Chapter 13
1056words
He liked Bach. He preferred coffee over tea. He used to play piano. He enjoyed rainy days.
Each day, I spent several hours sitting beside him, reading aloud or handling charity foundation work Victoria had assigned me.
"Your mother put me in charge of the foundation's education projects," I said while organizing files. "I think she's starting to trust me."
Squeeze.
Our conversation was interrupted by a knock. Victoria entered, looking more tired than usual.
"The test results are in," she said directly. "Some activity patterns suggest a degree of consciousness, but the experts can't agree."
I nodded, feeling both disappointed and relieved.
"One more thing," Victoria continued. "Jonathan is coming."
"Alexander's uncle?"
"Yes. He heard about the new tests and wants to understand the situation himself." Her tone made me alert. "He's skeptical about your marriage. Dinner is at seven. Be punctual."
After she left, I returned to Alexander's side.
"Your uncle Jonathan is coming tomorrow," I told him. "Your mother doesn't seem happy about it."
Alexander's reaction was surprisingly strong. His fingers gripped mine with surprising force.
"You don't like him?"
Squeeze, very firmly.
"Is he a threat?"
Squeeze.
I took out my tablet, opened a word processor, and displayed the alphabet on screen. "I'll point to letters. When I reach the one you want, squeeze my hand."
Letter by letter, we spelled out a few words: CONTROL. COMPANY. MONEY.
"He wants to control the company," I summarized. "For money?"
Squeeze.
"If you're proven conscious, you'll regain control."
Squeeze.
Now I understood. If Alexander was proven conscious, the legal and business implications would be enormous. As the main shareholder of Blackwood Group, his wishes would matter again.
"So your uncle doesn't want you to wake up," I said softly.
Squeeze, slow and heavy.
***
Jonathan Blackwood arrived the next day. He was a tall man with features similar to Alexander's, but his eyes were cold blue, calculating and assessing.
"So you're the bride," he said, his gaze examining me from head to toe. "Younger than I expected."
Dinner was a carefully orchestrated performance. Conversation stayed on safe topics, but beneath the surface, I felt tension.
"I hear you requested new tests for Alexander," Jonathan said during dessert. "Why? Every test for two years has shown he's in a vegetative state."
"If there's any chance Alexander has more awareness, shouldn't we explore that?" I answered carefully.
"If Alexander is deemed capable of making decisions, the entire family power dynamic will change," he said bluntly.
After dinner, I offered to take Jonathan to see Alexander. When we entered the room, his whole attitude changed. His shoulders relaxed, his eyes grew colder.
"Poor Alexander," he said with fake sympathy. "Once so promising, now just an empty shell."
I noticed Alexander's fingers twitch slightly, a sign of anger I now recognized.
Jonathan walked to Alexander's bed and looked down at him. "A pity, nephew. You could have done great things."
Then he bent down and whispered in Alexander's ear, too quietly for me to hear. But I saw Alexander's heart rate monitor suddenly speed up, the lines becoming irregular.
"Jonathan," I stepped forward immediately, "I think you should leave. Alexander needs rest."
He straightened, a strange satisfaction on his face. "Of course. I don't want to disturb the patient."
He walked to the door but stopped before leaving. "Olivia, some friendly advice: don't get your hopes up about Alexander's condition. Accepting reality will make your life easier."
After the door closed, I rushed back to Alexander's side. His heart rate was still faster than normal, and I could tell he was upset.
"He's gone," I said softly, holding his hand. "You're safe now. I won't let him hurt you."
Slowly, his heart rate returned to normal. His fingers gently squeezed my hand once.
***
That night, I couldn't sleep. As I passed Alexander's room, I heard voices inside. I gently pushed the door open and was surprised to see Victoria sitting by Alexander's bed, holding his hand.
"...must be careful, Alexander," she was saying. "Jonathan is getting bolder. The board is questioning my leadership."
I accidentally bumped the door, making a slight noise. Victoria immediately looked up, alert.
"Olivia," she said, quickly regaining her usual composure. "You should be sleeping."
"I couldn't sleep," I admitted, entering the room. "Do you talk to him often?"
Victoria hesitated, then nodded. "Every night. When no one is around."
"Do you think he can hear you?"
She looked at Alexander's face, her expression softening. "I don't know. But if there's even a small chance..."
"Victoria," I decided to take a risk. "If I told you Alexander can actually hear us, understand us, and even respond, would you believe me?"
She looked at me sharply. "What are you saying?"
"He can answer yes/no questions through hand squeezes," I explained. "One squeeze for 'yes,' two for 'no.'"
She looked doubtful but not completely disbelieving. "Show me."
I turned to Alexander and took his free hand. "Alexander, can you hear me?"
One clear squeeze.
Victoria's eyes widened, but she remained skeptical. "That could just be a reflex."
"Alexander," I continued, "your mother thinks your response is just a reflex. Can you give her a clearer signal?"
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, to our shock, Alexander's fingers began tapping rhythmically on the sheet. One tap, pause, two taps, pause, three taps.
Morse code.
Victoria gasped. "That's... that's conscious."
"Yes," I said softly. "He's been here all along, Victoria. He can hear us, understand us."
Tears welled in Victoria's eyes, the first real show of emotion I'd seen from her. "Alexander? Son?"
One firm squeeze.
"We need to protect him," she finally said, her voice low and determined. "Jonathan can't know about this. Not yet."
I nodded, completely agreeing. "We need a plan."
Victoria looked at me with new respect in her eyes. "Yes, we do. And I think I know where to start."
And so, on that quiet night, an unlikely alliance was formed: a mother and a wife, united to protect the man they both loved.
