Rebound: The CEO'S Revenge System

Chapter 4B: The Kind Nurse

That watch was from his father. His father gave it to him before he died. It was the most important thing Ryan owned. It was his lucky charm.

"He put it in his pocket," Lily said. "He stole it. I wanted to scream. But I was scared. Mark is... he is dangerous."

Ryan was furious. The anger was hot and red. It filled his brain. It filled his chest. He wanted to jump up. He wanted to grab Mark by the throat. He wanted to yell, “Give it back! You thief!”

But he was a statue. He was a stone in a bed. The helplessness washed over him. He wanted to cry, but his tear ducts did not work. “I am weak. I am nothing.”

"I am sorry, Ryan," Lily said. She looked like she was going to cry. A tear slipped down her cheek. "I am so sorry I didn't stop him."

Ryan looked at her tears. She was crying for him. She cared. 

The anger inside him turned into energy. It was a strange feeling. Usually, he felt numb. But now, the rage and the gratitude mixed together. It felt like electricity.

He focused on his hand. The hand that Lily was holding. “Move,” he told himself. “Move!”

He sent every ounce of power to his right hand. He imagined the nerves lighting up like wires. He imagined the muscles tightening. “Move your finger. Just one finger. Do it!”

It was the hardest thing he had ever done. It felt like trying to lift a car.

He pushed. He strained. His brain screamed with effort.

Twitch.

It was tiny. It was almost nothing. But his index finger moved. It tapped against Lily’s palm.

Lily froze. She stopped breathing. She stared at his hand. "Ryan?" she whispered.

She waited. She did not move. "Did... did you do that?" she asked.

Ryan was exhausted. That one tiny movement took all his energy. But he had to do it again. He had to show her.

He gathered his strength. He focused on the finger. “Again. Do it again.”

Twitch.

Lily gasped. The sound was loud in the quiet room. She dropped the cloth. Her hands flew to her mouth. Her eyes were huge and round.

"Oh my god," she whispered. "You moved. You moved your finger."

She looked at his face. She looked deep into his eyes. For the first time, she really saw him. She didn't just see a patient. She saw the man inside.

"Can you hear me?" she asked. Her voice was urgent. "Ryan, if you can hear me, do it again."

Ryan felt a rush of hope. It was like the sun coming out after a long winter.

“I can hear you, Lily. I am here.”

He focused on his finger. Twitch.

Lily began to shake. She grabbed his hand with both of hers. She kissed his knuckles. "You are in there," she said. "You are awake."

She looked around the room frantically. She looked at the camera in the corner. It was blinking a slow red light.

She lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper. "Ryan, listen to me very carefully. You have to trust me. Do you trust me?"

Ryan looked at her. He saw her fear. But he also saw her kindness. She had told him about the watch. She had cleaned his face. She was the only one who treated him like a human.

He could not move his finger again. He was too tired. But he had control of his eyes.

"Blink once for yes," Lily said. "Can you blink?"

Ryan focused on his eyelids. They felt heavy, like lead curtains. “Close,” he commanded. His eyelids slid down. The world went dark. “Open,” he commanded. His eyes opened.

Lily let out a small sob. She wiped her eyes. "Okay. Okay. You trust me. That is good."

She leaned over him again. Her face was serious now. The smile was gone.

"You cannot let anyone else know. Not yet," she warned. "Especially not Mark. If he knows you are awake... if he knows you saw him... or that I told you..."

She didn't finish the sentence. She didn't have to. Ryan understood.

If Mark knew Ryan was a witness, Ryan was in danger. A man in a coma cannot tell the police about a theft. But a man who is waking up? He is a threat.

"We have to keep this a secret," Lily said. "Between you and me. Until you are stronger. Until we can get help. Do you understand?"

Ryan blinked once. Yes.

"Okay," Lily breathed. "Okay." 

She picked up the cloth again. Her hands were shaking, but she tried to be calm. "I am going to finish cleaning you up. Just relax. Rest."

She wiped his arm. "We are a team now, Ryan. I will get your watch back. I promise. And I will protect you."

Ryan felt a tear form in his own eye. It rolled down the side of his face. He felt something he had not felt in months. He felt safe.

Suddenly, there was a noise from the hallway. Thump. Thump. Thump.

Footsteps. Heavy footsteps.

Lily froze. She looked at the door. The footsteps were getting louder. They were coming toward Room 304. Ryan knew those footsteps. He knew the heavy, dragging sound.

It was Mark.

Lily’s eyes went wide with panic. She quickly wiped Ryan’s face one last time to hide his tear. She stood up straight and fixed her uniform. "Remember," she hissed, barely moving her lips. "Don't move. Don't blink. Be a statue."

Ryan stared straight ahead. He made his mind go blank. He slowed his breathing. The doorknob turned. Click.

The door began to open. A shadow fell across the room.

Ryan lay still. He was a ghost again. But this time, he was a ghost with a secret. And he was not alone.