Aaron woke up in the hospital, his lungs were painful and every breath felt like torture. He could briefly remember a fire and everything going dark. As his eyes adjusted to the bright fluorescent lights above, he noticed the sterile white ceiling and walls surrounding him. The rhythmic beeping of medical equipment filled the air. His body felt heavy, and when he tried to move, sharp pains shot through his back and hands. An IV drip was attached to his arm, and bandages covered parts of his skin.
The nurse noticed he was awake and brought a doctor.
"Hello, Mister Turner. I'm Doctor David Miller. How are you feeling today?" the doctor asked, reviewing the chart at the foot of Aaron's bed.
"My throat hurts, and I feel pain on my back and hands," Aaron said, his voice raspy and strained.
"Well, your throat pain must be due to all the smoke you inhaled, and the back and hand pain must be because of burns. You are very lucky, Mister Turner. You only suffered minor wounds."
"How long have I been here?" Aaron asked.
"Two days," the doctor replied.
"What about my wife Sarah? Is she okay?" Aaron asked, suddenly remembering the chaos of that night.
"Well, thanks to you, both your wife and mother-in-law are safe, although your mother-in-law has suffered a few minor wounds as well. She's in a different room from you."
Aaron was glad everyone had made it out alive with minimal damage.
"I've called your wife to let her know you are awake," the doctor added.
One hour later, Sarah arrived at the hospital. She looked alright, but Aaron could see the stress in her eyes; the incident had taken a toll on her.
"Hey," she said softly. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I've been through hell and back," Aaron replied with a weak smile. "But I'm alive, so I can't complain too much. How about you? Are you okay?"
"Where have you been staying for the past few days?" Aaron asked.
"Vivian let me stay at her place even though I told her I could get a hotel, but she insisted. You should have seen how worried she was about me, and strangely enough, you as well. Since when have you two been close? She always seemed to hate you, but now..."
Aaron laughed awkwardly. If only she knew why.
"How is Amanda doing?" Aaron asked, trying to change the subject.
"Honestly, she's okay considering how things turned out. She didn't get any severe injuries or burns. She's already nagging me about getting a new husband."
Aaron chuckled. It seemed nothing he did would ever please Amanda, including saving her life.
"I know I'm the one in the hospital, but how are you doing?" Aaron asked. "I know this must be a lot to handle—the house burning down, the fact we almost died, and your mom..."
"Yeah, it hasn't been easy," Sarah admitted. "I felt scared that night. I didn't know what to do or what happened. I've been mostly focusing on work to distract myself. It's tough, but the good thing is everyone is alive. All that other stuff can be replaced."
Aaron could see his wife had never really opened up to him, even in her toughest times. However little it was, he was glad she was sharing.
"Thanks for going back for my mom. I know she always causes trouble, and I'm sorry for that, but I'm grateful for what you did."
"She may be annoying, but she's still your mother, and you care about her. I would never leave her behind, no matter what."
The two sat in a comfortable silence until Sarah got a call. She stood and looked at Aaron.
"I have to go. There is a lot of work to do. I'll come check on you and mom later." Sarah left.
After a few hours, Natalie showed up. She carried a vase of flowers with her. As always, she looked perfectly dressed in her formal attire—a tailored navy suit with a crisp white blouse, not a hair out of place despite the stress of recent events.
"Hello, Mister Turner. Hope you are well," she said, placing the flowers on the bedside table.
"Yes, Natalie, I'm fine," Aaron replied.
"It's a terrible thing that happened," Natalie said.
"Yeah, it is, but I'm glad everyone is okay."
"So am I. I feel more security is needed for your safety," Natalie suggested.
"Security? Natalie, it was a fire. I doubt anyone could have done anything about it," Aaron replied.
"That may be true, but this incident has made me aware that you need protection. After all, for all we know, someone might have started the fire intentionally. Plus, now that you are a member of the bank, it's only natural that you have protection."
"Look, Natalie, I really don't want to be followed around all day," Aaron protested.
"You have no need to be worried about that," she said as she opened the door.
Two well-built men wearing black suits entered. "This is Anthony and Victor. They are the best of the best when it comes to security, and they are very discreet. You'll never notice they are even there."
The two men stood in the room silently. They neither flinched nor spoke.
"Natalie, I still think I don't need bodyguards, but as long as they don't disturb my day-to-day life, I don't mind."
"Great," Natalie said. "I'll give you their contact details in case you need to call them." Natalie signaled to the two men, and they silently exited the room.
"So how is Vivian doing so far?" Aaron asked.
"Well, sir, I haven't been at the company for the past few days. I assume she can manage the responsibility, but Tod certainly won't make it easy. The man has influence, not just in the company but in the industry."
"We'll have to deal with him eventually, but for now, let's focus on trying to revive Acadia Media Group."
"We also have to visit the rest of the companies. Some are in the city, so it should be fine, but we might have to travel out of the country."
Aaron nodded, but he worried about how he would explain away his absence. Somehow, he would have to come up with a convincing story.
Natalie and Aaron spoke a little more about the upcoming trips. Then he lay in his bed. Later, a nurse brought him food and helped him bathe.
A couple of days later, he was discharged, and so was Amanda. Sarah and Vivian came to pick them up. All the way to Vivian's house, Amanda couldn't stop scolding Aaron.
They finally arrived at Vivian's house—a modest three-bedroom home with a small garden in front and a cozy porch. The exterior was painted a warm beige with white trim, and potted plants lined the entrance, giving it a welcoming feel despite its modest size.
Sarah went in ahead, but Vivian stayed behind with Aaron.
"So, how have your two days as CEO been?" Aaron asked.
"Honestly, very hectic. I haven't had much rest since taking the position. The staff doesn't trust me because I practically came out of nowhere. The executives are even worse—they clearly want Todd to run the company, and meanwhile, I'm trying to clean up all his messes."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Aaron said sincerely.
"It's fine. I'm really grateful for the opportunity, and I know that it won't be easy, but I'll keep fighting," she said.
Aaron could see the determination in her eyes. Truly, he had made the right decision.