Chapter 18
It was all like being in limbo for Nathalie. The last thing she remembered was the starry sky. After it, she found herself in a kind of limbo. Unlike the times she dreamed, this place had nothing at all, everything was darkness. Emilie appeared ghostly before her. She helped her up off the ground.
"You did it Nathalie, you protected my beloved family."
"But I abused your trust, I did wrong things with Gabriel, I…"
Emilie silenced her by putting a finger to her lips.
"I have nothing against you, Nathalie, I always considered you, my friend. Although Gabriel is my husband, I can no longer be with him, or with Adrien."
Emilie took her by the hands.
"Please take care of them for me, please promise me."
This time it didn't sound like a plea but like a request.
"I promise. Always" she said, putting both hands on her heart.
Emilie hugged her.
"Have a good life, Nathalie."
Ms. Agreste disappeared and Nathalie saw a light at the end of the way. It was as if that light was calling her. She just kept going.
The light blinded her for a moment. She closed her eyes for a moment and blinked a little to try to adjust to the brightness of the room. Nathalie saw she was in a place that she did not knew. Her vision was a little blurry from the lack of glasses. But she recognized the figure in front of her anywhere.
It was Gabriel.
"What happened? Why am I here?" She did not recognize her own voice, it hurt enough to speak so she sounded raspy and without breath.
"It is a long story. I'll tell you the details when I can." Gabriel took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "You don't remember what happened?"
"Not much" She was still very confused.
"Well, it doesn't matter now. The only thing that matters is that you are fine."
Gabriel took out his phone and looked up the number of his son. He should know before anyone else, he deserved to know. He dialed the number and waited for the tone.
Adrien who was sleeping soundly heard the tone of his cell phone and saw that it was an incoming call from his father. He took it and answered.
"Father? What's going on?" He asked sleepily.
"Adrien, Nathalie woke up" Gabriel sounded rushed on the call.
That ended up waking Adrien up completely and made him jump out of bed, in his room at the Dupain-Cheng's house.
"Are you serious? I'm going now" Before he could end the call, Gabriel wanted Adrien to stay where he was for at least for a while.
"Be careful and take it easy. I highly doubt the hospital would let you in now."
"I will do that. I just woke up, so it's going to take a while to get there" Adrien started looking for the clothes he would wear.
"Okay son, see you later at the hospital. Take care of yourself, son." Gabriel hung up.
After making the call, Gabriel tapped the hospital's help button. They evaluated the condition of Nathalie, with the fact that the doctor could not explain how it was possible she woke up so soon, taking into account the conditions in which she arrived.
The doctor would also give you some indications for the second phase of her recovery.
They were left alone afterwards. Nathalie examined Gabriel with her eyes, paying special attention to his face. He looked terrible. It seemed like he hadn't slept in a while. He had a slight beard and even visible dark circles. His clothes were a mess, it was like he hadn't changed them in days. His hair was visibly tangled and without care.
The Gabriel Agreste in front of her looked like a mess.
Nathalie noticed that her own hair had grown considerably.
"How long I was in a coma?" she asked.
"About two months" Gabriel replied, doing the math in his head.
That made Nathalie tried to get up, but she felt Gabriel's hands and the little pressure he made on her shoulders.
"Take it easy."
She leaned back, listening to what he was saying. She had so many questions and she needed answers. And Gabriel ended up giving them, with a lot of detail. The revelations that happened after she fell ill would be something of a shock to her.
After a while of Gabriel explaining to her and seeing him a bit frantic walking around the room, she decided to stop him.
"Wait, are you telling me that Adrien knows your identity? and you know his?" She asked, concerned.
"Yes, in fact, I also found out the identity of Ladybug. Also, she also knows your identity as Mayura."
Nathalie was silent, trying to take in everything he had told her up to that point.
"And how did Adrien take it? You know…"
Gabriel sighed, sitting down next to her.
"Not good. We are still working on it."
Nathalie, noticing Gabriel's sad expression, decided not to press on the matter further for the moment.
