Beach House – Take Care
They all wait for any news.
In a cold white room, filled with chairs and an old vending machine, sat a blonde woman, anxiously waiting for any news about her son's condition.
A migraine had settled in her head, a million thoughts were swivelling inside her mind, as she sat, bouncing her leg in a nervous habit of her. Tears were making trails down her face as she kept remembering all that had happened since her revival. Her baby was currently fighting for his life in an operation table because of her. Her husband had traded his life for hers. Had he planned to do that since she got into a coma? Did he know what the wish would cost? It didn't matter, he had hurt her little miracle, he had threatened him, used him, he knew the miraculous was damaged and he still made his own child wear it. For what Émilie cared, that man could rot in hell for what he did, for making her baby's life a living hell.
She glanced at the clock placed on the simple white wall in front of her, 5 AM, she read. She had been sitting inside that impersonal waiting room for four hours, and still, no doctor or nurse had come to inform her about her baby's state. Émilie knew it was bad, it was so bad. He was in such bad shape. Despite having a pulse when they got to the ambulance, his heart had stopped twice on their way to the hospital. She had to witness the medics frantic attempts at reviving her son, she had to watch how his thin body convulsed at each shock they administered to his heart. How they kept prickling his skin with needles to give him the meds he so desperately needed. How they shoved a tube down his throat to make him breathe, as his lungs had shut down for all the strain that they had endured.
They told her that his organs were shutting down, that his heart was suffering myocardial ischemia, which she knew that it meant that he was having an infarction.
The blonde woman brought her hands to her face, sobbing madly. Suddenly, a hand rested on her shoulder.
"Are you Émilie?" She looked up. A strange couple was looking back at her, themselves with a mourning expression. The small Chinese woman had a hand resting on her shoulder as if attempting to bring her comfort as if to reassure her that she was not alone.
"I, I am" She answered, not able to keep her voice steady.
"We, We know your son. Our daughter is one of his friends. In fact, she's madly in love with him, although I don't think he knows that." The strange woman smiled softly at her.
Émilie chuckled lightly at her comment. Her baby was still the innocent little bean she had always known. She sobered immediately, the fact that she might never speak to him again haunting her.
"I'm Sabine by the way. This is my husband Tom." Sabine introduced themselves, effectively distracting the distressed mother, as she noticed that she was getting antsy, "We're Marinette's parents, you probably don't know her, but she told us what happened, we came as soon as we heard that she was in the hospital. She and her friends are just finishing their check-ups, and they'll join us. Mari asked us to see how you were holding up."
Bright green eyes looked pleadingly at the couple, getting brighter and brighter as water accumulated, "They still haven't told me anything… They wheeled him into surgery, and they're still there. He was such in bad shape, he, his heart, his hea-" She couldn't finish her sentence. Sabine, hugged her tightly, letting the blonde woman sob in her arms. She and Tom crying as well.
Between all her daughter's friends, Adrien was the one Sabine appreciated the most. When they first met, she saw immediately how much of a gentleman he was. She had always noticed how much he craved for affection, so she and Tom would, subtletily, give the boy more sweets, and hugs. After learning that her daughter was in love with him, she couldn't be happier. Of course, her amazing daughter would choose such a kind boy to love.
Eventually, Émilie's sobs subsided, and as she regained her composure, Tom, who was sitting right next to her commented, "It's okay, you'll see he's going to make it! Adrien is strong, I know he's going to survive all this. We all are."
The woman smiled at them, thanking them softly, for their support, "I'm sorry that you had to see me like this! You don't know me at all, and yet, you're still here, thank you so much… I'm glad that my son had such a lovely couple looking after him."
"It's okay, darling. If it was Marinette in there, I know I would be a mess. We understand."
And, as if she had heard them, Marinette and the whole gang invaded the waiting room. The young girl looking much more distressed know that the shock had settled.
"How is he? Do you have any news?" She questioned quickly.
"No, sweetie, they still haven't told us anything," Tom informed her.
"How is that possible? How can they leave us here in the dark for so long? For how long has he been there, anyway?" Nino paced nervously.
"Four hours…" Émilie answered silently.
Chloé, who was ready to go after the nearest health professional she could find and scream at him to give her news of her childhood friend's condition, looked at her, suddenly remembering the agony the blonde woman must be going through.
The teen ran to her side, kneeling in front of her as if to bring a sense of closure. She had always seen Émilie like a mother, sometimes she thought that she even loved her more than her own mum, as Audrey rarely showed any affection towards her.
"Oh, Émilie! You must be so frightened right now! You'll see he's going to make it! He has to!"
"You still don't know us! I'm Alya, she's Marinette and he's Nino! We're Adrien's best friends from school." Alya introduced.
"From school? He's going to school?" The woman asked perplexed, she didn't know what else had changed in the time she was absent.
"He goes, and he loves it there! Well, at least until Mr Agreste had taken him away, that is…" Nino commented, walking towards her.
At hearing her husband's name, Émilie started to tremble in a mix of anger and utter sadness.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned his name! But he was such a terrible father. Every time Adrien showed up in class looking miserable, it was always because of something related to his father." Nino explained.
"It's okay, I… I just feel so helpless right now! And guilty, my baby son is fighting for his life right now because of me..." she broke once again.
