Chapter 5: A life hanging by a thread

Ava's POV 

“Your husband has been involved in a serious road traffic accident, we'll need you to come immediately” 

My grip on my phone loosened 

“W...what?”

“Ma'am is everything…” The driver's voice faded into the background as the words echoed in my head

Road traffic accident?

“Mrs. Maxwell? Are you still there?”

I couldn't breathe 

No

No, that can't be right 

Just thirty minutes ago, he kissed my forehead and promised to see me tonight. We'd argued over burnt toast, I laughed at him and he laughed back.

He was fine, he had to be 

“Mrs Maxwell” the voice called gently. “Are you still there?”

I opened my mouth, but no words came out

The sounds inside the taxi slowly disappeared. The blaring horns, the chatter from the radio, even the driver's quiet humming faded into nothing. All I could hear was the frantic pounding of my own heart

“I… I don't understand”

“I'm sorry, ma'am. Your husband was brought into St. Mary's Hospital approximately twenty minutes ago following a road traffic accident”

“No..”

The words escaped my lips before I could stop it

“There must be a mistake”

“I'm afraid there isn't”

My breathing became shallow

My fingers trembled so violently that the phone nearly slipped from my hand 

“How… how is he?” I whispered

There was a brief silence on the other end

“I'm sorry ma'am. I can't discuss his condition over the phone, please come to the hospital as soon as possible”

The call ended

I stared blankly at the dark screen

This wasn't happening, it couldn't be 

“Ethan…”

My voice cracked

The driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror

"Madam... are you alright?"

I looked up, tears blurring my vision for the first time

"Please..." My voice shook uncontrollably. "Please turn around."

He frowned

"What happened?"

"My husband..." I swallowed hard, struggling to breathe. "He's been in an accident."

Without another word, the driver made a sharp U-turn and sped toward St. Mary's Hospital

My hands refused to stop shaking as I dialed Ethan's number

It has to go be a mistake 

Once

It rang

No answer

I called again

Still nothing

The third time…

His phone went straight to voicemail

A sob caught in my throat

"No..."

I pressed the phone against my forehead, silently begging him to answer.

Just one word

One hello

Anything, to make me believe it's not true 

Instead…

There was only silence

At that same moment, a call came in, it was Lily

“Hey, did you get home safely”

I couldn't hold it anymore, I burst into tears 

“Lily…” 

I couldn't even make up the words, this is so heartbreaking 

“Girl, what happened?” she asked, highly concerned “was it the boss?”

“Lily, my husband” I cried harder “he's at the hospital”

I sniffed 

“H...he had an accident Lily” my voice breaks as I said those words 

“Shit, what hospital did they take him to?”, she asked

“St. Mary” 

“I'll be there soon, just be calm okay?”, she says and hangs up 

How can this be? We literally just started our honeymoon

“No Ethan, it's not you” I sob uncontrollably 

The traffic got tight, worst timing possible 

I look over at the window silently praying that the cars should move ahead 

Each passing is second felt like an hour 

“Please… isn't there another route?” I begged 

The driver looks over at his mirror, trying to see if there was anything he could do

“I'm afraid not ma'am, but it should clear up soon” he replied “your husband is going to be okay”

I couldn't say anything to that, but my eyes thanked him for the encouragement 

I pressed Ethan's contact again 

It was the same routine, rang twice and went straight to voicemail 

“Please answer” I whispered “please…”

The driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror 

“We'll get there soon ma'am”

Soon

The word felt cruel 

What if “soon” wasn't enough? 

I squeezed my eyes trying to shut the terrifying thoughts racing through my mind, but instead of silence, I saw him

Not lying in the hospital bed, not covered in blood 

Just.. Ethan 

Standing there in our tiny kitchen that morning, being proud of his burnt toast 

Despite myself, a tiny smile tugged at my lips but it disappeared just as quickly

More tears spilled down my cheeks 

No, Ethan you promised we'd have dinner 

You promised you'll come home 

I wiped my face with trembling fingers and looked out of the window again 

The traffic had barely moved 

Every passing ambulance made my heart pound harder 

Every red light felt like fate was a testing me

I bowed my head and clasped my shaking hands together

"I don't ask you for much," I whispered through tears. "But please... please don't take him away from me."

