* The song above is the song that goes with this entire story, so give it a play? :) Also, this chapter is not a letter, so the POV is a bit different. *

When I woke up this morning, or noon rather, I didn't feel very rested at all. I mostly felt sore, and exhausted like someone had stolen my peace of mind.

Maybe it had something to do with all of the minutes that had passed, where I should have been awake, in the car, and with Jude at the hospital.

I skipped breakfast, dressed without much thought, and got in the car to go.

I'm still in that very car, driving to the hospital, because he has a CT scan scheduled for today. It has been a couple of months since they've done any scans, and they think it's time to look again, to see if everything is healed, if there is any good reason for why he isn't waking up.

They don't think I have much sense, the doctors, but I don't care. If given the choice, I would again tell them that, "As long as my husband breathes, we're not letting him go."

They didn't argue with me.

Anyway, I think I have twenty... no, ten minutes until I get there.

Hopefully I won't be late.

I really don't want anyone touching Jude while I'm not there. I trust his nurses, but the doctors...

I don't trust them. I trust that they won't intentionally harm him, but I don't trust them to be careful, to make sure that he's treated with a great amount of sensitivity.

I don't care how silly they think I am for wanting him to be treated gently.

. . .

I get to the hospital ten minutes after when the scan was scheduled.

I walk into the lobby quickly, all business.

The woman at the desk, who I've become familiar with, calls out to me as I'm passing.

"Miss Brahm! Hey!"

I slow, turn my head, come to a full stop.

She waves her hand at me, gesturing for me to come to her. "I think you should know that your husband has changed rooms."

I tilt my head to the side. "He was getting a scan. They take them to another room for that, correct?"

"No, ma'am, something happened during the scan."

My heart drops, just ever-so-slightly, and I frown despite myself. Despite the guard I have up against people. "What happened? Where is he?"

"He's in 312," she says, clicking around on her computer. "I'm not sure what happened."

"Oh my God," I mutter, walking quickly away. When I near the elevator, I run the last couple of steps.

There's a man in the elevator with me when I'm going up. That little girl's dad--Georgia's dad. He's going to the floor above mine.

"You're going to three today, Mrs. Brahm?"

I swallow, smiling tightly, trying to hide the panic. "Something happened to Jude," I say softly, looking up at him.

He frowns, looking away. He speaks as the doors open on floor three. "I'm so sorry."

I don't reply. I start walking down the hall as quickly as I can.

At the room, though, I'm forced to stop.

One of the doctors comes out, and he catches me before I go inside. 

I don't give him any time to speak, or to try to explain himself. "You had better get out of my way. I need to see him."

I wish I sounded authoritative, but I sound weak. I sound like I'm going to cry, like my voice is going.

He stands in my way, and begins explaining. "Just listen to me for a moment, Mrs. Brahm. Your husband had a seizure while they were moving him onto the trolley."

My eyes aren't keeping my tears contained anymore. It's no use. This man already has seen me cry before. Many, many times. "Is he alright?"

"When he was having the seizure, he went into cardiac arrest. It took several tries to get him breathing again."

I cover my face, swallowing the bile that is rising in my throat. "So... he's alive?"

"Mrs. Brahm, he's not only alive, your husband's brain activity is... normal."

My heart still for a moment. "What?"

"He's alive. His mind is alive."

I blink, tears still coursing down my cheeks.

He's alive.

Normal.

He's alive.

"We're trying to get some tests, but you can go in there as soon as we're done."

"When will that be?" I ask quickly.

"Ten minutes at most," he replies, nodding. "Just go and sit down."

He goes back into the room, but instead of going to a waiting room, I allow myself to sink to the floor right there, right on the hall floor.

I was right. This might actually be the way it is.

He's alive.

And he's not brain dead, he's alive.

Oh my God. My Jude is alive.

It feels like it has been forever before they come out and say I can go inside.

"You can have a moment with him. He's stable."

I offer them all a smile, and I actually feel it.

Inside the room, it looks just like his other room. And Jude, he looks just like he did when I was here yesterday.

I smile, sitting down on the edge of his bed. "Hello, love."

I lick my lips, smiling brightly. "The doctors tell me that you almost died earlier. You should be more careful. But they also told me that you're okay... really okay. That your brain is all there. And I'm awed."

I get no response, but that's okay.

"I'm so glad that you're okay. I was scared," I say softly. "Can I sit up there with you? It would make me feel more secure. More like you're here."

Carefully avoiding the monitor wires, tubes, and everything else that leads from Jude to the machines around him, I climb up onto his bed and curl up against his side.

His heartbeat is steady under my ear. 

I smile at the sound, taking his one, untapped hand in mine. "I love you so much. To Polaris and back, and further." I lift his hand to my lips and press a careful kiss to his palm. "Stick with me, okay?"

His breathing is my reply.

"Jude." I kiss his hand again.

And I notice something.

