THE FORGOTTEN HEIRESS-Chapter 263: Life Is Too Short

Meanwhile, in the emergency room, soft light filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle glow on the room.

Sitting vigilantly beside the bed where Shawn lay unconscious and connected to monitors, was Kathleen whose eyes were filled with exhaustion.

She glanced at her wrist worriedly. "Why hasn’t he woken up yet? I’ve never been wrong in my assessment."

Her eyes went back to the figure who lay still as if he had no intention of ever seeing her again and an inexplicable fear seized her.

Despite knowing that there was no need to be worried, she still couldn’t explain the feeling that gnawed at her heart if anything should go wrong and Shawn failed to wake up.

"Shawn, please you have to wake up. The children are waiting to see you. I’m sure they will be missing you by now," she said.

The rhythmic beeping of the monitors punctuated the silence as she reached for Shawn’s free hand, holding it tenderly.

She took a deep breath, her voice wavering with emotion.

"You can’t let them down, Shawn. Wake up. They need you. We all need you." she said and pressed her forehead against his hand.

Her mind flew back to when he had pushed her from the line of the bullet and how she saw the bullet go straight into his chest.

It was then it dawned on her that he had meant it when he had told her before that he would willingly lay down his life to save hers.

That pivotal moment changed everything and the possibility that she might lose him forever hit her like a thunderbolt.

At that moment, all the hurt and unforgiveness she held against him melted away like wax. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

With it also came a release she had never felt in years. It was like a thick log that has been weighing heavily on her heart was lifted and she could finally breathe peacefully.

What was the use of holding on to them when all they’ve caused her was bitterness, pain and bondage.

She took a moment, composing herself before continuing.

"By your actions you reminded me once again that life is too short to be wasted on bitterness. Please, Shawn. I’ve forgiven you— for everything. Come back to us. I can’t bear seeing you like this."

Her voice broke as she whispered, "I... just want you... back, my... one and only... love."

Yes, despite all those years of anger, hurt and bitterness, she had not been able to love another. It’s been Shawn and Shawn alone. Maybe that was the reason it had been so painful and difficult to let go of the past.

She gently placed a kiss on Shawn’s forehead, a silent plea for him to return to consciousness.

The room fell into a quiet, hopeful stillness as Kathleen waited, watching out for any sign that her words had reached Shawn’s unconscious mind.

At the same time, Shawn who had found himself enveloped in an impenetrable darkness kept groping in the void, his senses clouded by an ethereal mist. The sensation was disorienting, like navigating through the abyss.

"Shawn..." he heard a distant voice, echoing through the shadows, calling his name. The sound was both familiar and distant, as if it was being carried on a cosmic breeze.

Lost in this surreal realm, he instinctively moved towards the source of the voice.

"Come back to us, Shawn," he heard the voice calling again. This time, it was closer and clearer.

Driven by an inexplicable force, he stumbled forward, guided solely by the distant voice that seemed to pull at the threads of his consciousness towards the faint ray of light he spotted at a far distance.

A sudden subtle shift in the beeping of the monitors caught Kathleen’s attention and her gaze intensified as she watched Shawn slowly stir, his eyelids gradually fluttering as he tried to open his eyes.

Confused, Shawn attempted to piece together his surroundings but the room whirled a little from his drowsiness.

Although some things still remained vague, the sound surrounding him became more distinct.

"Shawn?" Kathleen called out gently. She held her chest and exclaimed with teary eyes. "You’re awake!"

Although it had been just a few hours, it looked as if she had been waiting all her life for this moment.

Shawn’s eyes tried to focus on Kathleen, and a faint recognition crossed his face but almost immediately, a dull ache registered in his chest, and he became aware of the bandages covering the surgical site.

Although the discomfort in his chest and shoulder persisted, the mist began to clear.

He winced slightly, as he adjusted to the pain.

"Kath.." Shawn attempted to call out, but his voice emerged as a hoarse murmur.

"Take it easy Shawn," Kathleen gently said as she stood up to check his vital signs.

Relief washed over her and a fragile smile graced her lips when she was done.

She returned back to his sides and reached for Shawn’s hand.

"Kath..." Shawn tried again but was interrupted by Kathleen’s reassuring voice.

"I’m here Shawn," she said and gave his hand a comforting squeeze and just as slowly as he had woken up, Shawn began to slip back into the embrace of unconsciousness with only one name tumbling from his mouth, "Kath...leen."

"Rest, Shawn. I’ll be here," Kathleen coaxed.

As Shawn slipped back into a deep slumber, Kathleen looked on affectionately by his side, her fingers still intertwined with his.

The serene atmosphere in the room was interrupted by a slight tap on the glass door that separated the emergency room from the other rooms.

She turned her gaze to the door and smacked her forehead with her palm as she remembered she had texted Johnson to go get Lauren earlier on.

She gently disentangled her palm from Shawn’s hand whose grip was a bit firmer than she had expected.

"Isn’t he sleeping? Why is his grip on my hand this tight?"

After gently disentangling her hand from Shawn’s she stepped out to meet Lauren.