After one more heavy step, Adrien exhales this heavy breath he’s been holding the entire time. He’s been clinging to the bar as if his life depended on it.

“Good job, Adrien!” His physical therapist praises him once he walks across one bar on his own. This is his 12th session of physical therapy and he has been with this therapist since the beginning. The railing spans from both ends of the room. For most people, a mere 15 feet is easier than a walk in the park, but for Adrien, it feels like he’s running a full marathon (not even half).

The room they’re in right now has equipment dedicated to patients who need help gaining their mobility back. Other equipment that targets physical strength and endurance for the patients is situated in different areas in the room. Thankfully, Adrien only needs the railings bolted to a wall. His physical therapist then continues, “You were able to finish one round of the bar! That is a lot of progress–”

“Is that the best you can do?” A new voice chimes in, gaining the attention of Adrien and the therapist. A smile forms on Adrien’s face when he sees Doctor DC enter the room. Even if her tone is pointed, her hands are crossed before her, and she holds her head high, Adrien feels relief and familiarity wash over him.

He’s happy to see her here. And he knows that she’s happy to see him too even if she won’t display it through her expressions.

“Doctor DC!” The therapist exclaims. “I’m glad to see you here. Adrien was able to walk for one round–”

“Is that the best you can do?” The doctor interjects, looking at Adrien while raising an eyebrow.

“Doctor,” the therapist says, “it is good to let our patients go at their own pace without forcing them.”

“I’m not forcing, maybe…challenging would be a better word.” She looks at Adrien. “What’s this? Are you a rock again?”

The therapist was horrified to hear the doctor’s taunting words. “Doctor!”

“...No,” Adrien answers quietly, his hands still holding onto the bar firmly.

“Then what are you?” Doctor DC asks.

“A…A pebble.”

“And would a pebble walk for only one round?”

Now the therapist is outright confused. “Pebbles don’t walk–”

“Two,” Adrien mutters.

“Excuse me?” The doctor says.

Adrien clears his throat and says in a louder voice, “Pebbles walk for two rounds.”

Doctor DC brings a hand before her. “Show me then.”

“Doctor,” the therapist rests a hand on the doctor’s arm, “we shouldn’t push him too hard–”

“No. He’s proving a point. Let him do it.”

Adrien inhales deeply and breathes out through his nose while loosening his grip on the bar to relieve the tension on his fingers before he takes hold of the bar again. You can do it, Adrien. Come on, you can do it. He looks at his therapist who has a hint of worry written on her face, but when he shifts his gaze to the doctor, there is a remnant of a smile on her face and that is exactly what would give Adrien the extra boost of confidence he needs to walk the length of the bar twice.

He begins slowly but surely. His therapist would move with him but Doctor DC would always give the reminder that the therapist would have to stay a few feet away from Adrien.

It was difficult, but Adrien was eventually able to finish the two rounds. Even if raising his foot would prove to be a challenge at times, he braved it and made sure that he would not only make his therapist proud but especially Doctor DC. Fat beads of sweat form on his forehead and he wipes them away gingerly.

“...There,” he breathes out. His legs might be albeit shaking and he would have to rest his forearms on the bar to make sure that he was still standing, but he made sure to keep his head erect. He holds his stance, feeling proud of himself and what he was able to achieve. “I…I finished two rounds. I did it.”

Doctor DC nods her head slightly in approval. “Pretty impressive for a pebble.” And without anything else, she slips her hands inside her coat pockets and turns on her heel to exit the room.

As the doctor leaves, Adrien finally lets himself loose and slowly sits on the floor out of exhaustion. His therapist rushes to him and assists him with wiping away his sweat. “Are you okay, Adrien?”

“Y-Yes,” he answers in a shaky voice. He may be tired, but inside he is bursting with contentment over his feat.

“You made me very proud to see you walk two rounds.”

Adrien flashes a small smile at the therapist.