After hanging up, Adrien tossed his phone on the bed. He took a bath and made himself as presentable as possible to see Nathalie. The Dupain-Cheng's were surprised to see him so early, but he explained what was happening. They gave him a hearty breakfast and accompanied him to the exit of the apartment.
The Gorilla who was waiting for him downstairs, drove him straight to the hospital. In the way there, Adrien went to buy some flowers that he knew Nathalie liked. He presented himself at the reception desk and hurried up to the room.
He was quite eager to see her. Making long steps, he reached the room where Nathalie was staying. As he entered, he found Nathalie awake, though still slightly dizzy.
He threw the flowers he had brought to the ground and hugged her tightly.
She was overwhelmed but little by little she put her arms around the boy. When they finished the hug Adrien had tears in his eyes.
"I thought you would die."
Nathalie reached out her arm with difficulty and wiped his tears.
"Don't worry Adrien, everything is fine. I am here, alive."
She wrapped her thumb around his cheek and he smiled.
"But why? Why did you want to risk your life like that?" Adrien questioned.
"I was trying to bring your mother back. I wanted you to have a happy family again."
Adrien denied quite angrily.
"My father is really selfish. That's not fair, you deserve to be happy too" His eyes were starting to burn, thinking about all the bad things that could have happened as a result of that wish.
"Your father only wanted the best for you. Besides, what I did was my decision. Not your father's" Adrien clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.
"There is a price to pay for making the wish. But it is an equivalent price. If my mother wakes up, someone else will have to take her place."
She did not know the price of that wish. She felt sick because she knew what it meant. Either of them could have taken her place. They had gone too far.
"It is a mistake to make the wish. But I'm glad it didn't get as far."
Adrien picked up the bouquet from the floor and handed it to her.
"These are for you" he left them beside the bed.
"Thank you, Adrien" Adrien leaned down for her to kiss him on the cheek.
"I'll stay with you for a while" Adrien sat in the chair Gabriel had been using.
Food was brought to her, but since Nathalie was not able to grab anything at the moment, Adrien took the spoon from her and began to give her small spoonful's of the soup from the tray.
Gabriel arrived just at those moments.
Adrien continued feeding her.
When Nathalie finished her meal Adrien excused himself to go to the bathroom. The woman herself noticed that he did not address his father at any time. And she didn't blame him.
The doctor general arrived on the scene a few moments later.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Agreste" He turned to see Nathalie "Miss Sancoeur. How do you feel?"
"Better. But my body feels numb" she said as she settled her head on the pillow.
"That's normal. But you will recover. To do this, you will have to perform a series of exercises so that your muscles return to normal. You will need all the support you can get. Do you have family? It's protocol from our part to know" Asked the doctor, concerned.
"No, I haven't heard from them for many years."
"I can take care of her" Gabriel intervened. "After all, I paid for all the time she's been here."
Nathalie's stomach turned over. She knew that once she gets to the mansion, Gabriel was going to lock her up right there and have her watched just as he did with Adrien.
On the other hand, Adrien and his bodyguard would be there so she would not be completely alone before Gabriel.
"Yeah… I agree" Nathalie looked at the doctor.
"Okay, Mr. Agreste, I'll give you some instructions that you should take into account when we discharge her. Miss Sancoeur needs as much help as she can. That will make her process more bearable. Also, she cannot be left alone in this state."
Nathalie looked to the side, feeling that her freedom would not last long.
"She won't be able to walk for a while. Her muscles are atrophied from the time she spent in bed. So, she will have to use a wheelchair."
Gabriel thought about that problem. He would have a ramp put up at the entrance of the mansion. It would take a while, so he would order his workers to do it as soon as they could.
"She will also have to attend some checkups so her condition does not suffer any relapse" the doctor finished.
After completing the respective paperwork, Gabriel returned to Nathalie. It was already night and it was time for dinner. Gabriel took the food the hospital had provided and helped her eat, whereupon the nurse who was treating Nathalie went to attend to another patient. She said nothing and just stared at the plate as she received the spoon.
She felt like a little girl.
Master Fu arrived very early in the morning with Marinette to see that the potions he had supplied her had taken effect.
