Page 5

Athanasios

CHAPTER FIVE

“No one else . . . is going to raise my children,” she says, opening eyes as blue and clear as the sky on a spring day. “Those babies are mine.”

Her voice is hoarse from months of silence. She’s thin, having lost even more weight—a natural consequence of her condition. Her lips are dry. Brooklyn looks so fragile that I feel like if I were to grip her wrist with just a little too much pressure, it might break. Yet, there’s something about her that draws me in like never before.

I mask my surprise at her combative tone. Somehow, perhaps because of her delicate appearance and almost otherworldly beauty, I imagined her to be serene, tranquil. But it takes me mere seconds to realize there’s a fierce fire burning inside Brooklyn Foster.

While she was unconscious, I pushed aside the feeling of fascination she stirred in me. But now that she’s awake, now that I’ve had a “taste” of her personality, the fascination only intensifies.

“You’re a doctor,” she continues, “and you were fighting with me. Why?”

I shrug. “I saved you. You had a brain tumor. As far as I could tell, it was what was keeping you from waking up. But over two months passed after the tumor was removed, and you still didn’t open your eyes. What else could it be but laziness?”

She squints, likely trying to focus on me because her vision is probably impaired. But she doesn’t get a chance to reply, as I’ve already pressed the button to call the rest of the medical team.

She notices the others entering the room, but her gaze remains fixed on me. “You said I had a tumor, doctor?” Her tone softens, worry etching her perfect face.

I avert my gaze.

What the hell is happening to me? Brooklyn isn’t the first and certainly won’t be the last patient I’ve brought back to life.

“Yes, but it’s already been removed,” I say indifferently. “We’ll have time to talk later, Miss Foster. For now, I need to examine you.”

“Athanasios? What’s going on?”

I turn to see Zeus. I know he’s been visiting her frequently, even without Madison. He often “talks” to his sister-in-law.

One time, I couldn’t help but overhear him saying that she “needed to wake up because her family wanted her back and Madison dreamed about it night and day.”

Now I understand what Hades meant when he said the oldest of the Kostanidis brothers is crazy about the woman who is now his wife. None of us are the gentle type, and for Zeus to take time out of his day to try to help his sister-in-law awaken says a lot about what Madison means to him.

“I’ll be back in a moment,” I tell the rest of the team. I beckon Zeus out of the room. “Come with me,” I say.

“When did she wake up?” he asks as soon as we’re in the hallway.

“Just now. In fact, only a few minutes before you walked in. But we’ll need to run a series of tests to determine how she’s doing.”

“I have to tell Madison,” he says.

“Yes, do that. I’ll also call her because I promised she’d be the first to know. I had no idea you were coming today.”

He shrugs, looking slightly sheepish. “I’ve been coming more often because I read that talking to the patient helps.”

I nod in agreement. “You know she won’t be discharged right away, don’t you? I’ll need to monitor her. Besides, after so much time in inertia, the muscles in her legs have likely atrophied. She’ll need physical therapy before we can declare her fully recovered.”

“Can’t that be done at home?”

“No. If Brooklyn’s case were only about the fall when she hit her head, even if she needed special care, I could release her within a week. But since there was also the tumor, I want to ensure there are no lingering effects. The brain is a mysterious universe of which we’ve only uncovered a small portion.”

“Even for you?” he says, a hint of irony in his tone.

“Yes, even gods don’t know everything.”

“But if you had to guess?”

“I don’t work based on guesses. I like to know where I’m stepping. But I can tell you that, based on my experience with patients waking from comas, your sister-in-law is far more lucid than most. Feisty, even. She told me no one would take her babies away.”

“Why would she think something like that?”

“Because I provoked her. I said that if she didn’t wake up, Madison would end up raising them.”

He shakes his head, smiling. “The Foster women and their tempers.”

“Let your wife know, Zeus, but it’s likely she won’t be able to see Brooklyn until tonight. The tests will take some time.”

“That’s fine. It’s enough for now. Madison will just be happy to know her sister has finally woken up. I worry about her being pregnant. The two of them are very close, and she misses Brooklyn.”

Zeus doesn’t need to tell me that. Every time I saw his wife visiting her sister, her love was palpable.

“I need to go back in,” I say. “Once I finish the initial tests on Brooklyn, I’ll call Madison because I gave her my word. But before that, I’d like to ask you a few questions.” I shouldn’t stray into personal matters since a patient’s family life isn’t my concern, but I need to know.

“About what?”

“What really happened that night, Zeus?”

“The night of the attack on Brooklyn’s family, you mean?”

“Yeah.”

He runs a hand through his hair. “From what Madison told me, she believes Brooklyn’s husband—or rather, her partner, since they were never actually married—was involved with the wrong people. It seems the attack was some kind of retaliation.”

“If that’s the case, why was she left alive?”

“A neighbor saw the men entering the house in the middle of the night and called the police immediately. Investigators think the intruders didn’t have enough time to finish what they’d started.”

“But they could’ve gone after her at the hospital.”

“They were arrested, as far as we know. There’s no way to be certain whether anyone else was involved. Regardless, since Madison told me about this, I’ve had security discreetly watching over both the old hospital and yours.”

“Yes, I noticed. Perhaps it would be best to continue the surveillance even after she’s discharged.”

His brow furrows, and before he speaks, I anticipate what he’s thinking and interject. “I need to make sure she’ll be safe.”

“Why?” he asks.

I meet his gaze in silence. I don’t have an answer other than the fact that I see Brooklyn as my responsibility, as crazy as that might seem.

Zeus, however, seems to understand the situation—a situation I’m not ready to dive into yet. How can I explain that I’m drawn to his sister-in-law, who was in a coma until moments ago, without sounding like a creep?

I’ve never looked at a patient in any way other than purely professional before.

“Do you know how much she’s been hurt, Athanasios? It’s not just about what happened that night. Madison told me she was thinking of leaving the father of her babies even before that. Brooklyn is part of my family now. I won’t let anyone hurt her. Keep that in mind.”

I step away, irritated, without saying goodbye.

I’m not used to being confronted by anyone.

The Kostanidis obsession with control—so much like mine—drives me crazy.

About an hour later, after completing Brooklyn’s initial tests, I pick up the phone to call Madison, all the while wondering what I’m getting myself into.

Brooklyn shouldn’t be my problem. I brought her out of the coma. End of story.

“Madison, I broke my promise,” I say as soon as she answers.

“What are you talking about, doctor?”

“I said you’d be the first to know when your sister woke up, but your husband was already here when it happened. She woke up while he was visiting.”

“Yes, I know. Zeus called me, and I’m so happy. But why was he there? Did Brooklyn need something?”

“He’s been coming at least once a week to talk to her.”

“What?”

“He’s been visiting and talking to your sister since you got married.”

“I don’t understand. Anyway, thank you for letting me know as well, Dr. Athanasios. This is the best news I could’ve received. When can I see her?”

“I just finished the initial tests. It’s likely she’ll be cleared for visitors by the end of the day.”

“That’s fine. I’ll come anyway.”

“You should know she might be confused about some memories.”

“I have all the time in the world, doctor. My sister is back, and that’s all that matters.”