"Oh. I didn't want to interrupt you two." She sounded gutted - almost as if someone took her heart and trampled on it.
Naime moved slightly back, startled by her mother's entrance.
"No, you didn't interrupt us. You didn't lie. Johannes can actually do it. I wish Dad could see this. He'd be so proud." A pleased grin lightened her face, which stood in stark contrast to her earlier face. However, seeing her little brother like that must have made her happy.
"About that… There is more I can do. I only recently found out when my body adapted to the situation." Knowing he could not mention his skill shop, the increasing levels or the system, he tried to stay vague.
Slightly grinning, he turned his torso slightly to the left to fold in his overbed table. Then, he turned to the right and slid the first leg out of the cold bed. His knee now peeked out of his sheets. Johannes allowed his leg to hang down slightly until he closed the distance between his footbed and the floor. While his body started to shake a bit, he knew he had the strength to pull this off.
He would do this without batting an eye if his mother and sister had not been there. However, he was emotionally unstable, showing them his progress.
The two stood there, completely dumbfounded. This was unlike anything they had ever expected. Johannes, the once fragile man who could not even breathe without a breathing machine's assistance, now stood up.
Johannes slightly leaped his bottom to the edge of his bed and cautiously pushed his other leg out of his bed. To him, it felt as if he had moved in slow motion.
Time had stopped, the clock ceased to tick, and cars had shut off their engines. The only things he could register were his mother's wrinkly face, scarred by ageing's wrath and his sister's shocked look. Naime's mouth opened narrowly, and her knees seemed to shake.
He continued and now had both legs on the ground, connecting his body to the floor he wanted to train on. As he stood up, he straightened his back to appear confident.
Johannes could have left it, but he did not want to. They would have already been satisfied to see him standing, but he had to one-up himself.
The tension in the room increased exponentially with every second. Subconsciously, his sister and his mother held their breath.
Eagerly, his right leg slightly leapt into the air and eventually found its balance half a meter before him. With an alternating step, Johannes kept moving forward.
"Since when have you been able to walk?" His sister could not believe her eyes and had trouble even uttering a word.
"It happened a few days ago, I think. My body slowly adapted to my awakening, I think." At this point, Johannes was sure they would not question his logic anymore and would accept what had happened. They must have been proud enough that he was able to walk.
"If only Dad could have seen that. Johannes, that's… honestly amazing. You have to tell the doctor! What if you could.. No." Naime immediately stopped talking, as if she had just said something insensitive. Her gaze went dark, leaving a hint of a smile on her lips,
"If I could, what? Be discharged from the hospital?" It was apparent to Johannes what she was thinking. It was not like he had never thought about that - eventually, he would ask for that anyway.
Her sole response was a slow nod, while her earlier hint of a smile evolved into a huge grin. She looked relieved and incomparably happier than before. Her slender eyes shone like the moonlight that Johannes loved to gaze at.
To announce her presence, their mother cleared her throat and looked at the two siblings. She had been left out of this whole moment. Johannes immediately startled and stared at her. This was the first time he had seen her face correctly since he had walked.
His mother's white eyes were crimson, and her cheek was wet from all her tears. She started to sob uncontrollably, overwhelmed by the sudden display of her son's progress and the realisation that he might soon leave the hospital.
"I don't want you to think that I'm not proud. I love you, Johannes—no, you two and I will always do. Please forget what I said earlier. I need both of you."
Now Johannes started to sob, too. It had been a long time since his mother had spoken such heartfelt words. Now that he thought about it, has there ever been a time when she did?
The three hugged each other tight. Their mother pulled them closer towards her, barely leaving any room to breathe. However, it was alright. This was the first time in a long time that the three of them bonded.
Afterwards, his mother's look changed. It felt determined. A look like that could set the sea ablaze by sheer will.
"We should tell the doctors and nurses. I should have done this earlier. But I will ensure you can leave the hospital in no time. You will live with us."
"W-What? Are you sure? Sh- Should I really live with you at my age?" It was not that Johannes did not want to. Even so, he would have preferred to live alone for now. Especially now that he aims to become a diver.
"You never did. This will be our first time, my dear. I can't make up for the loss of your father, but I want to at least let you experience what you've missed over the years."
His mother did not even wait for his reply. Instead, she immediately turned around and left through the door his father had once left for the last time. The sounds of her high heels echoed confidently, signalling her determination to take charge of her son's future.