Brielle sat outside the calm, sterile atmosphere of the operating room, flanked by her concerned parents. Her tears mainly had lessened, but a lingering sadness still colored her expression. Earlier, both her mother and Finnigan's mother had enveloped her in an attempt to distress her. Together, they awaited the imminent appearance of the doctor, hoping for encouraging news about Finnigan's condition. As she sat there, silently praying for Finnigan's recovery, memories cascaded through her mind. She vividly recalled the day he had saved her from a near-drowning experience, their first kiss shared during the life-saving process. It was a fleeting moment of intimacy before she relocated to London with her parents. She grappled with the confusion and uneasiness in her heart, torn between the love Finnigan had once bestowed upon her and that she now shared with her current boyfriend, whom she had met while they were both studying.

The tension in the room was palpable as the doctor emerged from the operation. Anxiously, Brielle inquired, "How is my husband? Is he okay? Please tell me that he's okay." Despite her fear of the worst, she needed to know the truth. "We were able to stop the internal bleeding, but he lost a significant amount of blood. He's in critical condition. We had to restart his heart twice. His heart is fragile right now. The next 24 hours are crucial. All we can do now is hope and pray for the best. I believe he's a strong fighter. We must hold on to that hope." Brielle was left utterly speechless by the news. The revelation that his heart had stopped twice filled her with a sense of urgency and determination. She knew he had to fight through this, or else she would lose him too. After silence, she gathered the strength to ask, "Can I see him?" The doctor nodded in response. "Yes, but only two at a time," he said, casting a sympathetic glance towards Brielle. "Brielle, talk to him. I am sure he can hear you. Sometimes, that might help the patient to find the strength to keep fighting," the doctor said gently. Brielle nodded, her eyes reflecting concern and determination, then expressed gratitude to the doctor. "I need to change into clean clothes before I see him," she stated, looking down at her bloodstained attire. His blood was a reminder of her determination to save him. Despite not having spare clothes, she excused herself to change into the hospital uniform. As she cleaned her bloody hands, she couldn't help but cry. Finnigan couldn't die; they still had essential conversations to have.

Brielle's tears flowed for several minutes as she anticipated the nurses' efforts to transfer Finnigan to the ICU. After composing herself, she splashed her face with water and left the bathroom. Returning to her family, she witnessed Finnigan's mother weeping in his father's embrace. Finnigan was universally beloved, and the doctor's recent update had deeply affected everyone. "You guys can go see him first. I want to be the last one to be with him," she quietly declared, prompting all eyes to turn to her. "Are you sure, honey?" his mother inquired. "Yes, I'm certain, Mom. Please go ahead. I can wait," she assured, and his mother embraced her tightly. "Fin will pull through. You know how resilient he is, right?" Brielle reciprocated the hug and nodded. "Yes, I'm aware. He's a fighter," she confirmed before withdrawing from the embrace.

After the emotional visit with Finnigan, everyone bid farewell and asked Brielle to inform them of any updates. She nodded solemnly, embracing her in-laws and parents before they departed, leaving her standing alone outside the hushed ICU ward. As she gathered her courage to enter, the weight of the situation pressed heavily on her. Once inside, her heart shattered at the sight of Finnigan, surrounded by a web of wires and tubes, his once vibrant spirit now diminished by the sterile hospital environment. Tears flowed freely as she took a seat beside him, holding his hand and pleading for him to fight. Overwhelmed with emotion, she expressed her love and promises, praying that it wasn't too late to show him her feelings. Eventually, exhaustion overtook her, and she drifted into an uneasy sleep beside him.

Brielle woke up to chaos and was asked to wait outside by a nurse. Looking at the monitor, she saw that the heartbeat was flat-lining. Was what she saw true? Had his heart stopped beating again? Fully awake now, she stood in shock, unable to think straight after being held hostage and witnessing Finnigan getting shot in front of her. Still in shock, she was unable to give him fast treatment due to the shooter still being at large. Now, when everything should be okay, Finnigan was fighting for his life after saving her.

A nurse touched her arm, snapping her out of her shock. "Dr. Murphy, he is okay. We managed to get his heartbeat again." She looked at her in confusion. Is he okay?

"I think you should go home and get some rest, Brielle," the doctor who treated Finnigan said, seeing Brielle's condition.

"No. I can't leave him. He needs me by his side," she said, looking at Finnigan. She couldn't leave him. She wanted him to see her first when he opened his eyes. She wanted him to know that she cared about him.

The doctor sighed deeply and nodded his head. "At least get some proper sleep, okay? You need to take care of your health, too," he said, excusing himself and leaving Brielle alone with Finnigan.

She went over to him and held his hand. "Please don't scare me like that again. Please be strong for us," she said and then cried. She felt so weak. Why must Finnigan be in this kind of state when she needed someone?

Brielle gently ran her fingers through his hair, causing it to fall away from his forehead. "You look so handsome with your hair pushed back," she said with a soft giggle. "But you also look adorable with your hair like this," she added, a wistful smile touching her lips. However, despite her attempt to stay composed, she couldn't help but start crying again. She was sure that if he were awake, he would laugh or smile at her display of emotions, just as he had when she told him she had made breakfast for him. The memory of his happiness was etched in her mind. "Hey, Brielle. I heard about what happened. Are you okay?" Brielle looked up and saw her boyfriend, a doctor at the hospital, standing there. She didn't want to talk with him in the room because Finnigan might overhear them. She gently pulled her boyfriend out of the room, and he asked, "That's your husband?" 

"Yes, he is. And he became like that because of me," she replied, her voice filled with guilt. "Look, Ash. I can't continue what we are doing right now," she said, still looking at him. "What do you mean, baby?" he asked in confusion. "I hurt him a lot by being with you. Yet, he still loves me and sacrifices himself to save me," she said, tears flowing down her cheeks as she remembered the incident. "Ash, I am sorry, but I can't be with you anymore. I want to be a good wife to him. He deserves it. I have done many wrong things to him," she said, looking down. Ash was shocked by what Brielle said, but then he understood her situation. She's someone else's wife, and how would he feel if his wife did what Brielle did? He would be hurting a lot, too. He let out a deep sigh. "It's okay, Bri. I understand. But I hope we can still be friends," he said, trying to smile even though it hurt. He realized he had to let her go. Brielle looked up at him and nodded her head. "Of course, Ash. I don't mind that. When Fin is awake, I will introduce you to him," she said and hugged him. "Thank you so much for being understanding," she added. He nodded and excused himself. She watched him leave and returned to the room to be with Finnigan. She held his hand. "Open your eyes soon, Fin. I miss you already," she said and kissed his hand.