"We've kept her in a comatose state while the swelling of her brain lessens. Lessen the pain for her in this state."

Bandages, bags of fluids, beeping machines, wires, cords, tapes, masks and the lingering smell of death. Everything seemed worse than it was and maybe it was worse than it looked. 

The two were standing at the end of Marinette's bed, where she laid dressed in a robe, had bandages over her half her head and had many wires and tubes attached to her. Her midnight blue hair was let loose and surrounded her like a halo. 

"A coma?" Adrien repeated, broken. 

"It was induced via medication. We can wake her up once her injuries heal. Her head trauma has caused inflammation and the comatose state will help to alleviate the pressure. The surgery went well and she should be recovering soon."

"Should be?" Adrien looked over at the doctor as she sighed. 

"The surgery went well however... we don't know if she sustained any psychological damage." 

"What?"

"We can't know for sure if she will be completely okay once she wakes. She may have a mild form of amnesia or she may wake up completely normal. Nothing is for certain here, Mr. Agreste, and we will not until she wakes." Adrien looked over at his comatose wife. "Although she's in a comatose state, she can still hear and feel. The sensations may be dulled down and she may not recognize, but she is aware. I'll let you have some time alone with her." Doctor Desjardins left, leaving Adrien standing alone at the foot of Marinette's bed. 

He slowly walked to her, cautious, as if he was afraid to wake her. Her cheeks were sunken and her eyelids were dark. Her lips were chapped and she looked pale, compared to his hand that came forward to move some hair from her eyes. 

"My fallen angel." A burn had risen to Adrien's eyes as he took a seat in the chair provided at the side of the bed. Her hand laid palm down on the bed as he picked it up, cold to the touch. He rubbed his thumbs gently over the back of her hand, careful not to touch the IV line in her skin. Slowly, Adrien rose her hand to his face, burying the stiff fingers through his golden hair. 

"Flower, gleam and glow. Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine. Heal what has been hurt, change the fates design. Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine..." Through burning tears, Adrien looked to his still sick wife. "What once was... mine."

○○○

"Mr. Agreste, we can never thank you enough for coming to see the children." He smiled at the nurse who followed him towards the lobby. 

"It's no problem. If I can bring a smile to the faces of the sick children, it brings a smile to mine." Adrien waved a goodbye, going down one of the other hallways of the hospital floor, leaving the nurses swooning. 

"Bless his heart." One of the nurses said.

"His wife must be so lucky."

"Even though she's still comatose, he comes to see her everyday."

"I'm surprised he even answered that parent's call though. He just went up to the little girl's bedside and started playing for her."

"You would think that the Agreste's are so uptight because of who they are with fame and whatnot-"

"But he's such a sweetheart."

Adrien didn't mean to make a usual thing, but seeing the smile on the children's face made something warm grow inside him. Hope.

A light of hope in the depressing place. Hope that Marinette is going to wake up soon and that everything will return to normal.

"Hey Bugaboo, sorry I'm late. The science department had a teacher conference and then I went to go play for the kids today too. I wish you could see the way their faces light up when I play, it's adorable." He pulled up his chair to her bedside. "How are you doing today?" He leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss on her temple.

Marinette was warmer today. She looked a little more alive today, her lips were more plump and pink, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Winter vacation is just around the corner and I'll be able to spend more of the day with you." He took her hand and let his thumb stroke the back of her hand. "Our winter clothesline is out and some agencies were trying to reach out to me despite them knowing about your accident. Some people just don't know when to quit, huh?" Adrien let out a small chuckle, looking down at their hands. He brought her hand to his lips, pecking gentle kisses on her knuckles.

Adrien put her hand down and picked up his ukulele, crossing his legs and strumming it gently.

"A long, long time ago, there was a volcano, living all alone in the middle of the sea. 

He sat high above his bay, watching all the couples play, and wishing that he had someone too.

And from his lava came this song of hope that he sang out loud everyday for years and years.

I have a dream I hope will come true. That you're here with me, and I'm here with you. I wish that the earth, sea and the sky up above will send me someone to lava." 

