[BL] CRAVING HIM: Addicted to His Voice-Chapter 366: The Longest Night, The Brightest Dawn
~Zayn’s POV~
He walked toward us with a slow, measured pace, his face unreadable, a mask of professional detachment that made my blood run cold.
"Mr. Smith," he began, his voice low and gravelly. He stopped a few feet away and took a deep, heavy breath, looking down at the floor for a moment before meeting my eyes again. "The surgery... it was incredibly complicated. There were several moments at the table where the situation became... critical. His vitals dropped significantly about three hours in." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎
I felt Evric’s grip tighten on my hand. I couldn’t breathe. My vision blurred as I braced myself for the words that would shatter everything we had just started to rebuild.
"The damage was extensive," the surgeon continued, his silence stretching for an agonizing beat. He closed his eyes briefly. "I’m sorry it took so long to come out and talk to you. We had to be absolutely certain before we moved him to recovery."
"Doctor, please," I murmured, my voice breaking. "Is he..."
The surgeon finally let out a long sigh, and a little, weary smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. "He’s a fighter, sir. Against all odds, we managed to stabilize him. Your father is alive. The surgery was a success."
The air rushed back into my lungs so fast it made my head spin. I collapsed back into the chair, my face in my hands, sobbing with a relief so violent it shook my entire body.
"He’s okay," Evric breathed, his voice thick with emotion as he pulled me up from the chair and wrapped me tightly in his arms. "He made it, baby. He’s going to be okay."
I sobbed against his chest, clutching his shirt as the paralyzing fear finally broke. The doctor waited for me to catch my breath before adding softly, "We are moving him to a recovery room now. Whether he will wake up soon is still uncertain; the anesthesia was heavy, and it will take its time letting him go. But the important thing, the good news, is that he is alive and he is stable."
Evric looked past my shoulder to the surgeon, his eyes bright with gratitude. "Thank you, Doctor. Truly. Thank you for everything, for your skill, your effort, and for bringing him back to us."
"It’s what we do," the doctor replied with a weary but satisfied nod. "He’s a strong man. I’ll leave you two for a moment."
Once the doctor disappeared down the hall, it was just us. I felt like my legs had turned to water. Evric guided me back to the waiting chairs and sat beside me, pulling me into his side. "Don’t cry anymore, love," he murmured, wiping a tear from my cheek with his thumb. "I know how heavy this has been. I feel everything you’re feeling, but he survived. That’s the victory we needed."
"Thank you, baby," I whispered, leaning my head on his shoulder. "Thank you for staying with me through all of this. I don’t think I could have stood upright without you."
He kissed my temple gently. "It’s okay, honey. Don’t forget, we’re one now. You never have to carry anything alone."
I nodded against his shoulder, my voice barely a breath. "Okay, baby."
A few minutes later, Meera and Liana returned from the parking lot, their eyes searching ours for any sign of news. "What happened? Did the doctor come out?" Liana asked, her voice trembling.
"It was successful," I said, a tired smile finally breaking through. "He made it, Liana."
Liana let out a cry of joy and threw her arms around me while I was still sitting, nearly knocking me over with her relief. "Thank God," she sobbed.
"That is wonderful news," Meera added, her hand over her heart as she let out a long-held breath.
The hospital staff eventually moved our father back to a private room, but as the hours ticked by into late evening, it became clear he wasn’t going to wake up immediately. A nurse came by to check his vitals and turned to us with a sympathetic look.
"It’s getting very late," she said gently. "The anesthesia is still deep in his system, and he likely won’t regain full consciousness until midnight—or even early tomorrow morning. Visiting hours are officially over. It would be best if you all went home, got some proper rest, and returned in the morning. We have your numbers, and we’ll call the moment he wakes or if anything changes."
Liana hesitated, looking at the door. "Maybe I should stay? Just in case?"
"The best thing you can do for him is be well-rested when he actually opens his eyes," the nurse advised.
