No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

Mack Craig stopped in his tracks, looking at me with a mix of surprise and disbelief.

Realizing my forwardness, I quickly tried to explain, "I didn't mean anything by it, I just..."

"Alright," Mack cut me off before I could finish.

"Before all this happened, she was full of life, loved making friends. She'd be happy to see you," he said without looking at me, as though he was talking more to himself than to me.

I couldn't help but feel for him in that moment.

"Come with me, Felicia," he said, before continuing down the hallway.

Watching his tall figure walking ahead of me, I couldn't help but feel the weight of his burden, a burden he carried with every step.

Mack led me to a private hospital room, not unlike those reserved for VIPs, with a pleasant environment and, naturally, a hefty price tag. It was clear the girl resting here came from a well-off family.

At the door, Mack looked back at me, as if he had more to say.

Thinking he might have had second thoughts, I offered an out: "If it's not a good time, we can forget it."

"You look so much like her, it's just..." Mack paused, "she's just a bit thinner now."

I had almost forgotten about the stranger who bore such a striking resemblance to me.

I offered a small smile, "Beauty lies in the spirit, not the flesh."

Mack allowed himself a slight smile before pushing open the door to the room.

The first person I saw was a nurse in blue scrubs, massaging the patient on the bed. Upon seeing us, she promptly stood up.

"Take a break, I'll call you back later," Mack said politely to the nurse.

The nurse left, giving me a curious glance on her way out, probably struck by the resemblance between me and the patient.

"When you're not here, does the nurse take care of her?" I asked, trying to break the heavy silence that filled the room the moment we entered. "Yeah, I have to work, can't be here all the time," Mack said, placing a basket of fruit on a nearby table before sitting next to the bed.

I moved closer and finally saw the girl on the bed.

Her skin was pale, almost translucent, with long hair spread out on the pillow. Her eyes were gently closed, lips slightly parted.

She looked nothing like a coma patient, more like Sleeping Beauty from the fairy tales, especially with the distinct beauty mark near her eye.

"She was incredibly talented, always

ahead of her class. She got into

Harvard without even taking the SATS. By 26, she was already a mentor to us..." Mack's voice trailed off as he listed her achievements.

"If it wasn't for the accident, she'd probably be the youngest professor by now," the pain and regret in Mack's voice were palpable.

"What happened? Was it an accident?" I asked, curious.

He didn't respond immediately, his gaze fixed on the girl. After a long pause, he said, "I'm the reason this happened to her."

The weight of guilt was crushing him, and I could see it dragging him down.

"Mack, she sacrificed herself to save you. Do you think she'd want you to live in guilt?" I asked gently.

He looked up at me, but my eyes

were still on the girl, "She didn't want you to get hurt; she protected you because she wanted you to live well. If you drown in this pain, her sacrifice would be in vain."

"Mack," I called out softly, "don't blame yourself. It won't change the

past. Your mentor was an

exceptional person with many© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

dreams. Now, it's up to you to fulfill

those dreams for her. As long as you

keep her aspirations alive, she'll

continue to live on through you."

I wasn't quite sure where those words came from, but they seemed to resonate with Mack, who murmured, "Felicia."

Snapping back to the moment, I shifted my gaze from the girl to Mack, noticing the turmoil in his eyes...

A mix of excitement, shock, and disbelief.

I frowned slightly, "Is something wrong? Did I say something out of place?"

"No," Mack swallowed hard, "Felicia, when you were talking just now... you sounded even more like her."

My heart skipped a beat as I looked back at the girl on the bed.