The chords were soft and Adrien's voice was gentle as he sang. He closed his eyes as the cheerful tone of the song slowed.

"Years of singing all alone turned his lava into stone, until he was on the brink of extinction.

But little did he know that living in the sea below, another volcano was listening to his song.

Everyday she heard his tune, her lava grew and grew because, she believed his song was meant for her.

Now she was so ready to finally meet him above the sea as he sang his song of hope for the last time.

I have a dream I hope will come true. That you're here with me and I'm here with you. I wish that the earth, sea and the sky up above

Will send me someone to lava."

"You... Have a lovely voice."

Adrien's eyes shot open as he looked up.

Marinette's eyes were still closed, but her head was canted towards the side, towards him.

"You... You're awake?"

She tried to nod but her expression turned into a pained one, so she stopped. "Yes." She spoke lightly, her voice almost weak.

"Can you open your eyes?" Adrien asked, afraid that she hasn't opened them.

"I can, I just... The lights are too bright." She gave a weak chuckle and Adrien was quick to scramble up and close the blinds and turn down the lights.

"I turned the lights down." Adrien stood by her bedside, watching as her eyebrows furrowed as her eyes fluttered open.

Her blue eyes scanned the room before focusing on his green ones. She let out a soft smile, taking in his features with a blush.

"Hi." She said shyly.

"Hey." Adrien chuckled happily. "I'll go get the nurses, okay? They'll be glad to hear that you're awake." She let out a tiny 'okay' and Adrien left the room momentarily.

Marinette's vitals and stitches were checked, she was asked many questions regarding how she was feeling. Pain was localized to her ribs, head and her lower abdomen. Adrien remained in the corner of the room, watching as the nurses ran all these tests over Marinette, simmering in his guilt. Broken ribs, head trauma, a miscarriage...

A baby. They were going to have a baby... Adrien hadn't known but he had noticed small changes – her extra radiance and the tiniest bit of the widening of her hips. But he never thought that this had been the case. A small bit of life, created by Marinette and himself... Gone.

Something burned in Adrien's throat and he excused himself out to the hall, trying to hold back his tears. Once he was able to control his emotions, he rang Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng.

"It's been a long two weeks." Sabine said happily. "I'll let Tom know and we will be down there as soon as we finish closing up the bakery."

"Okay, I'll see you soon then."

"Oh, and Adrien?"

"Yes Mrs. Dupain-Cheng?"

"Thank you, for everything you've done for us." Adrien smiled.

"Don't mention it. I wouldn't want to say that, I'm also doing this for myself."

Sabine laughed. "One more thing Adrien."

"Yes?"

"I told you to stop calling me 'Mrs. Dupain-Cheng'. I told you to call me 'mom'."

Adrien let out a weak chuckle. "Okay. See you soon mom."

Sabine chuckled. "See you in a bit."

"Mr. Agreste?" Marinette's nurse was standing behind him, smiling.

"How's she doing?" Adrien asked as he put his phone away.

"She's doing really well. She seems to have recovered nicely. It's dinner time and although she might not be very hungry, we will bring her some dinner momentarily."

Adrien grinned. "Thank you."

"You can go in now if you like. We will be doing a round in a hour, but If you need anything, don't hesitate to call us, okay?" Adrien nodded and went back to the room, being greeted with a smile.

"Oh you're back." She smiled. She had been sat up now, the bandages around her head had been removed and her hair was let loose, pinned away from her face.

"Wouldn't miss you awake for a moment." A noticeable blush spread across her cheeks, looking down sheepishly.

"You're too kind." She said, tucking some stray hair behind her ear.

"Anything for you." Adrien smiled as he sat down by her bedside.

"But don't you have some other place to be?"

Adrien shook his head. "Nope, not for the rest of the night. I'm going to spend the night,
and I'll be leaving early tomorrow for the last day of school."

"You juggle so many things at once, how do you do it?"

Adrien chuckled, shrugging. "I don't know. I just feel like I can do anything just as long as I can see you at the end of the day."

She let out a pained chuckle. "But don't you have other patients to check up on?"

"I don't, I -" Adrien stopped. What did she ask? "Patients?" Adrien repeated.