"The only person to blame of all this mess is Gabriel and no one else, do you understand?" Marinette firmly stood. In a fresh wave of determination, she approached the woman, "None of this is your fault! We know what happened, and I can tell that everything you did, the reason why you used your miraculous that last time, was to protect both you and your son. I only hope that he, that he…" She as well fell to the floor, sobbing. Alya ran to her side, hugging her tightly. And that's how all the group stood in that cold waiting room.
Mood song: Karen O - The Moon Song
"Mum?"
"Yes, sweetie?" Émilie asked. She and Adrien were both lying down in the endless lavender field, the one they used to rest every time they went on vacation to the south of France. It was a family tradition, every year, the three members of the Agreste family would take a road trip to Cannes. Despite all the money they had, Gabriel and Émilie always made sure that they would always make this trip, as it was the first one they had ever made when they started dating. Mother and son were staring at the blue sky, watching the white fluffy clouds floating calmly.
"Do you think I will ever meet my soulmate?"
"What? Why are you asking that?" Émilie chuckled at the odd question. Her son was only twelve years old, but she knew that he would be a hopeless romantic, he already was.
"I don't know. I just, you and dad are so happy, I only wish that I will have someone special one day."
"Well, Adrien. You are such a fine young man it would be impossible that no one would fall for you." She answered, turning her face to look at her little miracle. He had his eyes closed, taking in the sunlight, he was so handsome already. He truly was the greatest gift that she had been given.
"Yes, but I'm already twelve, and I still haven't met anyone who seems to be interested in me. No offence to Chloé, but I don't think I would want to spend the rest of my life being crushed by her hugs." He chuckled, "What if I went to school? It would be easier to find her! Or simply a friend, I only know Chloé…"
"Oh, my sunshine! You are still so young, and the world is such a cruel place for that soft heart of yours, maybe next year you can join school. But you'll see, you still have plenty of time to find her."
Adrien gasped dramatically, raising himself to his elbows. Émilie could only laugh at her son's antics. He was so extra sometimes, "How can you say I'm so young? I'm already twelve! I'm a teenager now, I need to find her fast if I don't want to be alone for the rest of my life!"
"Oh, sweetie! You're not going to end up alone!" She laughed, "Besides, if, by any strike of bad luck that happens, you're always going to have me and your father!"
"Do you promise?"
"Promise what?"
"That you and father will never leave me?"
"Pumpkin, of course, I promise you that! No matter what happens, you're stuck with us!"
"Are you ready to go?" Gabriel joined them.
"Already?" Adrien whined.
"Yes, already, or do you want to stay here forever?" Gabriel teased.
"I wouldn't mind actually, it's so warm in here!" The teen commented.
"Well, we can stay, but I doubt that you'll have the same opinion when the night comes, and there's no light, who knows what could be lurking around." The designer commented with a smirk, going after Adrien, imitating a monster, only to wrap his son in a bear hug, pretending to bite him.
"Dad, stop! I'm not a child anymore!" Adrien squirmed, laughing out loud.
"Em…"
"Émilie…"
She felt her body being shaken lightly. Emerald eyes opened groggily, the lovely memory of her once happy family being replaced by the sterile environment of the hospital waiting room.
"What, what happened?" She asked confused.
"You dozed off, you must be exhausted!" Sabine answered, "The doctors are here, Adrien's surgery is over."
The news seemed to have electrocuted her, as she jumped in her chair, staring at the sombre faces of the doctors in front of her.
"How is he?" She asked, her heart bursting of hope.
"Mrs Agreste, your son's condition is quite complicated. He was in septic shock, the fluids we gave him were not enough as his organs were already failing. His kidneys, his liver, his lungs and his heart were all damaged. We needed to operate him since, as you know he was already having an infarction, which means that part of his heart muscle was dead. He also has pneumonia which can be due to the sepsis. The surgery was extremely hard, but he made it through, we're administering antibiotics to try to fight the sepsis and pneumonia, but it seems that this one is very resistant, we should wait and see how the treatment goes. Due to all the internal damage he has, and the high fever he also presents, We induced him in a coma, and are lowering his temperature to prevent any damage to the brain. We don't know when he's going to wake up. I'm sorry."
Her eyes widened at the news. Adrien was alive, but in such a terrible condition, by the doctor's faces, and from what they told her, they didn't believe he was going to survive. They didn't tell her anything, but she could tell.
"Can we see him?" Marinette asked, her voice strained from the stress.
"He's in the ICU, so we're only allowing one visitor in the room, a doctor or a nurse will always be there, monitoring him. There's also another issue…" The doctor told them.
"What?"
"The police is here, they want to speak with you because of Mr Agreste. Adrien has some bruises which led us to believe that he was battered. I know that talking to them is the last thing any of you want but this can't be delayed. I'm terribly sorry."
"It's okay, thank you, doctor. If you could just show me his room, so I could see him." Émilie pleaded.
"Of course, follow me, please."
Gabriel might have been caught, but there's still much to do for things to be right again.
Next chapter: "Hello, madame. I'm Master Fu."
Master Fu is back! Will he be able to help Adrien?
Anyway, hope you liked this chapter.
See you next time!