ZOEY AKILA bennet !
sugarhill, north general hospital
featuring; @itszoeyb .

"WE ARE HERE to tell you inform your daughter is very much alive. our medical team conducted several tests and found that she was actually unconscious, just deeply asleep, and had not died," explained the nurse, locking eyes with the visibly shaken man before her.

dayvon's eyes darted back and forth in confusion,"so what your saying is.. my daughter is alive?"

the nurse, with empathy evident in her eyes, nodded vehemently. "yes, she's presently in her room. we've given various medications and performed numerous tests. i recommend you avoid discussing the events of that day when she regains consciousness—her memory doesn't extend beyond the day prior to her fainting."

the man sagged into his chair, the tension draining from him as the feeling of relief washed over. words seemed inadequate to capture the whirlwind of emotions he was experiencing. he felt that maybe, just maybe, his recent return to church had played a part in this unexpected blessing.

as the nurse's words filtered through the heavy air of the hospital corridor, they landed with an improbable weight, carrying a truth that seemed to defy for a father sitting there, grappling with a surge of emotions, it was less about the hows and whys that the nurse elaborated on, and more about the singular, piercing fact that shifted his world on its axis—his daughter, zoey, was alive.

his heart, which moments before had been locked in the vice of grief, now throbbed erratically with a tumultuous blend of relief and disbelief.

the nurse's explanation about tests and medications, about unconscious states mistaken for death, played out like a distant echo as his thoughts tunneled with overwhelming focus on only one thing.

zoey.

while the nurse's lips moved, expounding on medical procedures and cautions about fragile memories, the father found himself anchored by only that one resonant note in the cacophony of information.

his daughter was alive.

in his rattled mind, questions clamored for attention—how could it be, what happened, what's next?—but they fell away, unasked and unanswered.

his confusion melded and even amidst the jumble of half-heard medical terms and guidelines for the path ahead, only one thing truly mattered. his daughter was here, her existence defying the grim prognosis he had braced against.

the man slouched in his seat, feeling relieved, if that was even the word that could possibly describe how he was feeling at the moment. he didn't know what miracle had brung up to this moment, but he knew that going to church was helping.

the nurse extended a set of documents toward him. "we'll just go and check on her one last time before we allow you to go into her room," she said before rising from her chair. hrt footsteps echoing in the quiet of the office as she departed.

dayvon unfolded the documents, barely registering the details his eyes mechanically traced over. his mind was singularly fixed on the prospect of seeing zoey—his daughter and no one else.

the surreal turn of events had uprooted his grim reality; he'd been en route to collect her, to tenderly prepare her for her final rest. yet, there he was, standing in disbelief as a phone call rewrote the narrative, transforming the end of a story into a miracle. clutching the papers, he carefully tucked them back into the folder provided and rose swiftly, intent on exiting the nurse's office.

navigating the hallway, he glanced up and down before taking a left, as he reached the waiting area, his eyes instinctively found and recognized a young boy with a hood drawn up—a familiar face. "i ain't know you got here already. you get my text?" dayvon asked as he took a seat next to him.

the light-complexioned boy raised his head, his eyes heavy and tinged with red—a clear sign he had been crying repeatedly. dayvon recognized the look all too well; it mirrored his own reflection ever since the day the doctors announced the passing of his daughter.

he gave a slight nod and gently placed his phone in his lap. "i've got good news," the older man uttered softly, turning his gaze towards darrian.

darrian listened with a soft hum, signaling for the man to go on. "zoey's awake now. the nurses say her heart's beating on its own at the moment," he said, allowing a faint smile to grace his face as he handed over the folders beside him.

hearing this, darrian felt a jolt as if his own heart had skipped a beat. confusion started settling in, questioning the reality of the news—whether it was a figment of his imagination provoked by a high, though the last time he had smoked was before entering the building, his high would already be faded by now.

he tried to grasp the words that had just been spoken, doubting he had heard correctly. he removed his left airpod to ensure no detail was missed, he sought confirmation, his voice rough and scratchy, betraying the extent of his smoking habit. "what you say?" he asked, his raspy tone seeking clarity and truth.

"the nurses and doctors confirmed zoey was just unconscious. ion know how they confused that shit for being dead, but, her heart running."

the words started echoing in darrian's mind, causing him to take the folder gracefully—his eyes scanning every word as if he knew what the papers even meant.

he felt like his prayers were acutally heard, he didn't know what type of shit had happened for her to actually be okay, breathing, healthy and alive.

he had no clear expectations, yet this outcome was certainly not among them. his mind swirled with thoughts, bombarded by a bunch of his inner voices that seemed to speak all at once, hastening to make sense of things.

before he could align his thoughts or voice another question, the nurse emerged from the room, a clipboard in hand, her mask lowered to reveal a faint smile.

