Awakening to Tender Care and a Path Forward

A soft, rhythmic beeping pulled me from the depths of darkness. My eyelids felt impossibly heavy, like they were weighed down with lead. I struggled to open them, managing only the tiniest slit at first.

Blinding white light assaulted my vision. I squeezed my eyes shut again, groaning softly.

"Hazel?" A familiar voice cracked with emotion. "Oh my god, she's awake! She's actually awake!"

I tried again, opening my eyes more slowly this time. As my vision cleared, Silas's face came into focus, hovering above me. His glasses were slightly askew, dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his usually neat hair was a disheveled mess. But his smile—god, his smile was radiant with relief.

"Hey," I croaked, my throat painfully dry.

"She's awake!" Silas called out again, his voice breaking. He clasped my hand between both of his, bringing it to his lips and pressing desperate kisses to my knuckles. "You're back. You're finally back."

Footsteps thundered into the room. Suddenly I was surrounded by faces—my bonds, all wearing identical expressions of disbelief and overwhelming relief.

Rhys appeared beside Silas, tears streaming unashamedly down his cheeks. "Hazel. Fuck. We thought—" He couldn't finish the sentence.

Ronan stood at the foot of my bed, hands trembling as he covered his mouth, silent sobs shaking his broad shoulders.

Jaxon hovered in the background, his face a mask of controlled emotion, but his eyes—those eyes that had once terrified me—were wet with unshed tears.

And then Kaelen stepped forward, impeccably dressed as always, but with something broken in his expression that I'd never seen before.

"Miss Thorne," he said formally, though his voice wavered. "On behalf of the Academy, I offer my sincere apologies for the security breach that allowed harm to come to you. I assure you that measures have been implemented to prevent any similar occurrences."

I tried to respond, but my throat was too dry. Silas quickly helped me sip water through a straw, his hands still shaking.

"How long?" I finally managed to ask, dreading the answer.

They exchanged glances, and my heart sank.

"Six weeks and four days," Rhys said quietly.

The shock hit me like a physical blow. "Six weeks?" I whispered, horrified. My hand instinctively moved to my stomach, and panic surged through me. "The baby—"

"Is fine," Kaelen said quickly. "The child's development has continued normally. You've been receiving the best care possible."

I lay back against the pillows, trying to process everything. Six weeks of my life—just gone. Six weeks my bonds had spent waiting, wondering if I'd ever wake up.

A man in a white coat entered the room, someone I didn't recognize. He introduced himself as Dr. Chen and proceeded to examine me, checking my pupils, reflexes, and asking simple questions to test my cognitive function.

"Remarkable," he said finally. "Despite the severity of your head injury and the extended period of unconsciousness, I'm detecting no signs of significant brain damage or cognitive impairment. You may experience some memory gaps around the time of the incident, and your muscles have naturally atrophied somewhat from disuse, but with proper physical therapy, you should make a full recovery."

I tried to sit up straighter and was shocked by how weak I felt. My arms trembled with the effort.

"Take it slow," Dr. Chen advised. "Your body has been through a tremendous ordeal."

After he left, my bonds closed in around me again. They looked terrible—all of them. The kind of haggard that comes not from a few sleepless nights but from weeks of sustained worry and grief.

"Did you all just... wait here? For six weeks?" I asked, my voice still raspy.

"We took shifts," Silas explained softly. "So someone was always with you."

"Talked to you," Rhys added. "The doctors said you might be able to hear us."

"I think I did," I admitted. "Sometimes. Like... fragments of conversations, floating in the darkness."

Jaxon finally approached the bed, his face tight with suppressed emotion. He reached out hesitantly, then jerked his hand back as if afraid to touch me.

"You nearly died," he said, his voice low and rough. "Do you understand that? You nearly fucking died."

The raw pain in his voice made my heart ache. Before I could respond, there was a gentle knock at the door, and two young women in pale blue uniforms entered.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," the first one said kindly, "but now that Miss Thorne is awake, we need to get her cleaned up and begin her care routine."

Kaelen nodded. "Of course. Gentlemen, let's give Miss Thorne some privacy."

My bonds looked reluctant to leave, especially Silas, who was still clutching my hand like he feared I might vanish if he let go.

"We'll be right outside," Rhys promised, gently pulling Silas away.

Once they had filed out, the two women approached my bed.

"I'm Mira," said the first one who had spoken, "and this is Talia. We've been part of your care team during your convalescence."

As the reality of what that meant sank in, heat crept into my cheeks. "You mean... you've been...?"

"Handling all your personal care needs, yes," Talia said kindly. "Don't be embarrassed. It's our job, and we're professionals."

"The headmaster was very specific," Mira added. "Female attendants only for all your intimate care. Your bonds were never present during those times."

That was something, at least. Still, knowing these strangers had been bathing me, changing me, and attending to my most private needs for over six weeks was mortifying.

"Can you sit up on your own?" Mira asked.

I tried, but my muscles screamed in protest. The women gently supported me to a seated position.

"We've prepared a bath for you," Talia explained. "But first, let's get you out of this hospital gown."

They worked efficiently, helping me stand on wobbly legs. I was shocked by how thin my arms looked, how prominent my collarbones had become. They supported me as I shuffled to an adjoining bathroom where a large tub filled with steaming water awaited.

"You should start trying to do some things for yourself," Mira advised as they helped me into the bath. "The more you move, the quicker your muscles will regain their tone."

"We understand your bonds will be protective," Talia added, arranging bath supplies within my reach, "but don't let them baby you too much. Walking, washing yourself—these small activities are crucial for your recovery."

I nodded, sinking into the warm water with a sigh of relief. It felt heavenly against my skin after weeks of lying in a hospital bed.

"We'll leave you to soak for a bit," Mira said. "There's a call button if you need anything."

As they turned to leave, Talia paused at the door. "Your bonds care deeply for you—that's been obvious these past weeks. But the best way they can help you now is by letting you rebuild your strength on your own terms."

The door closed softly behind them, leaving me alone with my thoughts for the first time since waking. The weight of everything settled on me—the lost weeks, the worry I'd caused, the weakness in my body, and the long road to recovery ahead.

But beneath it all was a fierce determination. Magnus and his allies had tried to destroy me, to tear me away from my bonds. They'd failed. I was still here, still breathing, still fighting.

And no matter how long it took to regain my strength, I would find a way forward. For myself, for my bonds, and for the child growing inside me.