THE CEOS ORPHAN WIFE

I dried my wet hands before answering my mother-in-law's call.

"Hello, Mom?"

"Dear, come to St. John's Hospital right away," she instructed as soon as I answered.

"Um, why, Mom?"

"We'll be waiting for you there. We're on our way," she abruptly ended the call providing no details, causing my anxiety to intensify.

In my worry and haste, I reached for my wallet, which was resting on top of the refrigerator, without bothering to change my clothes.

I felt that my mother-in-law's call held significant importance, and I hoped it wasn't delivering bad news.

I hailed a taxi, and in under thirty minutes, I arrived at the hospital.

"Brother, what happened?" I inquired, addressing my husband's eldest sibling.

"It's Ivan—"

"What happened to him? What happened to my husband, brother?" I asked, tears streaming down my face as anxiety went through me and continued, "Where is he?"

"He's in the operating room; he had an accident after his car collided with a truck."

"My God!" I covered my mouth and couldn't hold back my sobs.

Oh, my God! I couldn't stop my legs from shaking, and I felt utterly lost. Ivan's sister hurried over to us and offered me a comforting hug.

The minutes dragged on as we anxiously awaited the medical team tending to Ivan. It felt like an endless wait. After a two-hour stretch, the door to the operating room finally swung open, and we approached the doctor, exiting the room.

"The operation was successful, but we need to monitor him in the ICU for the next twenty-four hours."

I struggled to comprehend the rest of the doctor's explanation. If the operation was successful, why did they have to transfer him to the ICU?

A little while later, I visited my husband in the ICU. A wave of sympathy washed over me as I saw him surrounded by various medical devices, with his vital signs being closely monitored.

They said comatose individuals can hear you, so I knew I should speak to him. I fell silent for a moment because my tears were uncontrollable. I gently held his hand and kissed the unbruised part of his forehead.

"Honey, please, fight, alright?" I bit my quivering lip. "You have to pull through." I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't hold back my sobs.

"If you wake up, I won't give you headaches anymore... I won't be jealous, and I won't argue with you anymore..."

There's a word I've been wanting to tell him, but I couldn't bring myself to say it.

"I love you so much, Ivan. I love you immensely."

Throughout the night, I kept watch over Ivan. His parents and siblings had promised to come the next day to relieve me from my vigil.