Becoming Strangers Again by Lily

RYAN

Lily had been waiting anxiously for me to return to the hospital. The moment I stepped inside, she told me that she believed Clover was conscious. A part of me resisted her words, doubting their truth. A voice deep within whispered that her desperation for answers might be clouding her judgment. Yet, despite my doubts, I made a choice a deliberate decision to trust her. I decided to listen to my wife, to honor her instincts, even if they didn't entirely make sense to me.

With Amell by our side, we walked into Clover's hospital room together. My eyes darted to him, searching for any small indication that Lily might be right. At first, there was nothing-no movement, no reaction, nothing to support her claim.

"He's still unconscious," Lily began. "And we need him awake if we're going to get the answers we're looking for about the case." She paused before continuing, m. "I know you haven't been able to proceed with this yet because I was unconscious too, and as the owner of this hospital, my signature and approval are required to move forward."

They were pretending-putting on a performance, hoping to scare Clover into opening his eyes. And I swear, if this man proves Lily right by waking up now, after making us wait so long and playing us for fools, I'm going to strangle him. Not literally, of course, but the frustration inside me made the thought oddly satisfying.

"We might need to perform an intraosseous injection to administer medication or fluids," Amell said.

I blinked, completely lost. If Clover understood what that meant, he was smarter than me. "And what exactly does that mean?" I asked, half-skeptical.

Lily didn't miss a beat. "It means inserting a needle directly into the bone marrow," she explained,. "It's painful-excruciating, really-and it's known to pull people out of comas just from the sheer shock of it."

"Oh..." The word slipped out before I could stop it.

"Amell, have the nurses prepare him," Lily instructed. "I'll get ready and sanitize." Without another word, she turned and headed toward her ward, a woman on a mission. The rest of us followed.

Just before she disappeared into the hallway, Lily glanced back over her shoulder. "Mark my words. The nurses are going to come tell us he's awake."

True to her words, it wasn't long before one of the nurses came back with the news we had been expecting-Clover was awake. Lily didn't even try to hide her smug satisfaction as she turned to give me her classic I told you so look. Without saying a word, she brushed past me and walked off, her steps confident, leaving me standing there to digest the turn of events.

************

the police came to him, determined to get answers despite his bedridden state. If they found him guilty of any involvement, there was no escaping justice he would be cuffed to the hospital bed

room for the interrogation. At our request, the audio feed from the CCTV camera in Clover's room had been

had lost consciousness, and for a few seconds, I took my eyes off the road. That was all it took! One minute I was driving perfectly fine, and the next, the car

Clover spoke, her eyes narrowed, her mistrust solidifying with each word. When he finished, she leaned back slightly, her lips pressing into a thin line before she muttered under her breath, "I don't believe him. He knows something. He's not telling

too quiet to hear, but her conviction was unmistakable. It wasn't just suspicion-it

squeeze. It was the only thing I could do in that

Harry's voice came through the speakers, sharp and probing. "Why did you fake being unconscious?" he asked Clover directly. "You conveniently woke up only after the doctor said she would administer a painful procedure. How do you

of being watched. "I know this must sound hard to believe, but I wasn't faking it," he said quietly. "I was really unconscious. Why would I fake something

she wasn't buying his explanation.

perfumes to the public?" Clover licked his lips nervously, the tension evident in his body language. Finally, he let out a long sigh, as though

his words slower now, measured. "The perfume isn't mine. It's my friend's. He's the one who's licensed to

to need the name and details of

resist, Clover turned his attention back to the camera. His gaze seemed to pierce through the screen as he pointed directly at it. "Is

her husband are watching from her office. Their three children disappeared into

fully toward the camera. "I want to sincerely apologize, Ms. Lily," he began, "I deeply regret that this happened while I was under your service. I know it's hard to believe me, especially with my criminal record, but I swear to

palm lightly against the table, redirecting the focus. "Direct whatever you have to say to me,

nodded reluctantly, his gaze shifting away from the

down her cheeks. Unable to stay seated, she rose and walked toward the window, her back to me. She swiped her hair away from her face with

anything, but the lump in my throat made it

taking a shaky