Love's Redemption (Chris and Maddie)

Charles got up and went to the window. I wasn't sure what he was doing, so I moved a bit closer to the bed.

Up close, I noticed the woman looked a lot like me, not just in beauty but in other ways too.

With my parents gone, a question which would be forever unanswered crossed my mind. I wondered if they had ever had another daughter.

I glanced at the nameplate by the bed. It read, "Emma Finnegan, age 28".

In my mind, I thought, "Hello, Emma, I'm Madeline!"

Charles then called for the caregiver. "Please come back now," he said.

The caregiver came back quickly, and I followed Charles out of the room.

Charles walked quietly beside me, looking lost in thought. After a while, he said, "The doctors say there's no chance for her to recover. Her family has given up."

I asked him gently, "Are you having trouble accepting that?"

Charles walked slowly, almost dragging his feet. "Aren't miracles supposed to happen sometimes?" he said quietly.

Miracles were rare, even though we heard about them on TV. It was even less likely than winning the lottery.

I walked next to him and said, "You mentioned she's been like this for almost two years. Is that right?"

"Almost," Charles replied softly.

After so long, if a miracle was going to happen, it probably would have by now. Emma's family giving up showed that hope was almost gone.

"You should talk to her family again," I suggested.

Charles looked down. "I've already tried. Her family wanted to give up last week, but I asked them to wait. They agreed to give me one more week, and now only three days are left."

The situation was clear. As time passed and Emma stayed unresponsive, Charles was getting more worried.

"Is it because you can't let go, or because you don't want to feel like you owe her forever?" I asked, trying to understand his feelings.

Charles responded, "Even if she wakes up, I'll still owe her."

From the moment Emma had saved him, he would feel indebted, even if she recovered. He wasn't just feeling guilty; he was emotionally stuck.

"You're struggling because you can't convince her family and you feel powerless, right?" I said, understanding his frustration.

Charles's pace slowed. "I'm not family. I don't have the right to make decisions."

"I don't even have the right to protect her," Charles said quietly, sounding very defeated.

Seeing how sad he was, I asked, "Charles, do you have feelings for your mentor?"

He looked at me, clearly shocked and confused. His reaction told me everything I needed to know.

I didn't know the whole story between them, but it was clear that things were very difficult.

I felt even more sympathy for him now, even though I didn't know how to comfort him.

Everyone had their own struggles, and only they could truly understand and heal their own pain.

Charles didn't say anything more and led me back to the room in silence.

"Madeline, thank you," he said, giving me the fruit and looking genuinely grateful.

I understood why he was thanking me. I nodded and said, "Charles, just keep moving forward."

He nodded and left, and I stood there watching him until he disappeared around the corner. I stayed there, lost in thought.

Then, I felt a light touch on my hand and looked up to see Brandon.