Chapter 201
I don't know how long it has been, my consciousness slowly returned to my mind, and my senses became clearer. Gradually, I fully recovered, but I didn't immediately open my eyes. Instead, I listened to the sounds in the ward. Firstly, I didn't know how long I had been unconscious; secondly, I didn't know how to face Nathan and Katniss after waking up. Should I endure silently and leave alone after recovering? Or should I continue to pretend not to know and endure as before? Endure? Really, after experiencing life and death, I feel that people should live more freely and openly. The old me used to care and fear too much.
"Mom, why hasn't Kevin woken up yet? The doctor said he would wake up soon, right?" At this moment, I heard Katniss's voice. Her voice was trembling, filled with anticipation, excitement, and a hint of fear.
"Katniss, don't worry. Since the doctor said everything is fine, he will wake up sooner or later. Let's be patient and wait." At this moment, Michael and Sophia's voices surrounded me, indicating that almost everyone was there. If Michael and Sophia were here, Nathan and Jennifer should be here too.
As I waited with my eyes closed, I found myself in a dilemma. If Nathan and Katniss were alone here, I could have gotten angry, made them admit their mistakes, and pay the price. But now with Jennifer, Michael, and Sophia here, should I reveal the truth in front of them? Family matters should not be made public. If I expose Nathan and Katniss, and Michael, Sophia, and Jennifer find out, Katniss might be in trouble with Michael and Sophia, and Jennifer might abandon Nathan. It would be very painful for both of them.
Although I resent them, they don't deserve to die for their mistakes, and one is my father, the other is my beloved wife. It seems I have to wait until they are in front of me to confront them. At least before I leave, I want them to pay the price they deserve because my resentment has not been vented. What's even more infuriating is that before I woke up, they were about to make love by my sickbed, and I heard Katniss say something that hurt me deeply. Did they actually make love while I was unconscious? I only heard the alarm go off at the last moment, so they probably didn't succeed.
After much contemplation, feeling a bit resentful, I let out a groan and started moving my hands and feet, finally able to move. It felt like I had been bound for a long time, and now I had finally gained freedom. This was a deliberate signal from me that I was waking up.
"Kevin is waking up!" At this moment, Jennifer's voice suddenly rang out, followed by footsteps running outside, probably to find the doctor. I slowly opened my eyes, the bright light making it hard to open them fully. The first thing I saw was Jennifer, Michael, and Sophia, but I didn't see Katniss and Nathan. I couldn't help but scan the ward back and forth, only to discover Katniss hiding behind Michael and Sophia, looking excited but also fearful. She had tears in her eyes, and when she noticed me looking at her, her gaze quickly shifted, perhaps realizing something, and then she looked up at me nervously, as if waiting to be judged like a prisoner in court. Seeing the regret and sorrow in Katniss's eyes, my heart softened a bit.
"Where am I?" I spoke, but found my voice hoarse from not speaking for a long time.
"Kevin, you're finally awake. This is the hospital. You've been in a coma for a whole week." Sophia said with tears in her eyes, a mix of excitement, looking at Michael, Sophia, and Jennifer with that excited expression, as well as tenderness and love. I couldn't help but feel touched. Although Michael and Sophia were not my biological parents, they treated me like their own son, and I was very grateful to them. Jennifer was the same, kind and loving. No, I couldn't hurt these three elderly people. At this moment, I felt a bit resentful.
"Who are you guys?" I pretended to be confused, looking at the three of them. Yes, I was pretending to have amnesia now. People who wake up after a coma sometimes have temporary or long-term amnesia, which even doctors may not be able to detect.
After I said this, the whole room fell silent. Even a pin drop could be heard in the ward. Michael, Sophia, Jennifer, and Katniss, who were initially excited and happy, turned into astonishment, then fear.
"Child, what are you saying? You don't recognize us?" Sophia nervously touched my face, her voice trembling.
"Who are you? How did I get here? Who am I?" I had to act convincingly. I believe my expression at that moment must have been truly bewildered, probably not worse than a professional actor.
"Kevin, I'm your mom, Sophia. You really don't recognize me? Please don't scare me, okay?" Sophia held my hand, her face muscles trembling, and Katniss quickly jumped out from behind her parents, coming to my bedside. Everyone's expressions were filled with extreme fear.
"Honey, please don't scare me. Look at me, who am I? I'm your wife, Katniss, honey." Katniss rushed to my side, holding my hand tightly. Her face showed nothing but fear, and Sophia and Jennifer were already in tears because of fear.