Reluctantly, we agreed. We walked out of the hospital into the cool night air. I took Liam back from Meera, the weight of my sleeping son a comforting reminder of why we were doing this. We said our goodbyes in the parking lot; Meera and Liana headed to their respective cars, while Evric and I were driven back to the hotel.
The next morning, the sun felt brighter, though the tension hadn’t fully left my bones. We spent the early hours at the hotel, getting Liam fed and dressed. Evric sat on the carpet, distracted by playing with Liam and the mountain of toys from the day before, but I couldn’t sit still. I kept pacing the length of the room, my eyes never leaving my phone.
"Why haven’t they called yet, Evric?" I asked, stopping mid-stride to stare at the silent device. "It’s already mid-morning."
Evric stood up, walking over to wrap his arms around my waist from behind. "Calm down, babe. No news is good news. They’ll call the moment he’s ready to see us. Just breathe."
As if on command, my phone buzzed against the marble countertop. The screen lit up with an unknown number, and my heart skipped a beat.
"This has to be the hospital!" I gasped, snatching up the phone. "They’re calling us!"
I answered, and after a few brief words, I turned to Evric with wide eyes. "He’s awake. He’s asking for us."
"Let’s go," Evric said, snatching up his phone and wallet. We scooped up Liam and hurried out the door, the tension of the long night finally starting to lift.
The drive from the hotel to the hospital was a blur of passing streets, my heart racing faster than the car.
When we reached the room, I stopped for a heartbeat, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open.
The room was bathed in soft morning light. My father was awake. He looked pale and fragile, tethered to various tubes and monitors, but his eyes were open, clear, and filled with a lucidity I hadn’t seen before. The moment he heard the door, his head turned slowly toward us.
"You’re back," he rasped, his voice thin but undeniably there.
"We’re back, Father," I whispered, walking to the side of his bed. I felt a lump in my throat as he reached out a trembling hand toward me.
"How do you feel?" I asked softly, searching his face.
"Not quite better yet," he answered, his voice a mere shadow of what it used to be. "But... I’m alive."
I squeezed his hand, my eyes stinging. "That’s more than enough. That’s everything."
Just then, the door pushed open again, and Liana rushed in. She stopped dead at the foot of the bed, her hands flying to her mouth as she saw him.
"Dad?" she breathed, the word coming out as a sob.
"Come here, Liana," he urged, his voice cracking with emotion. She didn’t hesitate; she hurried over and took his hand, leaning her forehead against his arm as she wept with pure, unfiltered relief.
"How do you feel now?" she asked, tears streaming down her face.
"Much better now," he whispered, his eyes glistening. "It is so good to see all of you. To see my family... I was so afraid the darkness would take me before I could see those eyes one more time."
"It’s a good thing you’re a fighter," I told him, trying to keep my voice steady. "You’re stronger than you look."
He tried to offer a smile, but he winced as the movement pulled at his incisions. Even in pain, there was a peace in his expression that hadn’t been there before.
The next two weeks were a slow journey of recovery. I insisted he stay until the doctors were certain he was perfectly fine. During this time, Evric had to head back first to handle the wedding preparations. In our moment of panic before the surgery, we had set the date, but Evric had bigger plans than a simple ceremony.
"Zayn," he said softly before leaving, "our story... It’s been a journey unlike any other. If someone tried to write it down, it would take almost four hundred Chapters to capture even a fraction of it."
"From the very beginning, we faced storms, misunderstandings, family trials, pain, and mistakes, sometimes our own, sometimes each other’s. And yet, here we are. Every fight, every silence, every heartbreak taught us patience. Every betrayal, every moment of doubt taught us honesty. Every struggle brought us loyalty and a deeper understanding of what it means to truly love someone. We grew from our broken pieces into something stronger, something real... something worth holding onto. The world should see that, see how far love can take two people who refuse to give up on each other."
I told him he had my blessing to plan whatever he dreamed of. While he worked on the grand event...