She hummed in approval. "I'm sure you have more patients to take care of here in the hospital, don't you?"

He couldn't process her question correctly. "Patients?" He asked again.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "You are my doctor, aren't you?"

○○○

"They said she was fine! She was doing so well, she healed almost perfectly. Everything was fine!" Adrien slammed his hand on the table and began to pace the room, running a shaky hand through his hair.

"Mr. Agreste, I told you that we would be able to fix her external injures, but I did not confirm about her internal state. I did say that we wouldn't find out if she sustained any psychological injuries until she wakes. Now that she's awake, we've managed to find out that she has memory loss. How severe it is, we don't know yet and will have to find out slowly." Dr. Desjardins ran a hand down her face with a sigh. "And Mr. Agreste, that does not mean to go and bombard her with questions, do you understand?"

Adrien remained silent.

"Adrien, do you understand?" She repeated, more demanding this time.

Adrien let out a sigh and nodded. "I understand."

Tom, Sabine and Adrien stood outside Marinette's hospital room, processing all the newfound information.

"Adrien, do you want to go inside?" Sabine asked.

Adrien shook his head. "No, you... You can go in first, I'll... I'll wait out here." Adrien sat down on some chairs that were just outside Marinette's bedroom.

Tom and Sabine looked at each other worriedly, Sabine rubbing Adrien's shoulder comfortingly.

"Come in whenever you're ready then." Sabine let him go as he nodded, the two going inside.

"Mama! Papa!" Adrien could hear Marinette welcome her parents in excitedly.

"Hi, Marinette. Do you know who we are?" He heard Sabine ask.

"Of course, how could I forget who you are?"

"Can you tell us our names?" Tom asked.

"Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng." She replied.

"What about your name. Can you tell us your name?" Sabine questioned.

"I'm Marinette Duapin-Cheng."

Everything else was fuzzy after that. Sabine and Tom conversed with her, answering any and all questions that she had. They didn't ask her anything else, not wanting to overwhelm her with anything.

"Say Mama?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Why am I wearing this fancy ring on my finger?" There was a prolonged silence that met with her question. Adrien's knuckles were beyond white now.

"You're married, sweetie."

"I am?"

"Do you not remember?" Tom asked the question that was running through Adrien's mind.

"To Andrew, right? I don't remember our wedding." Another silence.

"You're not married to Andrew, dear."

Many details were shared and in the end, it resulted with Sabine stepping out of the room, looking down at Adrien, who was leaning on his elbows on his knees. He couldn't look up at her so she kneeled, tilting her head to catch his eyes.

"Adrien, honey? She wants to see you."

Adrien took in a deep breath, nodding. Sabine straightened and he stood, rubbing his clammy palms on his pants. Tom was standing by the door and Sabine placed a palm on Adrien's back, gently ushering him inside.

Adrien took several steps in and was caught by her bluebell eyes and froze like a deer caught in headlights.

"Hi."

Adrien looked behind him and found that he was suddenly alone.

He shouldn't be afraid right? He was only going to be talking to his wife. The woman he's been married to for a year. The woman he lived with for three years. The woman he's known for five. The woman that knew him like the back of her hand... Or knew.

"Hello." He replied, rubbing his arm awkwardly as he stood at the end of her bed.

She didn't say anything, just stared at him, examining his features. After a while, she rose her hand and moved it to the chair beside the bed, patting it, motioning him to sit. He shuffled over quietly, sitting down.

"Mama and Papa tell me that we're married... Is it true?"

Adrien struggled to meet her gaze. Instead, he rose his left hand, bringing her attention to his wedding band. She brought her left hand next to his, their fingers almost touching, but not.

"It is." Adrien was struggling to find his voice.

"Why?" The question caught him off guard.

"W-Why?" He repeated.

"Ah, sorry. Um, like, how did we meet? Or, uh, how I came to marry you whenever I was engaged to someone else?"

His hand clenched the bed sheet beside her hand. He watched as her hand flinched slightly and his grip on the bed sheet eased.

"Have you heard of the Agrestes?" He asked, not looking up at her.