“But Doctor DC shouldn’t have forced you that way,” the therapist continues.

“She did not force me. It was a challenge.”

“Hm, that doctor is really something.”

“Yeah…” The smile on Adrien’s face widens. “That’s why I love her.”

—---------

Despite being cooped up in his room most of the time, Adrien is thankful for the people who would come to visit him. Aside from the occasional people like his mother and Doctor DC, his friends, nurses Nino and Nath, would always make time to spend time with him during their shared breaks. Especially now.

“You smuggled beer?!” Adrien utters in bewilderment as Nino hands him a cold can of beer after giving Nath one for himself.

“Of course!” Nino says as if it’s the most normal thing to do. “You think we’re just going to talk here? Dude, that’s boring.”

“I actually wouldn’t mind just talking,” Nath says.

“Oh shush, Nath. Adrien hasn’t had any alcohol for the past months he’s been recovering. One can won’t hurt and plus, it’s beer – the drink with a very little percentage of alcohol.” Nino reaches over to open Adrien’s beer. Nath finally relents and opens his can as well. Nino then takes another unopened can of beer and opens it for himself before raising it into the air. “I propose a toast to our dear friend, Adrien. May he continue his speedy recovery. Got anything to say, Nath?”

“Ah, uh,” Nath stammers, following Nino with raising his can of beer. “I’d like to make a toast for the three of us. May we continue to survive the busy lives we choose to lead. And hopefully, nothing bad happens to any of us anymore.”

“I concur,” Adrien says before adding his own input, “I would just like to say that I’m grateful to be around you again. I’m happy to have another chance at life. I’m thankful to be surrounded by supportive friends and loved ones.”

“Oh we definitely know who he refers to as the ‘loved one’,” Nino cheekily comments, causing Adrien to blush.

The three nurses clink their cans of beer together before chugging down almost half of the beer in the cans. Adrien felt great to have the familiar taste and feel of beer in him again – both soothing and filling at the same time. Just being with Nino and Nath makes him remember the time of normalcy he had before the accident. It’s great to forget for one moment what happened to him and just enjoy life as it is.

Nino takes Adrien’s can of beer to place it on the bedside table along with the other two. “Thanks,” Adrien mutters.

“So,” Nath starts, “got anything you want to share with us, Adrien? I’m sure you’ve regained some of your memories. It would be nice to talk about them if you want.”

“I, uh, actually have one that I would like to talk about.”

“What is it?”

“I want to thank you both for your help in preparing for the surgery of the young boy.”

Nino and Nath freeze in their seats and glance at each other before returning their gazes to Adrien. “...You remember that?” Nath asks carefully.

Adrien nods and begins to nervously fiddle with the white blanket lying atop him. “I remembered a week ago. I just never had the guts to bring it up with you two because I felt ashamed of asking you to help me even if it meant risking your jobs.”

“Dude,” Nino starts, “you know that we would do anything for each other.”

“Yes,” Nath replies, “sure, we may have had our shortcomings when we first started this job, but in the long run, we have each other’s backs.”

“Whatever we do, as long as it’s good, we’ll always make sure that we’ll help each other,” Nino finishes.

Hearing their words made Adrien’s heart swell with emotion. Maybe it’s the accident that changed his outlook in life since he feels overtly sensitive now and is on the verge of tears. It brought him great joy to hear what Nino and Nath had to say. He inhales sharply and tries to keep his tears at bay despite them beginning to pool in his eyes. “You guys…you might make me cry,” he admits sheepishly.

“R-Real men cry, dude,” Nino says. Adrien could see that he was also fighting back his tears.

“It’s the beer, right?” Nath asks, his voice shaky from his emotions as well. “It’s definitely the beer that’s making us feel these things.”