"Miss Sancoeur, Good morning" Fu greeted, looking at her seriously. Nathalie recognized the man as Adrien's substitute Chinese teacher.
"He's the guardian of the Miraculous" Gabriel told her before she could ask "He helped you."
"I brought someone who wanted to see you" From Marinette's bag a small blue ball flew into her face. It was crying dramatically.
"I thought I would never see you again" Duusu shed a few tears.
"Easy Duusu" Nathalie brought her hand to her face to cradle hers Kwami in it. Duusu instantly clung to her.
"You almost died, you almost died…" the little peacock whispered.
"Please don't hate me Duusu."
The Kwami floated in front of her face to see her.
"But how could I hate you? You're a good person" Duusu shed more tears.
"We told you lies. We used the Miraculous for improper things. We denied you your freedom..."
Tears gathered on the face of the Kwami who burst into tears
"I knew everything, but couldn't remember anything. I knew the Miraculous was damaged and I tried to get Miss Emilie to stop using it. But I couldn't, she didn't want to listen to me. She just wanted to make Mr. Gabriel happy."
"Duusu couldn't remember anything due to the damage of the Miraculous" Fu explained. "After I fixed the Miraculous, he could remember absolutely everything that happened."
Nathalie wiped Duusu's tears with her thumb. Then Duusu held onto her cheek.
"I love you very much, Miss Nathalie, you are the best wearer I have ever had. I'm going to miss you."
Nathalie already knew that this was goodbye.
"Goodbye Duusu. I'll miss you too."
Duusu in response kissed her cheek and returned to Marinette where he hid in her bag. Master Fu gave the last potion to Gabriel so he could give it to Nathalie at night, since she would spend one more night in observation. The doctor went to tell them the good news.
"Miss Sancoeur will be released from the hospital tomorrow morning. I hope everything is ready for her arrival."
"It is. In fact, I've prepared everything for her arrival at my home" Gabriel assured the doctor.
"I'm glad to know. She needs a lot of help right now, as she regains full mobility in her limbs. Just follow the indications I gave you and everything will be fine."
Gabriel signed Nathalie out as soon as he was authorized to do so. They would leave at first hour in the morning to avoid unnecessary questions from the media.
After doing some paperwork, Nathalie had finally been discharged from the hospital. She was already tired of those white walls. But she felt that she would be trapped once they reached the mansion. She now would discover what Adrien felt every day.
Gabriel had brought her one of her sweatshirts. It had been a long time since she had used it, but it seems that he bothered to check through her things to see if she had one. He combed her hair and braided it. The staff from the hospital left her in a wheelchair that was apparently bought by Gabriel.
Gabriel helped her into the elevator. The nurse gave him instructions on what to do and when to do it. She gave him her number in case something happened.
They both went out. The gorilla was waiting for them outside the car. When he saw her, he gave her a look of sorrow and sadness for her state. Gabriel got her into the car and noticed that Adrien was there in the front too. He just greeted her. Meanwhile, Gabriel put the wheelchair in the trunk.
Adrien sat back next to her and took her hand. Gabriel sat in the front seat. There was a deathly silence in what lasted of the trip. Her heart began to race when they were very close to the mansion. When they arrived, the first to leave was Gabriel, who carried her in his arms.
Adrien opened the trunk and pulled out the wheelchair. But then he was helped by the gorilla who carried the chair instead.
Adrien opened the door and everyone entered. Gabriel went up the stairs with her, but they didn't go to the room she used to occupy.
"Where are we going?" Nathalie didn't like where Gabriel was leading her.
"You'll see."
They were going to Gabriel's room.
"I decided to leave you here. Since my room is bigger, I was able to leave it better equipped."
Upon entering he put her on the bed, gently. Nathalie settled closer to the center of the double bed, right where there was a pile of pillows.
"I can't always depend on you and you know it" she said seriously.
"If this is the way to redeem my mistakes. Then I will gladly do it."
Gabriel arranged the pillows on her bed so that she would be more comfortable. The Gorilla entered with one of the sofas in the living room and placed it next to the bed. Gabriel nodded and the bodyguard left the room but not before giving Nathalie a concerned look.