"My head hurts." Seeing Michael, Sophia, and Jennifer looking worried, I couldn't help but feel a bit guilty about deceiving them. I truly felt conflicted about deceiving them, but in this situation, I had no choice. I was afraid that showing my true emotions would reveal my deception, so I quickly lowered my head, holding my head in pain with my hands.
"Quick, go find the doctor." Finally, Katniss spoke at this moment, her face filled with extreme fear. Logically, since I had amnesia, she should have felt relieved and liberated. Was her expression intentional, along with Nathan's performance at the bedside, meant to provoke me? Were they deliberately trying to provoke me? Thinking carefully, my awakening was indeed related to Katniss deliberately provoking me.
I lay with my eyes closed, pretending to be very tired. Soon, hurried footsteps approached from outside, as if many people were coming in. Perhaps this time, my family had called in many doctors and specialists for me, considering our good family conditions.
"Doctor, please check on my husband. Why did he wake up and not recognize anyone, as if he has forgotten everything?" Katniss quickly asked as soon as the doctor entered.
The doctors came to examine me, conducting physical and data tests. I alternated between opening and closing my eyes, letting the medical staff do as they pleased. At that moment, I caught a glimpse of Nathan with Jennifer. They stood together, looking fearful and scared. When I was about to wake up, Nathan probably ran out to find the doctor, using it as an excuse to avoid immediate accountability. Compared to Katniss, Nathan lacked the courage to take responsibility.
"It's strange. Although his brain has been impacted, there is no bleeding or blood clots inside the skull. Why is there amnesia? Quickly, call the neurologists and psychologists." After the chief doctor finished the examination, he couldn't help but say these words. When I heard this, I couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. Had the doctors discovered that I was pretending? Fortunately, the doctor's subsequent words eased my mind.
The symptoms of amnesia generally have two main causes: physical amnesia, such as brain impact or injury, and psychological amnesia, where a person experiences a mental breakdown due to significant stress, leading to memory loss. Patients may forget a period of time or their entire past, especially the most traumatic experiences. Both types of amnesia can potentially be recovered from, with varying lengths of time.
As expected, after the neurologists and psychologists arrived and asked me some questions, they concluded that my amnesia was likely caused by a combination of physical and psychological factors. They couldn't determine the specific recovery process.
"The cause of the patient's condition has been found. There is no bleeding or blood clots in his brain, so the physical factors are minimal. He likely experienced significant psychological stress before. After you are discharged in a few days, you can tell him about his past experiences and help him gradually regain his memory. That's all we can do." After issuing this diagnosis, the doctors slowly left. I innocently looked around the ward, and when the doctor mentioned that I might have experienced significant stress before falling into a coma, I noticed Katniss trembling violently, hands covering her mouth, her face filled with extreme regret. Nathan staggered, but Jennifer managed to support him. Unaware, one might think that Nathan and Katniss were out of control due to concern for me, not realizing they were overwhelmed with self-blame as they felt like the culprits.
"This is the first punishment for both of them." I thought to myself slowly.
After a while, everyone was tired, and they slowly left, leaving only Katniss to accompany me. After all, Katniss was my wife, and everyone thought she was the most suitable to take care of me. I stared blankly at the ceiling, while Katniss sat beside me, looking dazed. At that moment, I didn't want to see Katniss, especially after learning about her actions with Nathan on the island. Would I forgive her so easily? I had no intention of forgiving her.
So, I truly acted as if I had amnesia, treating her as a stranger. This expression and state were not an act but my genuine reaction. The room fell into silence, with only Katniss silently weeping by the bedside. She seemed unable to accept that I had forgotten her. I occasionally turned my head expressionlessly to look at her, then turned back to the ceiling. To others, it seemed like the ceiling was more enticing than the beautiful Katniss in my eyes.
"Have you really forgotten everything? Have you forgotten me? Have you forgotten everything about us?" Katniss cried and spoke, reaching out her hand towards me, finally grabbing my hand.
When she grabbed my hand, I felt a shock and quickly pulled my hand back. It was a reflexive action and my true reaction. For some reason, after learning everything about the island, I felt that Katniss was no longer pure. Every time she touched me, memories of the island would flood my mind.
"Even if you've forgotten everything, you still resent me so much. Forget it, it's better this way. If only I could forget everything like you." Katniss cried and laughed, as if talking to herself. At this moment, her expression was filled with extreme self-blame and regret.
I withdrew my hand, which to her seemed like a sign of caution and aversion towards a stranger, showing how deeply my actions had hurt her. But at that moment, I didn't soften again because the pain in my heart was greater and heavier than anyone else's.
All of this was just the beginning.
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