Nicole was deeply unconscious.
Since losing Austinâs custody, her sleep had been unsteady, and this coma-like state appeared to be her bodyâs way of forcing a shutdown to recover.
Otherwise, her body wouldnât have been able to handle the strain.
Jarrod felt uneasy at Nicoleâs deep sleep.
He feared that she would remain like this.
During this period, he repeatedly asked the doctor to check why Nicole hadnât awakened yet.
The doctor described it as the bodyâs self-healing process, explaining that her prolonged lack of proper rest had necessitated such profound sleep, which was actually beneficial.
Uncertain of the accuracy of the doctorâs explanation yet lacking any way to confirm it, Jarrod continued to stay by her bedside.
Later, his phone rang.
It was Alec on the line.
Jarrod listened, and after a lengthy silence, he responded with cold firmness, âHandle it yourself.
â
As fate would have it, Nicole slowly started to regain consciousness at that moment, her mind clouded as she caught the word âhandle it.
â
Handle it⦠Handle who? It seemed they had dealt with Derek.
After ending the call, Jarrod turned to see Nicole staring at the ceiling with wide, haunted eyes, her silence eerie.
To Jarrod, however, her awakening was a pleasant surprise.
Especially since the scene of her in a coma had deeply unsettled him.
âYouâre awake,â Jarrod whispered gently as he reached out to check her forehead for a fever.
The doctor had told them to monitor her temperature closely once she woke up and to call immediately if she had a fever.
The moment his hand touched her forehead, Nicole swatted it away.
With a cold tone, she said, âDonât touch me with those filthy hands!â
Jarrod froze, his voice rough with disbelief.
âWhat?â
Nicole propped herself up and shifted away, her voice weak.
âGet out.
â
She couldnât stand to have him near.
His presence always reminded her of her failures.
She felt vulnerable and was close to her limit.
Yet, she couldnât surrender.
Even after a brief escape into unconsciousness, she knew she had to face them.
Now, it wasnât just Jarrod.
It was âthem.
â
Nicole grasped she had to be cautious around Vicki whose words still lingered in her mind, deeply unsettling her.
Womenâs intuition was often eerily precise.
Nicole didnât think Vickiâs threats were just noise.
The calmer someone seemed, the more drastic their potential actions might be.
Nicole feared that during a disagreement or if provoked, Vicki might take it out on Austin.
Jarrod was even more fearsome than Vicki, with both of them posing unpredictable threats to Austin, keeping her from falling asleep with concerns.
Despite her life being in danger, Nicole never gave up on the idea of reclaiming Austinâs custody.
But right now, she was simply too exhausted to deal with Jarrod, the source of all her miseries.
âDo you even comprehend what youâre saying?â Jarrodâs face went pale with fury.
He had saved her, and the lack of gratitude was one thing, but speaking to him in such a manner upon waking up was more than he could stand.
Patience was never Jarrodâs strong suit.