“I don’t care,” Adrien utters before he bursts into tears, unable to hold them back any longer. The two other nurses follow suit, sniffing and allowing the tears to fall down their faces. The three look at each other and begin to chuckle softly, finding this whole scenario humorous to an extent. They may have never shown such vulnerability to each other, but at least it shows how they have grown to be comfortable with one another already. He spreads his arms wide and invites them, “Come here and don’t refuse me or think that this is cringe.”

Without any hesitation, Nino and Nath stand from their chairs and head to Adrien’s side to wrap their arms around him. The three hug each other tightly and begin to laugh at the absurdity of how things escalated from drinking beer to hugging each other.

None of them minded it though. They each felt good and comfortable in the embrace.

And it made Adrien all the more thankful that he truly is alive.

—---------

Although it’s Marinette’s break for the next 16 hours, she decided to spend some of her hours with Adrien even if it’s late at night already. As much as she would have wanted to spend the day with him awake, her work schedule wouldn’t permit it. She’ll have to make do with what was given to her.

She’s been sitting on the chair beside his bed for the past hour and has busied herself with reading a book she brought along with her. The light from the lamp by Adrien’s bedside shines enough for her to read the words written on the pages of the book.

She likes this, staying beside Adrien as he sleeps peacefully. Seeing him in a comfortable position makes her feel comfortable too. 

Marinette then shuts her book and reaches inside her tote bag to bring out the matching charm she bought back in Adrien’s hometown. She remembers Adrien telling her through the phone that he had his matching charm with him on the day of the accident. Marinette thinks he must have lost it in the accident and thought that it would be right that she would give hers to him.

She’s sure that he’ll be happy.

She brings out an old folded receipt from her bag and a pen to write down a short note on the back side of the receipt. I think you lost yours, so I would gladly give you mine. Let this bring you more luck. She places the pen back inside the bag.

After, she leaves both the note and the charm beside each other on his bedside table. “Hopefully this will be a pleasant surprise for you when you wake up in the morning, Adrien,” she whispers to herself with a contented grin on her face. 

On the table is Adrien’s journal notebook that he has been using to practice his writing again. It is left open on a specific page on the table.

From where she is seated, Marinette could see some words written on the page. They look like they were written by a young elementary school student, but she understands that it’s Adrien’s handwriting. He still is in the process of relearning the different strokes of writing the alphabet.

She couldn’t help herself but begin to peek at the words written down on the exposed page of the notebook.

You are Adrien Agreste. The first line amuses her. This is an activity for patients to help them with self-assurance. Knowing one’s identity and capabilities helps patients find themselves again. She continues to read. Even if his handwriting is wonky most of the time, she is still able to decipher the words.

Your parents are Gabriel and Emilie Agreste. You call them Father and Mother.

You design clothes.

You are also a nurse.

You work at Webford General Hospital. Specifically in the cardiology department.

Your close friends are Nino and Nath.

You almost got your license revoked. Guilt overcomes her after she reads this line.

Yet…you're a good nurse.

“The best nurse I’ve ever encountered actually,” she murmurs.

Marinette then proceeds to read the last line he wrote and it instantly made her feel mushy inside. Perhaps the last line is the most romantic thing she has ever encountered.

You are in love with Doctor Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

She smiles and grabs her pen from her bag again to write on the line under, (And she is very much in love with you, too.)

She shifts her gaze toward Adrien’s sleeping form and her heart is just full of love at this very moment. She is so blessed to have him and she doesn’t want him out of her life at all. She’s come to realize that now.

And she’s come to accept it wholeheartedly.

Imagining the rest of her life with Adrien is something that she wants in reality.

She knows that she can make it happen in some way. Perhaps…in a manner that would make Adrien excited too.

Marinette leans close to Adrien and gently rests a hand on his arm. “Hey, Adrien,” she whispers, “when you get out of this hospital…I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” Her eyes become misty and she tries to blink the tears away. She couldn’t help herself; she’s in a state of pure bliss and contentment. “...I hope you’ll say yes when I ask you to marry me.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope you enjoyed this chapter :3 Personally one of my favorites ♡

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