Chapter 179 - Charming young man

In Sarah's hospital room only Aiden's faint whispers and beeping of the heart rate monitors can be heard.

Everyone is tense... they are waiting for Sarah to wake up. In the back of their heads, everyone knows that there is a chance that she will not wake up, but they refuse to let that thought take over and plunge them into desperation. They all decided silently that she will wake up. Any minute now… any minute…

Sophia's phone made a sound. She checked it and saw message from Felix: 'On my way.'

After some time, Felix entered the room and observed gloom atmosphere. Any glee he felt from his encounter with Mark was gone, he looked at Sophia with a heavy heart. She stood up and walked towards him. "What did you find?"

Felix looked at the bed where Sarah is, and felt uncomfortable. He noticed that Stella is also looking at him, waiting for him to speak. Edward is sitting on a chair staring at Sarah, not paying attention to him.

Felix hesitated for some time before speaking. "It's as JoAnna said: Device can move and administer medicine. But this is not a complete product. Movement is only initiated with a specific radio frequency and once initiated it can't be controlled."

Three of them discussed the incident based on how Aiden and JoAnna previously explained. And then to that added what Felix found out.

Their conclusion is that someone from the crowd in the mall had a device that accidentally worked on a specific frequency and triggered the device (small robot) inside Sarah. They all agreed with this, since it's highly unlikely that Philip or someone associated with him would know that Sarah was at that mall at that time in order to start it on purpose.

"It seems we reached dead end... somehow it feels that we are missing something. Can this really be it? It was just an accident?" Stella commented.

"Let's leave it at this for now. What is important is for Sarah to recuperate.", Sophia said.

They all agreed with this.

...

It was dark outside.

Sophia looked at Felix. "Did you eat the food I sent?"

His eyes shifted for a moment. "Yes."

Sophia noticed and became suspicious. "What did you eat?"

He didn't know how to respond and awkwardly smiled. Sophia shook her head confirming that he lied. He didn't eat. "Let's go to cafeteria and grab something. You need to eat, and I'm also hungry." Sophia looked at Stella and Edward. "Do you want to join?"

Stella nodded. "I will join. I have some questions for this young man." Stella glanced at Felix.

Felix looked at Stella and felt intimidated.

Edward refused to go.

On their way out, Sophia pulled Aiden with them. He didn't want to leave Sarah, but he agreed with Sophia that he needs to eat and stopped resisting eventually.

Edward was left in the room with Sarah. He moved to the chair next to her bed, where Aiden used to sit. He looked at Sarah and reached to adjust her hair. Her head was sideways, and she looked like she is sleeping, while resting on her right cheek. Edward moved few strands from her face behind her ear and sighed. He reluctantly held her hand and started speaking. "Hi pumpkin, I don't know if you can hear me, but I want to tell you something... I'm sorry... I know that you are capable. I see that you don't need me anymore and that hurts. I'm proud and hurt to see my baby all grown up. I respect your choices, and I will do my best not to meddle in your life. I am very sorry that I need you to be in such a state so that I can admit these things. Sarah, honey... when you wake up, I will tell you all this again properly." He leaned his forehead on her hand and stayed like that quietly.

...

In hospital cafeteria Stella looked at Sophia and Felix. "How long are you two dating?"

Aiden was absentminded at first, but Stella's stern tone forced him to raise his head a observe what will happen next.

Sophia was stunned for a second, and then opened mouth to answer. "Since..." She wanted to say since Valentine's day, but Felix interrupted her. "When I laid my eyes on her, she captured my heart... since then I'm hers."

Sophia glanced at him and her lips stretched into a smile. Felix was always good with words, and now he expressed his affection openly in front of others, for the first time.

Stella looked at Felix with a surprise. "What a charming young man!" She exclaimed.

Sophia giggled quietly, and she could not believe that Felix won over Stella with one line. 'Smooth talker.'

Stella was sizing up Felix and continued: "Sophia will come back here soon. What will you do? Long distance relationships don't work well."

"I will come here with her." Felix responded without hesitation.

Stella nodded in approval. "I like him...", she told to Sophia.

"You don't need much it seems." Sophia approved how Felix responded to her mom.

"Maybe I'm just good in judging people's character." Stella the turned to Aiden. "And you... what are you doing?"

Aiden looked at Stella feeling intimidated. Why is she raising voice at him?

Stella continued. "You are acting like Sarah is dying. She is fine, and she will wake up any minute. What will she do when she sees you like this? Eat up and go back so that you are next to her when she wakes up!"

Aiden thought for a moment, and then nodded while stuffing food in his mouth. What Stella said made sense. Sarah will wake up soon. And if he is not there, he will miss it. What will Sarah think if she wakes up and he is not by her side? In few minutes Aiden finished his plate and rushed back to Sarah's room.

"You didn't lose your touch.", Sophia told her mom. "You always knew how to motivate us, even when you are down."