She, surprised by everything that was happening, asked:
"What are you doing?"
"I'll stay here nights until you recover" Gabriel sat down on the couch.
"In those conditions?" She shook her head. "This is not good for your back, Gabriel. Remember the last visit with the doctor."
He laughed wryly.
"The one who should be most concerned about her health is you."
She closed her eyes and sighed. Everything that was happening was difficult for her. And the fact that Gabriel was now taking her health seriously left something for her to wonder.
Gabriel then proceeded to perform the stretches on Nathalie's legs. He gently rotated her foot, as well as the rest of her leg, like her knee and part of her hip. It hurt a little, but she could manage the pain.
On a very early day while in bed she took the glass of water and by accident, when she drank it, the liquid went through the wrong hole, causing her to cough and spit out all the contents. This single action woke up Gabriel, who in a panic and somewhat frantic ran to the bed, patting her on the back.
"Nathalie, are you okay?" Do you need a ride to the hospital? I don't think I should take you, if I have to, I will ...
But she stopped him, waving his hand.
"No, Gabriel." I'm fine, there's no need to.
Although Gabriel let it pass, Nathalie knew that now he was not going to leave her alone.
As the hours passed after Gabriel left the room for a while, she tried to take a few steps, but ended up on the floor next to the bed. Adrien was the one who helped her since his father was busy at the time. Adrien put her arm around his shoulders and helped her lie back on the bed. "You know, father asked to make a ramp for you. Though, it will only be temporary or at least until you recover" Adrien mentioned casually.
"Adrien, Why are you telling me this? Why does your father look so terrible?" She was hoping Adrien had an answer to her question.
"Well, he was worried. Since you were hospitalized, he hardly left your room. Marinette and I had to force him many times to go out to eat something and take a bath, or else he would end up hospitalized as well. He asked for the best care that he could afford just for you. I guess he appreciates you very much."
This was not the Gabriel she had known since Emilie fell into a coma. He had really changed. But she still couldn't forget everything that happened and what brought her to this state.
Before the night fell, Gabriel entered the room. He now looked so much better having shaved and groomed his hair.
"I'm going to give you a bath."
He carried her to the bathtub and there he helped her undress. She carefully crawled inside her until her body was covered almost entirely, except for her head. Gabriel didn't care if his spotless suit got wet. He proceeded to wash her hair with a special shampoo that would leave her hair completely clean and soft.
Gabriel took her right arm gently and soaking a sponge began to wash it. He did it with such care and dedication that Natalie began to melt with love, as she did not happen in a long time.
She took her legs and both diligently and delicately cleaned them. All those affections from her made her fall asleep.
"Nathalie" She woke up with a start.
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay." He helped her to sit in the bathtub and handed her a bathrobe. He carried her to a chair and sat her down.
"I'm going to give you a haircut" Gabriel would also dye her signature streak to the same shade of red he used to have. He just wanted to do his best to get her back to normal.
Gabriel prepared the utensils he would use and put a cape on her. He searched in one of the drawers in his room for the kit he used when he was still a fashion student. He began to carefully detangle her hair. When he was satisfied, he pulled out his box of haircutting utensils.
"I didn't know you knew about this" Nathalie knew that he could do different hairstyles like the one she used at the gala, but not that he knew how to cut and color hair.
Gabriel just took another lock of her hair.
"I worked as a hairdresser for a while. I needed the money."
He took the scissors and started cutting her hair. He left it just as she had it before he fell into a coma.
He took the dye she used from a drawer and began to apply it to her hair, right where he always had her red streak.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because you deserve to be you again" he affirmed as he looked at her from the mirror.
Although Nathalie knew he was not referring to that, she preferred not to respond, at least not yet. She needed him to win her heart again.
Gabriel removed the robe when he had finished the dyeing process. He passed her the mirror and she saw the result. It didn't look bad.
She would let her hair loose for now. The result was very good. Maybe she could ask him to fix her hair in the future.
If there was a future for them.
Ironically the part where I describe why Dussu could not remember anything was written in 2019. Imegine my face when I discovered I guessed well on the theory.