Chapter 5:- Fully Awake

                Sarah's POV

The world came back to me in fragments, bright white lights, the rhythmic beep of a monitor. 

My eyelids felt heavy, glued together by exhaustion, but I forced them open. The blur slowly cleared into a man’s smiling face.

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” he said warmly. “We thought we lost you there for a moment.”

His tone was calm, almost cheerful, but my mind immediately flashed to Anita. Panic surged.

 “Where’s my friend? Anita—where is she?” I tried to sit up, but a firm hand pressed me back down.

“Easy,” he said softly. “Anita’s fine. You’re the one we were worried about.”

I exhaled shakily, relief washing through me so fast it made my head spin. “What… what’s wrong with me?”

He smiled again, that professional kind of smile doctors wear when they’re trying to keep you calm. 

“Something serious, but we’ve handled it. You’re safe now.”

His name tag caught my eye — Doctor Kyle.

 “Thank you, Doctor Kyle,” I murmured.

“You’re welcome,” he said, his eyes softening. “But now, you need to rest.”

He didn’t leave, though. For a moment, I caught him staring at me, not in a creepy way, but in a way that made me wonder if he pitied me or was just… curious. 

My eyes grew heavier, the soft hum of machines pulling me under again.

When I opened them the next time, everything felt different. 

The air was colder. The light dimmer. And the man standing beside my bed was not Doctor Kyle.

He was taller, his shoulders broad beneath a white coat that didn’t carry a tag. 

His hair was darker, falling across his forehead in a way that looked both effortless and deliberate.

 But it was his eyes that froze me, sharp, piercing, and too intense for comfort. 

He didn’t smile. He didn’t even say hello. He just looked at me, like he was trying to solve a puzzle.

“Who are you?” I asked, uneasy.

He ignored my question. His voice was deep when he finally spoke. “What happened to your face?”

I blinked at him, thrown off. “Excuse me?”

“If you’re a good doctor,” I said, forcing a shaky laugh, “you should already know. I had an accident.”

He shook his head, stepping closer, his tone cool and professional but his gaze anything but. 

He reached for my leg. I flinched. His touch was firm but… unsettling.

“This mark,” he said, his fingers brushing the bandaged spot on my shin, “is from the accident.”

His hand moved upward, to my neck. My breath caught. “This one, too.”

Then his fingertips grazed the side of my face, so lightly it made every nerve in me spark. “But this,” he said quietly, his tone changing, “this didn’t come from the crash. It happened before. So I’ll ask again, what happened?”

I stared at him, my pulse racing. The authority in his voice was unnerving, but there was something else beneath it, something familiar. 

“You… you look familiar,” I whispered.

He straightened, arms crossing. “I don’t.”

“Are you sure?” I pressed. “Because I could swear we’ve met before.”

He tilted his head slightly, the faintest trace of irritation on his face. “You’re mistaking me for someone else. Now answer the question.”

Instead, I laughed softly, mostly at myself. “No, I remember now.”

His brows drew together. “Remember what?”

“That we’ve met before,” I said slowly. “We… even had sex.”

He froze, then burst into laughter, sharp and disbelieving. 

“That’s a new one,” he said. “You women never run out of tricks. Sorry, sweetheart, but I’m not interested. Especially not in a married woman.”

I shook my head, heat rising to my cheeks. “I’m not lying.”

He smirked. “Right.”

“I was eighteen,” I said, the memories crashing in. “Seven years ago. We met in a bar and it led to a one night stand situation. You didn’t even tell me your name. You disappeared the next morning before I even woke up.”

The humor vanished from his face. His eyes darkened, scanning me with a sudden shift, recognition fighting disbelief.

 “At Rock Light Club?” he asked, his voice low.

I nodded, smiling faintly despite the awkwardness.

He stared at me for what felt like forever. “That was you?”

“Yes,” I whispered, heart pounding. “You took my virginity… and ran away.”

His jaw tightened. His gaze lingered on me like he was seeing a ghost. Neither of us spoke for a long moment.

 Then he turned away abruptly, gripping the side of the bed as if steadying himself.

He scoffed lightly. “I didn’t take your virginity, Sarah. You make it sound like I jilted you.”

A small smile tugged at my lips. “Well, what’s a better way to say it then?” I asked quietly. “You vanished. I looked for you for weeks after that night. Do you even live in Star City?”

He hesitated, then said flatly, “That doesn’t matter. It was just a one-night thing. It’s in the past now.”

I shook my head, disbelief thick in my chest. “No, it wasn’t just a one-night thing, there was—”

The door opened, cutting me off. Doctor Kyle stepped in with his usual bright smile.

 “Well, look who’s fully awake.” His eyes flicked between us. “Feeling better, Sarah?”

I nodded slowly. “A little dizzy, but I’m okay. Thank you for saving my life.”

Kyle chuckled, waving a hand. “That credit doesn’t go to me.”

He turned to say something more, but Richard gave him a subtle tug on the sleeve—just enough to make him pause.

 I frowned, catching the silent exchange.

“If it wasn’t you,” I asked, my brows drawing together, “then who was it?”

Kyle’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and sighed. “I need to take this.” With a quick smile, he excused himself and slipped out.

The room felt smaller once he left.

I turned back to Richard. “Now, as I was saying—”

He cut me off sharply. “You need rest, Sarah. I don’t want to talk about this. Whatever happened between us doesn’t matter, and I don’t want anything to do with you.”

He turned to leave, but the words burst out of me before I could stop them. “You’re wrong.”

He froze.

“It wasn’t just a one-night stand,” I whispered. “I got pregnant that night.”

Richard slowly turned, his eyes wide.

“I had a child,” I said softly. “Your child.”