Falling in Love : I love you, Today and Forever
Chapter 804: Words of assurance

Chapter 804: Words of assurance

"Aria?" Noah entered the ladies’ washroom, frantically searching for her. He didn’t give a damn that it was the ladies’ washroom; Aria’s well-being was more important than anything. To hell with his dignity.

Aria was sobbing by the sink, her entire body leaning over the counter as she used her hands to keep herself upright.

"Aria?"

As soon as she heard Noah’s voice from behind, she turned around and dove into his embrace, startling him with her forceful actions. He even had to take a few steps back due to the sudden impact before stabilizing himself.

"Aria, please don’t cry," he said, rubbing her back gently to soothe her. But he knew nothing he said or did could stop her. After all, he himself was only on the verge of a mental breakdown. Ivy’s condition made him feel pathetic, and he wished he could take her place.

"Noah... she..." It was as if the dam had broken, and Aria’s cries turned hysterical as she wailed loudly, not caring that she was at the hospital and not at home.

"I can’t see... see her like this," she choked on her tears as she continued crying, and Noah went silent for a few seconds.

Even though he understood her misery and turmoil, he couldn’t let her spiral down. She needed to be strong for her sister. After all, Ivy needed her, and he somehow had an inkling that only she could cure him and bring her back to normal as well.

"I know, Aria. I know. I feel the same as well. But Aria, is there any point in crying like this? Will that help us or Ivy in any way?" Noah tried to speak as softly and gently as possible. The last thing he wanted was to trigger the hysterical woman and let her lose control.

"But Ivy..."

"Didn’t the doctor inform us that he can only say anything after she recovers some more? So our priority is to make sure that Ivy recovers well," Noah stated, and Aria slowly but surely calmed down.

"And as far as I know, cases like these aren’t rare. Quite a few people have lost their sense of speech after suffering a brain injury. But they were able to regain it after some time as they recovered. There were also a few who took treatment and got their speech back," Noah explained.

Even though Aria was a doctor herself, he knew that she needed someone else to assure her. Moreover, Noah had researched brain injuries and the aftereffects of the day Ivy slipped into a coma. Even though he was worried, he knew there was a high chance that Ivy’s condition would improve over time. They just needed to be patient until then.

"And Aria, if you lose control like this, who’s going to assure and pacify Ivy?" Noah pulled back as he wiped her face while Aria looked back at him with teary eyes.

"Ivy must be devastated by her state, and she needs someone to assure her that everything is fine, she is fine. She needs you, Aria. You need to remain strong, for your sister, for Dad, for us," Noah cupped her cheeks as he looked at her in the eye while Aria digested every word he had said slowly.

"You are right," Aria agreed after a long time, and Noah sighed softly in relief.

"I cannot break down like this. Ivy needs me. She needs me to help her get better. I cannot accept defeat like this. We got her back, and we will have the Ivy we always knew, we were familiar with."

"Atta girl," Noah chimed and pecked her forehead. "Shall we leave now? I’m sure people will be surprised to see me in the ladies’ washroom. After all, it’s not every day that I come here. Do I?"

Aria let out a chuckle and sniffled softly. "Does it matter? Nobody but your men are here, and I don’t think the doctor or the nurse will use the washroom here. Most of them are too scared to even take a step on this floor."

"It never hurts to be careful. After all, your man’s dignity is on the line," Noah joked, and Aria rolled her eyes in amusement.

"Yeah, right," she scoffed and started walking while Noah followed her.

When Aria and Noah entered the ICU, they noticed Oliver speaking to a sleeping Ivy gently as he held her hand in his. Joshua and Ian were nowhere in sight, and Aria wasn’t bothered by it.

At first, Aria couldn’t hear him. But when she approached him, she heard him loud and clear. "Be strong, Ivy. Everything will be alright." He kept muttering the same words like a mantra as he continued to stare at Ivy.