"They're only the most popular fashionistas around Paris, of course. Gabriel Agreste is like a role model to me. His designs are so unique, I wish that I can work for him someday."

Adrien glanced up at her through his fringe. "You do know that you're an Agreste, right?" He asked.

She blinked. "Wait, I am?"

Adrien didn't respond, only reaching out to her right arm, turning the paper band that was around her wrist.

"Marinette Agreste." She read astonished.

"I'm Adrien Agreste, Gabriel Agreste's son."

She looked up at him, a blush on her face. "O-Oh man, how did I manage something like that?" She stammered.

In all honestly, it was kind of cute to see her stammering the way she did. It reminded him of a time long ago.

"Gabriel was having an internship program. Appliers had to submit a bowler hat design into him and you won. We worked together for most of your internship."

She nodded slowly, taking in the details. "Why do you call your dad by his first name?" She questioned him.

Adrien opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out. He gaped for a couple seconds before he closed, eyebrows furrowed.

"Oh. I'm sorry, it's not my place to ask that." She removed her hands from being next to his but Adrien caught on.

"No, it is... You... You're my wife, you can ask, it's just... You knew why I call him by his first name, I just—" Adrien sat back in his chair, letting her hand go. "I just never thought I'd have to explain something like that to someone... To you, when you were there..."

There was a silence that passed between them, until Adrien decided to look up at her. Her shoulders sagged as her hands met in her lap, her gaze downcast.

"I'm sorry, I just... Don't remember..." Her voice cracked and her shoulders shook slightly.

"God damn it." Adrien cursed under his breath. He pushed himself off his chair and practically launched himself onto her bed, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "Don't cry, please, please, don't cry, you shouldn't be sorry. I should be the one who should be sorry." It ate at him; he knew she couldn't remember and he was trying to wrap his head around the idea that he would have to explain almost everything that's happened between them. The whole last five months of their lives, gone in a flash.

Adrien remained in her bed, Marinette moving slightly to the side to allow him more room to sit. He sat and she found herself leaning into his arms and chest as she sobbed. Guilt burned through him, like a raging wildfire.

Adrien let out a shuddered breath as her put his chin over Marinette's head, stroking her shoulder comfortingly. "You... You may not remember the last five years of our life but... But I'm determined, I'm going to do everything possible to help you remember."

Marinette's hand clenched his shirt, her shoulders trembling. "Everything?" Marinette whispered. Adrien nodded.

"Everything and anything." Adrien replied.

"But... But what if... I don't remember?"

Adrien's eyes fluttered as tears threatened to fall down his cheeks. His bottom lip quivered and he increased the speed of rubbing Marinette's shoulder comfortingly.

"Maybe this once in a lifetime love will find a second chance."

○○○

The last day of school. The snowfall was light enough that they didn't cancel school, yet Adrien was in almost frozen state. Physically, he was present in all his classes, yet mentally and emotionally, he was gone. It's not like it mattered much anyways, since all the students did on the last day of school was socialize.

"Professor Agreste?"

Adrien was sat at his desk, leaning on his elbow, his closed fist to his lips. He was staring at the floor blankly, trying to formulate just how he was going to make it through this.

What if she didn't remember? What if she doesn't remember and then doesn't want to be with him? 

"Professor Agreste?"

A voice broke through his train of thought and he blinked, looking at two girls who were standing in front of his desk. Adrien lowered his hand, smiling kindly, a skill he had honed over his modelling career.

"Sorry, what is it?"

The girls looked at each other with giggles, evident flushes on their faces.

"We were all talking about what we were planning for winter break and we were all wondering what you were going to be doing this winter break?" One of the girls asked.

"Yeah, we tried calling you from where we were sitting, but you seemed to be really spaced out." The other nodded, turning to look at him.

"So, what are your plans for this Christmas?" They looked at him expectantly while Adrien blinked.

Adrien hadn't thought this far. How was he going to spend Christmas this year? Was it going to be a normal Christmas? Or was it going to be a brand new Christmas that he was going to spend with a different person? Or maybe even alone? Marinette had been planning to go to some resort and Adrien had promised he would, recently had started looked for somewhere to stay towards the end of the year.

