Echoes of Vengeance: The Sweet Wife's Perfect Revenge-Chapter 217: Five to Ten Days

Aveline barely slept. By the time the sky turned the faintest shade of light, she was already awake and getting dressed.

At half past six, she and Alaric walked into Springfield Hospital with warm breakfast boxes in hand. The cafeteria hadn't opened yet, so the smell of fresh porridge and steamed buns felt strangely out of place in the quiet hallway.

The moment Aveline reached the room, she didn't even greet anyone. Her voice tumbled out first. "Did Grandmother wake up? How is she?"

Margaret stood up from the couch. Her eyes were tired, her hair slightly out of place after an entire night awake. "She woke up for a brief moment," Margaret said softly, glancing at Henry and Celeste at the bedside, "but she fell asleep again before the doctors arrived. She… didn't have the energy to speak."

Aveline's heart squeezed painfully. Her shoulders slumped. Her grandmother hadn't woken up again. The worry clung to her like damp clothes she couldn't pull off. "And?"

Henry exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Doctors will check her again at nine. They asked us to wait."

'Nine?' Aveline checked her watch. 'Two more hours.'

She looked at the three standing, Margaret, Henry, and Charles. They all looked exhausted, dark circles shadowing their faces.

"Bro," she said gently, "why don't you three go to the hotel at the corner, freshen up, maybe get some rest? It's close by. I'll stay with Grandmother."

Margaret opened her mouth to protest, but Alaric stepped in first, his voice low and firm, gentle but unarguable.

"Go," he said, passing the breakfast bag to Charles. "Eat something, change, and come back. Sunshine and I will be here with Grandmother Celeste."

The firmness in his tone wasn't commanding, it was reassuring. The kind that didn't leave room for arguments.

Charles was the first to nod. He looked at Aveline, then at their grandmother. "Okay. We'll go and return before nine."

He touched Aveline's shoulder gently before guiding Margaret and Henry toward the door. He was glad she had gathered herself.

Henry hesitated once, glancing back, but Aveline offered a small nod of assurance. "We'll call you if anything changes," she said.

Charles led them out toward the nearby hotel, the hallway swallowing their tired footsteps.

The room was quiet again. Just the soft, steady beep of the machine. And Aveline stood beside her grandmother, watching her chest rise and fall with fragile rhythm.

Alaric watched Aveline relax around the beeps of the monitoring machine. A sense of relief washed over him. "Sunshine…"

Aveline glanced at him, and he continued, "I have a few phone calls to make. I'll be right at the door."

She knew he was handling all the pending cases with Giselle for her. She and Henry were able to focus on Celeste because they could be careless around Alaric.

She flashed him a soft yet genuine smile. "Thank you…"

"Silly." He dipped his head, kissing her forehead. Then he stepped out to make the calls.

…

At nine, the parents could only look at each other as Celeste didn't wake up. A nurse informed them to meet the doctor while they helped Celeste freshen up.

Alaric quietly stood beside Aveline while Henry and Margaret sat opposite the doctor with Charles.

The doctor waited quietly for a moment, allowing the family to settle before he spoke. His voice was gentle and professional.

"Madam Laurent fainted because of a sudden drop in blood pressure," he began, looking at each of them with steady eyes. "We've stabilized her vitals. Her blood pressure and heart rate are normal now… but she isn't waking up."

Margaret's breath hitched. Henry straightened, as if bracing himself for impact.

The doctor continued softly, "When someone is her age, even a short drop in blood flow to the brain can cause the body to shut down into a deep unconscious state. It's not a coma caused by trauma. It's more like… the body choosing rest."

Aveline swallowed hard. "Then when will she wake up?"

The doctor didn't avoid the question. "There is a chance. Her body is very tired. At her age, the heart, the kidneys, and the brain don't recover the way they used to. She might wake up after a few hours. Sometimes… a person goes into a deep sleep and doesn't come back."

Aveline's hand flew to her mouth. Silence settled over the room, heavy and fragile. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

The doctor added in a quieter tone, "I want you to understand something important. She is not in pain. Her breathing is calm, her muscles are relaxed. What she is experiencing is peaceful. No panic. No suffering. It's like falling asleep and simply not waking again."

Tears rolled down Margaret's cheeks. Charles was in shock. Henry's jaw clenched, eyes watering despite his effort to hold steady. "How much time?" he whispered.

"There are no exact numbers," the doctor replied honestly. "But based on her vitals and age… I would say anywhere between five to ten days." He paused.

"Whether she wakes or not… these days can still be meaningful. She can hear you. Hearing is the last sense to fade. Talk to her. Hold her hand. Play her favorite songs. Let her hear the people she loved most."

He paused, giving them a moment to accept it. Then he continued, "She is comfortable. We will take care of everything on the medical side. You just need to be with her." Then he bowed his head slightly and left the room, the door closing with the softest click.

The room felt heavier after the doctor left, as if the quiet itself had turned into a weight pressing down on their chests. They were frozen, the doctor's words echoing in their heads.

Alaric stepped closer and wrapped an arm around Aveline's shoulders, pulling her gently into him.

His voice was low and steady. "Sunshine," he murmured, brushing a tear from her cheek, "your grandmother is giving you the softest goodbye anyone could ask for. No fear. No pain. Just… rest. It's the kind of farewell most people pray for."

He glanced at Margaret, Henry, and Charles, too. "This isn't a moment for grief. It's a moment to be grateful she lived long enough to be surrounded by everyone she loves. So give her peace, not sorrow."

His words didn't magically erase the pain, but they grounded them. Their tears softened. Their breathing steadied.

Margaret wiped her cheeks. Henry took a long breath, his shoulders loosening for the first time since last night. Charles nodded faintly, jaw tight but calmer.

Henry finally spoke, voice rough. "We should take her home… to the Laurent Mansion. She always said she wished to spend her last days there, not in a hospital room."

Aveline blinked through tears and touched his arm. "Yes… She'll be happier there."

Margaret leaned into Henry's chest, needing the comfort. Henry held her tightly, as if anchoring both of them.

Aveline moved closer to Charles and hugged him, his chin resting lightly on her head. She squeezed him back, whispering, "Bro… we have to take care of them."

Alaric watched the three Laurents cling to each other quietly. Their grief wasn't loud. It wasn't dramatic. It was the kind that filled every breath… and still moved forward.

And in that silent hospital room, each of them accepted it. Celeste Laurent was slipping away. But she was doing it gently.