Chapter 6 – The One Who Never Left
Chapter 6 – The One Who Never Left
That evening, Nathan returned to the hospital alone.
He found Margaret Ellis, an elderly nurse who had worked the night shift during his coma.
She recognized him instantly.
"Nathan..."
"It's good to see you standing."
He smiled politely.
"I need to ask you something."
She nodded.
"Did Serena really stay with me all those years?"
The nurse's smile slowly disappeared.
"Who told you that?"
Nathan felt his stomach tighten.
"...Serena."
Margaret remained silent for a long moment.
Finally, she spoke.
"She visited a few times."
"A few?"
Nathan stared at her.
"I thought..."
"The person who stayed every night wasn't Serena."
His heartbeat stopped.
"It was one of our housekeeping staff."
Nathan's voice barely escaped.
"...Emma?"
Margaret nodded.
"She volunteered to clean your hallway every evening."
"After her shift ended, she'd sit beside your bed."
"She read books to you."
"Played your favorite music."
"Sometimes she simply held your hand for hours."
"There were nights when nobody else came."
"But Emma always did."
Nathan suddenly remembered the tears in Emma's eyes as security led her away.
May you like
For the first time...
he wondered if he had made a terrible mistake.