The taxi lurched forward as the traffic finally began to clear

For the first time since the phone call, I allowed myself to hope

If I got there fast enough, maybe everything would still be okay

Finally, we arrived at the hospital 

Before the driver could even stop completely I threw the door open 

“Ma'am” he called after me

I fumbled through my bag with trembling hands, pulled out a few notes and shoved them into his hands

“I'm sorry, keep the change”

I didn't wait for a response 

My legs carried me as fast as they could toward the sliding glass doors. People brushed past me, but I barely noticed them. All I could see was the bright blue sign above the entrance

EMERGENCY

Please… please let him be okay

The automatic doors slid open, and the sharp scent of antiseptic filled my nose

Doctors hurried past in white coats

A nurse pushed a patient on a stretcher down the corridor

Somewhere nearby, a child was crying

Everything around me was moving so fast, yet I felt completely frozen

I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced my aching legs toward the reception desk

The receptionist looked up as I approached 

“Good evening, how may I help you?”

“My…” I struggled to catch my breath. “My husband…”

The words got stuck in my throat 

“I got a call” My voice cracked. “They said.. they said that he was brought here after an accident”

The look on her face softened immediately 

“Your husband's name, please?”

“Ethan” I wiped my tears with the back of my hands. “Ethan Maxwell”

For what felt like forever, the only sound between us was the tapping of the keys

Then she looked up

"Relationship to the patient?"

"I'm his wife."

She nodded before picking up the phone

"Please send someone to the emergency unit reception”

A few moments later, a young nurse hurried over

"Mrs. Maxwell?”

I nodded

"Please come with me"

I followed without a word

Neither of us spoke as we walked down the long hallway

The steady beeping of heart monitors echoed through the corridors, blending with the hurried footsteps of doctors and nurses rushing from one room to another

My heart pounded against my chest with every step

I wanted to ask if Ethan was okay

I wanted to know if he was awake

If he'd asked for me

But I was too afraid of the answer

The nurse stopped in front of a pair of large glass doors

She turned to me with a sympathetic smile

"The doctor will be with you shortly”

I stared through the glass

At first, all I saw were machines

Then… a familiar hand rested motionless on the hospital bed

The silver wedding band I'd slipped onto his finger three months ago caught the fluorescent light

My breath hitched

"Ethan…”

He lay motionless on the hospital bed, so still that for one second, I couldn't tell if he was breathing 

His head was wrapped in thick white bandages, with a few bruises visible along his forehead and jaw. An oxygen mask covered part of his face and several tubes and wires were connected to him under the blanket that covered his body

His left arm rested beside him, connected to an IV drip

I took one hesitant for step into the room, couldn't think straight to be sitting outside waiting for the doctor 

My vision blurred 

My fingers trembled as I reached for his hands 

It was cold, not lifeless. Just colder than it should have been 

“Ethan please this isn't funny anymore” I sobbed “please… wake up” 

I searched his face for any sign that he'd heard me 

A twitch

A squeeze of hand 

Anything 

But there was nothing 

The room suddenly felt too big 

Too quiet 

A gentle knock sounded behind me making me turn slowly as I wiped my tears 

A middle aged doctor stood at the doorway, his expression is kind but heavy 

“Mrs Maxwell?”

I nodded weakly

He stepped inside then the looked from me to Ethan before speaking again 

“I’m afraid we need to talk”

We stepped outside, the doctor closed the ICU door behind him, giving us a moment of privacy away from the unending beeps of machines 

“I'm Dr. Harris,” he said gently. “The attending neurosurgeon”

I nodded absentmindedly. My eyes refused to move from Ethan 

“How is he?” I asked, my voice sounding like a whisper 

The doctor let out a slow breath

"Your husband sustained multiple injuries in the accident”

My chest tightened 

"He suffered several fractures, severe internal injuries, and..." He paused, choosing his next words carefully. "A significant head injury"

I shook my head

"I don't understand”

"He lost a considerable amount of blood before he arrived, but our team managed to stabilize him”

The last words gave me a considerable amount of hope 

“So..” I look

ed up at him. “He's going to be okay?”

“I'm afraid it's not that simple Mrs Maxwell”

The hope inside me scattered 

“The impact to his head caused serious trauma to his brain, his condition is critical”

I stared at him, waiting for him to say something, anything, that'll make this nightmare disappear 

Instead, he said the words that made my world change forever