"she's awake now, and i've just given her something to eat, but you're both welcome to come in," the nurse announced to them before she departed. dven she, a witness to many hospital miracles, felt joy for them—this case was unlike anything she had encountered, and it brought her genuine happiness.

the two males exchanged glances. "you should—probably go first," darrian suggested, his eyes glistening with tears which he quickly wiped away with his hoodie sleeve. despite his urge to rush in and hug the fuck out of zoey, to see her smile, he understood that it was only proper to allow the father to enter before him, out of respect.

dayvon cleared his throat, acknowledging with a simple "yeah." he then hoisted himself from his chair and approached the door across from them, gripping the doorknob and stepping inside.

as darrian caught a fleeting glimpse of a moving arm, his head tilted, and his eyes lit up, his entire expression brightened—a sign he was finally feeling a sense of tranquility wash over him.

he swiftly took out his phone, eager to update dd and everyone else with the shit he just found out. despite a part of him fearing it was a dream, he clung to the hope that this was indeed reality, not just a figment of his imagination.

while he was engrossed in his phone, he began to drift off in thought—pondering what he would say to her.

he suspected the right words might simply come to him in the heat of the moment, but the uncertainty of it unsettled him, especially not knowing the extent of her awareness of recent events.

the idea of finally being able to ask her out, to make their relationship official, was overwhelmingly enticing. darrian had been having plentiful of dreams like this for the past couple of days, noo he didn't want to put his hopes up for nothing just for him to wake up again.

but he even pinched himself lightly on the wrist, which caused him to frown but realize that this was real life and he was actually expressing this in real life time.

at this point he was starting to plan out everything that he had lost track of time. ten minutes passed, twenty passed and he was still stuck on his mind of the scenarios he was imagining since zoey when she was healed, or had everything she nodded becuase he himself didn't know if she needed to dayy in the hospital more or not.

but what he did know, is that he was gonna ask her out soon, and he was gonna hug her so tight becuase he didn't wanna risk anything this time.

he had so much changes to do this shit, and he didn't take them but now, he had everything planned to make sure everything went his way—smoothly and just as he imagined.

"she said she wanna see you," the deep voice startled him, causing darrian to instantly shoot up from his sets, pulling up his grey sweatpants. "hm? i could in, now?" he asks hesitantly which brought a slow nod from the older male.

"she real exicted to see you, you better hurry up." dayvon says, a smile making his way onto his lips that darrian has litteraly never seen before, he was actually thinking this was really real at this point.

darrian gave a nod, his mouth opened as if to speak, but his actions acted before his thoughts, and he found himself stepping towards the door. he paused, taking in the sight of it. running his hands along the smooth fabric of his sweatpants, he gathered his resolve and turned the metal knob.

he scanned the room immediately, his eyes searching for zoey, the dark-skinned girl who had occupied his dreams and daydreams for days on end. seeing her, it felt like the air was being drawn right out of his lungs as their gazes locked.

"darriannnn, is that you bookie?"

the girl was sat on her bed, her hair still intact with the two jumbo braids her hair was in the last time he saw her. they were a bit messy, but it was slowly convincing him thsy this wasn't a freak. the girl now dressed in a blue patient gown, the blue gown covering her body from head to toe.

she waved at him, her dimples popping out when she saw him, it was like they were seeing each other for the first time ahain.

struck mute, darrian's voice seemed to catch in his throat as he slowly closed the door behind him. zoey smiled so broadly it pained her, setting aside her apple juice to attempt rising from her bed, but darrian was quick to her side, gently grasping her arm to discourage her from getting up.

though her arms were cold, there was a warmth there that soothed him, a reassurance that lent him a sense of calm.

her glowing smile and outstretched hand, reaching to caress his face, established an intimate connection as their eyes held each other's gaze. zoey's presence, her smile alone, reignited familiar feelings within darrian—a sense of safe and comfort that seemed unique to the bond they shared.

"darrian, how'd i get here? the only thing i remember is when i was in your room.. and i fell asleep on you? i don't know but i've missed you, but where have you been, baby?" zoey inquired with a gentle pout, her chilly fingers gently tracing his cheek.

overwhelmed by emotion, darrian remained silent, tears welling up in his eyes. he attempted to bow his head, but zoey quickly prevented him from doing so by grabbing both sides of his face. "darrian, why do you look like you're about to cry?" she asked with a slight frown, her voice gentle as ever, which had a calming effect on him.

"i'm not, ma," he whispered back, on the verge of tears despite his denial. he reached for the chair next to her bed, slumping into it. as he settled, he turned to observe zoey, her face beaming with a broad smile.

"i've missed you. did you miss me? the doctors told me that i fainted... for like days. did everyone think i was gone for, like, good? that'd be crazy. this apple juice isn't bad, though. anyways, how are you?" she inquired casually, prodding his cheek with a playful smile.

her words, innocently uttered without full understanding of the gravity of the situation, sparked frustration within darrian. yet he found comfort in the fact that she remained her usual self—talkative and spirited, unchanged by recent events.