Was he going to enter the new year with his wife, or a stranger, or even worse, alone?

"Professor Agreste?" They asked again.

"Sorry, I... I'm probably going to stay home with my... My wife." The smile that he had been wearing was long gone and he was swept away in his thoughts again. Adrien cleared his throat, clearing his mind of any foul thoughts, smiling again up at the girls. "Sorry, I got some emails that I have to respond to." Adrien turned to his desktop and the girls nodded, leaving him to his devices.

As Adrien arrived at the hospital at the end of the day, Adrien skipped out on playing for the kids today. He's had so many negative emotions for one day, all he wanted to do was to see Marinette, get swept in her bluebell eyes and wrapped in her warmth and lulled by her voice.

The nurses welcomed him kindly, but gave him some glances that were curious to Adrien, but he was too exhausted to find out what it was. It must have not been of too much importance, since they would just whisper to themselves and not tell him directly.

Adrien turned down the familiar hall and listened to the faint sounds of machines beeping and conversation behind closed doors. As he continued walking towards her door, two very familiar figures were standing in front of Marinette's door. He pace slowed, not wanting to believe who it was.

"Nathalie?" He stopped, several feet away from her. Gabriel Agreste's personal assistant and driver were standing in front of Marinette's door, the two of them turning to look at him.

"Adrien." Nathalie greeted in her never changing cold demeanor.

"What are you doing here?" Nathalie lowered her tablet, narrowing her eyes at Adrien.

"Visiting an ill family member, of course." She replied.

Adrien almost glared. "Now we are family?" He asked annoyingly.

"Gabriel received news that Marinette had woken up and he wanted to get a first hand source that she was recovering well." She told him, Adrien nodding his head.

"Bullshit. Get out of the way Nathalie."

"We were told to not let anyone in." The Gorilla driver spoke up. Adrien's eyes snapped to him, his eyes not holding back their glare.

"And who are you, chief of security? Please get out of my way before I do call security."

Nathalie exchanged an unemotional glance with the Gorilla before she gave a curt nod, the two stepping out of the way. Adrien quickly stepped through them, practically running inside.

Adrien was greeted with the view of Marinette sobbing into her hands as Gabriel Agreste looked down at her condescendingly.

"Father!" Adrien shouted. His voice startled Marinette, her bluebell eyes struck with fear as found him inside the room. Gabriel, on the other hand, turned slowly, looking at his son with contempt.

"Adrien."

"What did you do?"

An evil smirk pulled at his father's cheeks. "Why I didn't do nothing. I just merely told her how she cheated her way through the whole program and how you really didn't love her. That she was just as useless and talentless as all the other little interns." His words were like a poison and they stung Marinette harder as he continued. She brought her hands to her face and as she sobbed.

"Get the hell out." Adrien growled.

"She had to know uncultured she was." Gabriel continued and Adrien snapped.

"Get out, get out, get the fuck out! If you weren't my father and if I didn't have that lingering amount of respect that I had for you, I would-" Adrien was shouting, grabbing the attention of the nurses. They rushed in and were quick to hold Adrien back, one going to comfort the sobbing Marinette.

"Sir, we are going to have to ask you to leave the premises." One of the nurses told Gabriel. He looked down at her, letting out a hum of disapproval.

"I shall take my leave then." He gave a fake smile and left, Nathalie and the driver following behind closely.

Adrien's anger settled and the hospital security confirmed that Gabriel had left. Some of the nurses lingered momentarily, asking if they needed anything and that if they did, to let them know. After nods of confirmation, Adrien and Marinette were left alone.

The silence was thick. Adrien didn't know what to say – his father, the one who had practically disowned him many years ago, came to talk to his wife, who was suffering from memory loss. Information that had her crying, information that was completely incorrect. Adrien came and sat in the chair at Marinette's bedside, Marinette looking down at her hands in her lap.

"Marinette? Are you okay?" He questioned softly. She didn't reply and he tried to peek through her long hair that was over her shoulders. Adrien rose a hand and was about to place it on hers, when she flinched and she started crying again.

"Don't touch me!"