Chapter 475 Shane Awakens
The search team arrived swiftly. Almost every coast guard unit showed up, conducting a blanket search of the surrounding waters. Unfortunately, there was no sign; not a person nor a body was found.
They searched for three days. After combing the area thrice, expanding further became pointless as it led into deep-sea territory where survival was unlikely. Even if she were there, the ocean life might have already devoured her remains.
Despite Grace's misdeeds, she was still kin to the Koch family. Riley performed a brief seaside memorial for her, sending her off as a relative for the last time — it was the least he could do.
Everything settled down. The Koch family found their peace again. The only regret was that Shane had yet to awaken. Although he had been moved from the ICU to a regular hospital room, a sign of improvement that he was out of critical danger, Shane showed no signs of regaining consciousness. The doctors explained that due to his advanced age, his vitality had been significantly drained by the surgery. Unlike younger people, his recovery would be much slower and could require an extended time to heal.
Patricia sat by the bedside, holding Shane’s hand with an indescribable feeling of sorrow as she looked at him lying unconscious. "Grandpa, I'm so sorry. I caused Grace's death, but I don't regret it for a second. She was malicious at heart. One day, she would have caused an irreversible tragedy. I hope you won't blame me when you wake up."
Jeremy tried to comfort her, saying, "Don’t worry, Grandpa won't blame you. He loved her, sure, but he could tell right from wrong."
Following Grace's death, Riley resumed his responsibilities at the company while Sebastian tackled the backlog of work that had accumulated. Given the presence of nursing staff at the hospital, Jeremy and Ariel alternated visits to Shane, ensuring one of them was always by his side. Yesterday had been Ariel's turn; today, Jeremy took over.
Patricia had been a constant presence at Shane's bedside, visiting him nearly every day and spending hours at a time with him. Despite his unconscious state, she engaged him in conversation, uncertain if he could hear her. Her dedication was evident, sometimes making Jeremy wish she were part of their family instead of Grace.
Noticing Shane's dry lips, Patricia, her eyes brimming with tears, gently applied moisture with a cotton swab. Her level of care and attention was something Jeremy acknowledged he couldn't replicate.
After Patricia placed the water glass back on the nightstand, Jeremy let out a deep sigh, walked over, and gently patted her shoulder. "Patricia, we don't know when Grandpa will wake up. You can't just keep waiting here. Why don’t you go home for now? I'll call you the moment he wakes up."
Patricia looked up, puzzled.
Jeremy, afraid she might take it the wrong way, quickly clarified. "I'm not trying to chase you away. I know your kids have been calling you, asking when you'll be home. I realize you're worried about Grandpa, but the kids are young; they need their mom. Besides, we can't predict when Grandpa will come around, and it doesn't help for you to wait here endlessly. We all appreciate your care and concern. Like I said, the moment he wakes up, you'll be the first to know."
"But..." Patricia hesitated, torn between her concern for Shane and her responsibilities at home.
"No buts!" Jeremy said. "With today's fast travel, you can be there in just over ten hours by plane."
After a final, lingering glance at Shane, Patricia nodded in acceptance of Jeremy's point. She had initially planned a brief visit for Grandpa's birthday, telling her children she'd return within a week. Now, with each passing day, her children's inquiries about her return grew more frequent. It was time for her to go back home; prolonging her stay would only distress her kids further.
Their departure was scheduled for 9 AM the following day. Reluctant to leave Shane so soon, Patricia opted to spend her last night in his hospital room, keeping watch and conversing with him throughout the night. Eventually, she resorted to reading him a story, hoping he might still perceive her presence. It was late into the night when she finally succumbed to sleep.
Unbeknownst to her, shortly after she fell asleep, Shane's fingers twitched twice, a subtle movement that was almost imperceptible.
The next morning, after freshening up, Patricia lingered in Shane's room for a final goodbye. "Grandpa, I'm leaving now. Despite our short acquaintance, I've grown incredibly fond of you. It's just as if you're my grandpa. Please, call me when you wake up. I'll come to visit," she whispered.
Shane lay still, showing no sign of response.
With a heavy heart, Patricia left the room. As she exited, Shane's fingers twitched once more, and a single tear escaped his closed eyes.
As Patricia's plane lifted off the ground, Shane miraculously opened his eyes.
Ariel, who was adjusting his blankets, paused in disbelief, wiping her eyes to ensure she wasn't imagining things. Realizing Shane was truly awake, tears of relief and joy streamed down her face. "Grandpa, you're awake! You can't imagine how worried we've been, how scared we were that you might never recover!"
Shane, emerging from a prolonged unconsciousness, felt disoriented, his mind struggling to grasp his surroundings.
Ariel, accustomed to handling emergencies, quickly regained her composure. She immediately called for the doctor and then contacted Riley. Shortly after, the doctor arrived, followed by Riley, Sebastian, and Jeremy, filling the hospital room with their presence.
After a comprehensive check-up, the doctor reassured everyone that Shane was in stable condition, albeit very weak and in need of time to recuperate. "Mr. Shane is currently stable. His primary issue is weakness; he needs to recover gradually. The wound is healing nicely. We plan to keep him under observation for another three days; assuming no complications arise, he should be able to continue his recovery at home."
Ariel informed him, "Patricia has just left. You just missed her."
Jeremy added, "Throughout your coma, Patricia visited you daily. However, since you remained unconscious, she couldn't postpone her return indefinitely. I assured her we'd notify her the moment you awoke so she could visit again."
Upon hearing this, Shane attempted to rise from his bed, determined to find Patricia, only to be gently held back by Riley.
"Grandpa, please rest. Whatever it is, it can wait until you're stronger," Riley urged.
But Shane was adamant, driven by a sense of urgency he felt couldn't be delayed. "I need to speak with Patricia immediately. Too much time has been lost, and that delay has caused enough trouble. I must tell her the truth."
Riley's expression showed a trace of annoyance at Shane's insistence. "Grandpa..."
With an almost childlike earnestness, Shane pleaded, "I must talk to Patricia."
Riley, curious, asked, "What is it that you need to tell her so urgently?"
Shane, his voice barely above a whisper due to his recent awakening and the soreness in his throat, revealed a shocking truth, "It might be hard to believe, but… Patricia is actually Elise's daughter, your aunt's biological child."
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