"don't say that shit, aight? don't joke bout that, zoey." he told her softly, swallowing his unease as their eyes met.

noticing his discomfort, her smile faded into a nod of understanding. "do you wanna hug?" she offered, her voice tinged with nervousness.

it had felt like forever to the both of them since they had any

eager for her embrace, darrian leaned forward to hug her. the physical space was awkward with her on the bed, but she managed to loop her arms around his neck, drawing him in close enough to catch the faint hint of his cologne.

"i missed you." he muttered so low she could have missed it but she heard him, she watches as his hand makes his way to his—interlocking them.

her grin was infectious, "i've really missed you too, bookie. i'm starving though, this sandwich isn't cutting it—it's as stale, it tastes like cardboard. seriously, i need a actual meal." zoey's words trailed off as he drew back from the hug. darrian's gaze instinctively fell to her lips, rapidly shaping words, and he couldn't help but smile - her rambling was a just as much as he remembered it.

this is real, he had his zoey back.

"oh my god, and did i tell you this morning they gave me this pill.. i don't know what pill it was but it's making me so hungry.. i've never been this hungry, like in my life and i actually need to eat." she groans, pulling her head back.

"i can order you some shit, you know when you going back home yet?" he asks as he pulled out his phone, handing it to her since she already knew the password.

zoey twists her lips, "i don't know your password, darrian.. but yeah they said in a couple days since i have to stay back for more tests. i think there trying to make me tests and make me turn into that one girl— eleven, or is she a boy? i don't know but i don't wanna be a experiment kiddd. would you still like me if i was one of those kids, darri?"

darrian looked at her with a playful squint—impressed by her energy right after waking up. he didn't quite understand where she got it from; it frightened him a bit, yet it was also reassuring that she hadn't changed at all.

"obviously," he responded quietly, the corners of his mouth turning up into a smile, which prompted zoey to respond with an enthusiastic clap. "good, so when they shave my hair, you gonna shave yours?"

he gave her a side-eye, which sent her into a fit of laughter. her laugh was infectious, and although it was loud, he had missed it so much that he couldn't help but beam with joy. he couldn't recall the last time he'd smiled so freely—it had always been with her.

"ma, no one said anything about that..." he replied, his smile understated, yet inside he felt he'd do just about anything to keep that grin on her face.

zoey huffed, "your so mean to me. omggg, can we get chick-fil-a? the first thing i thought when i woke up was chick-fil-a. no, i lied it was you. but stillll?" she poked at his cheek with pleading eyes.

"i put your usual order, this good?" the phone was handed to her for a moment before she nodded.

darrian nodded, placing the order before setting his phone on her bed. "aight, so what i get in return?"

zoey smiled nervously, "my love?"

he mugged her, which caused her to side-eye him and they were both just giving each other  dirty looks for a good couple of minutes.

zoey couldn't help but chuckle, beckoning him with a playful command, "okayy, bend over." darrian shot her a weird glare, "pause nigga." zoey let out a soft sigh and tugged him closer by his arm until they were inches apart, their heartbeats audible to each other in the quiet proximity.

"your heart's going mad fast," darrian observed softly. "yeah, for you."

before darrian could respond, zoey brought her lips to his in a for kiss. the kiss was gentle at first, gradually deepening as they reacquainted with the touch they'd missed for so long.

to darrian, the softness of zoey's lips was unparalleled, stirring within him an excitement he likened to a giddy first-time feeling—a sensation fresh and just genuine love.

with every kiss, fireworks were both bubbled into their stomachs, the spark from their very first kiss. this beautiful familiarity never dulled; it was a feeling they relished, time and time again, without ever growing tired of it.

zoey was somewhat out of her depth in this whirlwind of emotions, but there was one certainty anchoring her—she reveled in the warmth of their connection. she adored the feel of his kisses, loved the time they spent together, took comfort in his presence, was endeared by his name; in plain terms, she was in love with everything about him.

she recognized her profound affection; it was clear she was head over heels, and she cherished the unprecedented joy he brought into her life.

he elevated her spirits, making her feel as if she stood alone at the world's summit, like she was the sole focus of someone's entire world.

catching her breath after their intimate moment, zoey mused with a sly grin, "do you think locking the door would keep them from walking in?" darrian, taking her words to heart, began to wonder.

"i mean, i could—" he started.

"darrian, i was joking,"

his face fell while zoey rolled her eyes playfully. "now let me tell you about the dream i had last night, there was this big cake right! and it was my birthday so people were obviously singing happy birthday to me..."

YOU ARE NOW FINISHED READING,

XOXO ZOEY.

F SPEAKS ⭐️

NOTE — even though i'm litteraly emotionally attached to this book it's come to an ending yall 😭😭😭😭😭. omg imma miss my zoey i love her to death.. quite literally since she didn't die. i love her tewww much to kill her off y'all should've known from headphones 😂😂. yeah i can hear your apologies now mhm.. fake ass hoes 🙄🙄. anyways you guyssss , say bye bye to zoey LMFOAOA omg i'm crying this is my last authors note for this book. ok ok i'm leaving before i get emotional, byeee fia loves youuu 💞💞.