?! She's awake?" Susan shouted, causing nearly half the people in the cafeteria to turn toward her.
Hearing that, Theo immediately jumped from his seat and rushed toward the elevator. He kept pressing the button impatiently, as if it would somehow make the elevator arrive faster.
When the elevator finally opened, he was about to rush in and press the fifth floor button, but unfortunately, it was crowded. He had to wait for someone in a wheelchair to get out first. But before they were fully out, Theo pushed his way in, causing his left sandal to get caught in the wheel.
Ah, damn it…
But he didn't have time to retrieve it. He chose to rush ahead, he needed to see the woman who had finally woken up.
Just thinking about it made his heart race uncontrollably. He had been waiting for this moment for so long, but now that it had come, all he felt was anxiety… and fear.
Ding!
The elevator opened on the fifth floor. Theo ran straight to VIP Room 512. As soon as he arrived, he slid the door open and found his beloved wife sitting on the bed, fully conscious.
Theo froze for a few seconds before running forward and pulling Isla into a tight embrace. He couldn't hold back his tears, neither could Isla.
They clung to each other as if the world was about to end, as if they wouldn't be given a chance to be together in the afterlife.
"Are you okay? Where were you just now?" Isla whimpered.
"I'm sorry, love. I was in the cafeteria when you woke up. And I'm fine," Theo said, wiping away his tears.
Isla's tears still wouldn't stop. She didn't understand what she was feeling. It was like she missed Theo so much… but at the same time, she hesitated.
Was it really Theo? The one she's longing for?
She slowly pulled away from the hug and wiped her tears.
Theo, who was clearly shaken, could only stand there in silence as Isla avoided looking at his face.
For a few seconds, silence filled the room.
Then Theo took a glass, poured some water into it, placed a straw inside, and handed it to Isla. "Here, drink this. You must be thirsty."
But Isla suddenly reacted as if shocked, pushing the glass away. The water spilled onto Theo's shirt.
"Ah… s-sorry…" Isla said softly, her eyes lowered, focusing on her fingers.
"It's okay. You don't want to drink? Or did your mom already give you something?" Theo's voice was gentle and calming, making Isla immediately look up at him.
She nodded.
"Maybe we should let the patient rest for now. This must have been a very exhausting journey for Isla," said Doctor Khan, prompting everyone in the room to agree.
But Isla suddenly spoke, making Theo and Margaret pause.
"Umm… actually, can I speak with Doctor Khan alone?"
Doctor Khan looked slightly surprised. It was rare for a patient to take the initiative to request a private conversation right after regaining consciousness.
"Sure. I'd be happy to talk with you," Doctor Khan replied, then glanced at Theo and Margaret, signaling them to step outside.
Margaret immediately grabbed Theo by the collar and pulled him out, as he was still standing there.
"Don't you want to talk to me first?" Theo asked softly.
Isla fell silent.
For a brief moment, Theo felt a cold gaze from his wife.
"I want to speak with Doctor Khan first," Isla replied without a smile. It felt strange to Theo. Isla wasn't smiling at him. And she never done that.
"Alright." Theo finally gave in and followed Margaret out, closing the door behind him.
Even though he let Isla do what she wanted, something felt off. A sense of unease crept into him. It was as if he didn't recognize Isla anymore.
He paced back and forth in front of her room until Susan threw a roll of tissue at him.
"Here, eat first. I asked them to pack it," Susan said, handing him a box of fish and chips.
Theo sighed. "I'm not in the mood. Besides, what if Doctor Khan comes out and Isla wants to see me?"
"Sure, sure. You can show off the fact that you've been eating fish for three months," Susan joked, stretching her legs on the bench. Margaret simply smiled at their interaction.
"What about you, Margaret? Did Isla say she missed you?" Susan asked, gently holding her hand.
Hearing that, Theo immediately leaned closer to listen.
Margaret paused for a moment, then nodded. "Yes… she said she missed me. It feels like it's been so long since I saw her awake, Susan… I'm grateful we've been given the chance to see Isla again…" she said, tears falling from her eyes.
From Margaret's explanation, it seemed Isla treated her warmly.
So why did Theo feel like… Isla was cold toward him?
Theo finally sat down, staring blankly at the wall in front of him. Everything felt like a dream. He had always prayed for Isla to come back, but now that she really had… it didn't feel real.
Isla's conversation with Doctor Khan took quite a while. Theo, Susan, and Margaret waited outside for about thirty minutes.
Then the door opened, and Doctor Khan stepped out.
But his expression… wasn't exactly pleasant.
"What's wrong with my daughter, Doctor?" Margaret asked, immediately approaching him.
"She's fine. Everything is stable. Her physical condition is improving, and her internal organs are recovering every minute," Doctor Khan explained.
"She may need walking therapy, since her leg muscles are still weak," he continued. "And aside from that…"
He suddenly paused.
Doctor Khan looked at Theo, making his heart race.
"I'd like to speak with Mr. Theodore. Please, let's talk in my office," he said, gesturing for Theo to follow.
Still confused, Theo had no choice but to comply, while Susan and Margaret returned to Isla's room.
"Please, come in, Mr. Theodore."
Theo nodded and sat on a black cushioned chair in front of a desk labeled 'Doctor Khan Tibassi.'
"What is it, Doctor? What's wrong with my wife?" Theo asked impatiently.
Doctor Khan sighed. "Well… we may need to conduct further examinations on Isla's brain, because she…"
"Because she what?"
Doctor Khan cleared his throat. "Isabella Moreau appears to be experiencing memory loss."
"What?"
"To be precise… she knows she is married, but she cannot believe that you are her husband."
"What?!"