Chapter 79 — The Scream
Midnight.
The hospital was quiet again.
The long, painful day had finally forced exhaustion onto everyone.
Lights in the ICU waiting wing were dimmed.
Only soft yellow lamps remained glowing above the couches.
Most of the group had fallen asleep wherever they had been sitting.
Blankets. Chairs. Sofas. Even the floor.
No one had the strength to go back to the resort.
They were staying.
Until Cole woke up.
Or until the doctors told them something else.
---
The Silent Night
Keifer sat half-awake in a chair near the window, his arms folded, eyes closed but mind alert.
Beside him, JJ leaned against his shoulder, sleeping lightly.
Across the room, Ash had curled up beside Honey on the couch, the two sharing a blanket.
Percy was stretched awkwardly across two chairs while Aries sat beside him with his head tilted back against the wall.
Near the far side of the waiting room, Freya slept against Endrix's shoulder.
Rakhi and Cin sat quietly together, both dozing lightly.
Alex remained awake, sitting beside Lyra, holding her hand gently.
Across from them, Daisy leaned against Joong, who had finally stopped checking his phone and fallen asleep.
The ICU hallway was calm.
Still.
Peaceful.
But inside one hospital room—
Peace was about to shatter.
---
The Nightmare Ends
Care's body suddenly jerked violently.
Her breathing became uneven.
Her hands clenched tightly in the hospital blanket.
And then—
She screamed.
A raw, terrified scream that tore through the silent hospital floor.
"COLE!"
Her voice echoed through the entire corridor.
The door burst open instantly.
Footsteps thundered in.
---
Everyone Rushes In
The first person through the door was Keifer.
Behind him came JJ, Percy, Aries, Alex, Lyra, Ash, Honey, Freya, Endrix, Rakhi, Cin, Ben, Nova, Daisy, and Joong.
All seventeen people rushed into the room almost at once.
Care sat upright on the hospital bed.
Her breathing wild.
Her face pale.
Tears streaming down her cheeks.
Her eyes looked completely terrified.
She grabbed Keifer's arm immediately.
"Where is Cole?!"
Her voice shook violently.
"Where is he?!"
Everyone in the room froze for a moment.
They immediately understood.
She had been dreaming.
Keifer quickly placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey… hey…"
His voice was calm but firm.
"Care. Relax."
But Care shook her head desperately.
"No—"
Her voice broke.
"He died."
The room went completely silent.
Ash's face turned pale.
JJ stepped forward quickly.
"Care—"
But Care kept shaking her head.
"I saw it."
Her voice trembled.
"They tried to save him… the machines… the doctors…"
Her breathing became uneven again.
"And then they said he was gone."
Tears streamed down her face.
"Where is he?"
Her voice cracked.
"Please tell me where he is."
Nova stepped forward gently.
Her expression calm.
"Care."
Care looked at her immediately.
Nova spoke slowly.
"Cole is alive."
Care froze.
"…What?"
Ben stepped beside Nova.
"The surgery was successful."
Cin nodded quietly behind them.
"He's stable."
Care stared at them in disbelief.
"But—"
Nova gently interrupted.
"You had a nightmare."
Care's breathing slowly began calming.
Her eyes filled again with tears.
"So he's… not…"
JJ smiled softly.
"No."
Keifer squeezed her shoulder gently.
"He's still stubbornly alive."
Percy added quietly from the back,
"Unfortunately for the doctors who had to deal with him."
A few small smiles appeared around the room.
Care covered her face with her hands.
Relief hit her like a wave.
Her shoulders shook as she cried again.
But this time—
It was not grief.
It was relief.
---
Finally Sleeping
After the panic settled, Nova gently checked Care's vitals again.
"Your body is still recovering from hypothermia," she said softly.
"You need rest."
Care nodded slowly.
Her energy had completely drained after the nightmare.
JJ adjusted the blanket around her.
"Try to sleep."
Keifer gave a small reassuring nod.
"He's still here."
Care whispered quietly,
"…Thank you."
One by one, the group slowly left the room again.
Returning to the waiting area.
But this time—
The atmosphere had changed.
The nightmare was gone.
Cole was still alive.
And slowly…
Care finally fell asleep.
A real sleep this time.
Peaceful.
---
The Next Morning
Morning sunlight slowly entered through the hospital windows.
The ocean outside glittered under the tropical sun.
The group had gathered again in the waiting room.
Coffee cups appeared again.
Quiet conversations returned.
Then—
Nova walked out of the ICU wing.
Everyone immediately stood.
"What happened?" Ash asked nervously.
Nova smiled slightly.
"He's waking up."
Relief flooded the room again.
But Nova looked directly at Care.
"He asked for water."
Care stood immediately.
Her heart began racing.
Nova nodded toward the hallway.
"You can go see him."
---
Cole's Room
The room was quiet.
Machines beeped softly beside the bed.
Cole lay against the pillows, pale but alive.
Bandages covered his ribs.
His arm had IV lines attached.
His breathing was slow but steady.
The door opened quietly.
Care stepped inside.
For a moment—
She simply stood there.
Watching him.
Because the last time she had seen him—
He had been lying unconscious in the jungle.
Holding her to keep her alive.
And the last time she thought about him—
He had been dying in her nightmare.
Cole slowly turned his head.
His eyes opened slightly.
And he saw her.
For a moment—
Neither of them spoke.
They just stared at each other.
A long silence filled the room.
Not awkward.
Not uncomfortable.
Just heavy with everything they had survived together.
Finally Cole spoke weakly.
"…You look terrible."
Care blinked.
Then suddenly laughed softly.
A laugh mixed with tears.
"You nearly died."
Cole shrugged slightly.
"Minor inconvenience."
Care walked slowly to the bed.
She sat down beside him.
Her voice softened.
"You scared everyone."
Cole looked at her quietly.
"…You too."
Another long silence passed.
Their eyes remained locked.
Something had changed between them.
Neither of them said it yet.
Neither of them needed to.
Because both of them already knew.
Care finally spoke softly.
"Next time…"
Cole raised an eyebrow.
"There won't be a next time."
She shook her head slightly.
"Don't do something like that again."
Cole smiled faintly.
"…You jumped into a frozen truck with me."
Care looked at him.
"…True."
Both of them laughed quietly.
Outside the door—
Seventeen people stood watching through the glass window.
Ash whispered,
"They're staring at each other again."
Percy smirked.
"Should we interrupt?"
JJ crossed her arms.
"No."
Keifer smiled slightly.
"They need this moment."
Inside the room—
Care and Cole still hadn't confessed anything.
But the truth sat quietly between them.
And everyone outside the room could see it.
But something important had already begun.