"Dad?" Aria had calmed down by then, and she had returned to normal. Noah’s words had done the charm, and she was no longer dejected. He was right. Ivy needed her, and she needed to be the stronger one here. Not just her sister, even her father needed her, and she couldn’t break down just like that.

"Aria, you’re back?" Oliver nodded before he returned his gaze to Ivy.

Meanwhile, Noah went in search of his friends and noticed them standing in their usual spot.

"How is she now?" Ian questioned, and Noah didn’t have to guess who he was asking about.

"She’s fine."

"Ian, are the aftereffects of brain injury permanent?" Although Noah had done his research, he needed an expert’s opinion, and he could think of no one but Ian.

"Not necessarily. The effects are more temporary than permanent. The patient returns to normal over time as they recover or with treatment," Ian replied to him. He had a fair understanding of where this was going.

"So, if Ivy has really lost her sense of speech, then..."

"Since she was not mute since birth, she can regain her sense of speech with treatment if she has really lost it."

"What are the odds?"

"10 to 90."

The weight on Noah’s shoulders gradually decreased, and he felt better. Ian’s words gave him the assurance he needed.

"But the prerequisite is Ivy doesn’t lose hope. If she loses hope and gives up on herself, then the path of recovery will be difficult."

"Are you referring to what happened today?"

"Yep. She was recovering quite well, and she didn’t even need a ventilator anymore. But the moment she realized that she had lost her voice, her health deteriorated," Ian’s shoulders sagged in defeat as he shook his head helplessly. "She needs to be motivated to stay calm, and one of us needs to assure her that everything will be alright."

"One of us?" Noah glanced at Joshua, who was looking out of the window, lost in thought.

"Aria. Only she can do it. Somehow, Ivy feels safe around her, maybe the twins’ bond or the fact that she was the one who had been with her when the mishap happened. Aria feels like home to her, and Ivy will trust her more than anyone else," Ian clarified, and Noah pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek thoughtfully.

"I’ll speak to her about this. But I’m sure Aria must have noticed this as well. When Ivy wakes up, we need to let the sisters have their time." Ian looked back and

forth between the two men, and when he didn’t receive any objections from them, he proceeded to carry out his plan.

Aria was the only one in the room when Ivy woke up next. She had already prepared herself with the words she wanted to say to her sister. But the moment she saw Ivy’s blank gaze as she stared at the ceiling absent-mindedly, her thoughts vanished, and she forgot everything.

The faint twinkle in Ivy’s eyes was gone and was replaced by agony and endless grief, and Aria was desolate to see her like this.

Taking a deep breath, she entered her line of sight and smiled warmly at her. "How are you feeling, Ivy?"

No response.

"I have some good news for you. Do you want to hear it?"

Again, no response.

But Aria didn’t take her no reaction to heart. She knew what she’d say next would evoke a reaction from her sister.

"The doctor told me that your muteness is temporary. You’ll recover your sense of speech over time."

This caught Ivy’s attention, and her eyes moved towards Aria, who was grinning at her.

"Are you surprised? I’m not though," Aria explained as she took the chair beside the bed.

"Since you are injured in the brain, it’s a given that you’ll have some after-effects. But they are all temporary. As you recover with time, those effects will reduce, and you’ll return to normal slowly."

Ivy’s eyes quivered a few times, and Aria understood her immediately.

"Are you asking me if I was lying to you?"

Ivy blinked once.

"I’m not. I promise. I have no reason to lie to you. If you don’t believe me, why don’t you test it out yourself?" Aria threw a challenge at her subtly. "Why don’t you recover first? You will find out if I’m lying or not once you get better. Am I right?"

Ivy didn’t respond for quite some time as she continued to stare at her sister. Aria too didn’t avert her gaze away from her as she looked at her with utmost sincerity, hoping that her words would appease her, and eventually, they did.

Ivy finally blinked her eyes twice, and Aria cheered to herself at her victory.

"Awesome. Now, all that remains is for you to recover well. Forget about everything else."