His heartbeat... it has sped up.

"Jude," I say softly, pressing his hand to my cheek. "Can you hear me, love?"

His breath hitches, and I swallow, tears pricking my eyes. I set his hand back on his chest and tilt my ear toward his heart.

"Love, are you hearing me?" I ask. I smile at the sound of his heart rate increasing. "I love you."

I almost jump when his hand shifts, and moves steadily toward me.

His fingers brush my hair, and tears fill my eyes. I let him touch me, not bothering to process, not bothering to take the time to be in shock.

I sit up, and take his hand. "Jude dude," I call softly, smiling at him. There are tears coursing down my cheeks, but I don't pay them any mind.

At the sound of his name, his eyelashes flutter. He opens his eyes a little tiny bit, and half of his mouth turns up in a little smile.

"Jude," I say, voice cracking. "Where the hell have you been all of my life?" I whisper, leaning forward to hold his hand against my cheek.

He doesn't speak, but his fingers press mine gently, faintly. 

"I love you so much, but I need to call the doctors, okay? Okay?"

He squeezes my hand.

"I promise I'll be right back, okay? I love you. Don't go back to sleep."

I climb off the bed and run from the room, stopping at the reception desk in the middle of the hall. "Will you call the doctors that are working with Jude Brahm, please? Tell them to hurry."

She nods, and I turn back toward his room, keeping myself from running, even though I'd love to.

As soon as I'm back in the room, I climb onto his bed and brush his cheek gently with my fingers. "Are you still awake, love?"

His hand comes up and finds mine, holds my fingers.

"I..." I swallow, shutting my eyes tightly against all of the crazy, tempestuous emotions like relief and joy and grief and everything else. "I have missed you."

He opens his eyes a little bit more than earlier, still only a little, but more than before.

I laugh softly, smiling. "I've missed seeing your beautiful eyes."

He blinked them, slowly, sluggishly perhaps, but he moved.

I had never seen a more beautiful thing than him moving.

And then the doctors arrived.

. . .

It took a lot of time to explain everything, mostly because I was tongue-tied and having a hard time remembering anything because I was overwhelmed.

They've labelled this situation 'miraculous'.

I've never been more proud. I've never been more sure of myself as a person.

And Jude, I love him more than one human should be allowed to love another.

He's alive, he is still himself, he isn't paralyzed.

He won't talk, though. The doctors asked him if he could, and he opened his mouth like he would, then he got really still and shook his head slightly.

They say he can. They say it's in his head and therapy will fix it.

But I don't know if therapy is what he needs. I think he needs to go home.

So in a couple of weeks, when they release him (or us, since I don't intend to leave the hospital while he's still here) I'm taking him home.

He agrees with me. Home is the best idea.

Now, I'm lying beside him on his bed. He's asleep, but he's not still as death. And he's warmer.

And more tired. The doctors checked his reflexes to make sure he's okay.

His legs are fine, his arms are fine. His neck doesn't seem to have any permanent damage from the accident.

I can't believe that he's okay.

And I still need to go thank that little girl for telling me he'd wake up.

. . .

I'm going to tell Georgia thank you for her kind words.

She truly helped me to believe, and perhaps she helped Jude to believe, too.

At the door of her room, I stop to knock on the doorjamb. "Miss Georgia?" I call softly.

Her dad comes to the doorway and smiles at me. "Her nurse told us your husband is awake. It's a miracle."

I smile, nod slightly. "It truly is. I'm happier than I have ever been in my life." I lean over to look around him. "Is Georgia awake?"

He nods. "She is. Want to see her?" 

I nod again. "I need to thank her."

He smiles and steps aside for me to walk past him.

Georgia smiles as soon as she sees me, waving a small hand. "Hi, Miss Aurora."

I sit on the edge of her bed. "Hello, Miss Georgia. Did you hear my news?"

She nods, beaming. "Mister Jude is awake."

I smile in return, warmth spreading in my chest. "Exactly. So I came here to thank you."

She cocks her head at me. "Thank me for what?"

I take her hands in mine. "For giving me hope."

"Oh," she says, like that's not what she thought I was going to say. "That's not a big deal. I do that all of the time."

"I know. You're like hope itself," I say, squeezing her hands. "Don't ever change. Always hope, okay?"

She nods. "Of course I will. My mama always told me that if you don't hope, you're not really alive. So you have to hope. If you don't, you're as bad as dead." She sighs. "You should be like hope itself, too."

I smile. "I'll try, Miss Georgia."

She nods, smiling. "Good. I'll see you later, then?"

I nod. Carefully, I lean down and hug her. "Of course." 

"Tell Mister Jude I said hi," she says, as I stand up.

"I will," I assure her, shaking her father's hand. "Take care of her. She's something special."

He smiles at me. "I will."

"Good."

As I'm leaving, I hear him behind me, saying, "But all people are special, so we should treat everyone that way."