Chapter 174: Waking Up

After realizing this, Lucy’s parents felt immense gratitude towards Joseph. "A man who can do so much for his woman is truly remarkable!" Because Joseph's condition had not yet fully improved, Lucy decided to keep this from him for the time being. She felt it was best to wait until Joseph had fully recovered before telling him. After all, the most important thing right now was his health; everything else could wait. And so, a few more days passed. Joseph’s physical condition had mostly improved, but due to his weakened state, he still needed more time to fully recover. Joseph had not yet left his hospital room. Lucy had been by his side for a long time, when suddenly, she heard a strange sound coming from the room. "Kill—!" The sound startled Lucy. She frowned and looked up. It turned out the sound came from Joseph! He had finally opened his eyes! Dr. Mundo quickly realized what was happening as well. After seven days, Joseph finally woke up! However, because his mind was still on the battlefield, his first words were those one would say in the heat of combat, as if he still believed he was fighting abroad. Lucy immediately rushed over and hugged Joseph, her face streaming with tears. "You’ve finally woken up!" As soon as Lucy spoke, Joseph pulled her close, enveloping her in a tight embrace. "I thought I’d never see you again..." Lucy cried as she said, "I thought I’d never see you again either! I was so worried about you!" Her tears soaked Joseph’s clothes, and Joseph tenderly wiped them away, holding her tightly. "I’m back!" Lucy wept tears of joy. They embraced each other for a long, long time. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Joseph released Lucy. However, because he had just woken up, he was still somewhat groggy, not fully aware of his surroundings. After a moment, Joseph asked, "Where am I now?" It was then that Lucy realized Joseph didn’t know what was going on. She quickly explained to him, "You’re in a hospital! You were hit in the head and passed out, but you’re better now!" Joseph nodded in understanding as he looked around at his surroundings. "Alright, I understand. Thank you!" Lucy felt a bit awkward hearing Joseph thank her. She hurriedly replied, "It’s nothing. You did all of this for me! You should be thanking the doctor! He’s the one who saved you from the brink of death! If it weren’t for him, I think you might have died." Joseph looked over at Dr. Mundo, who, seeing that Joseph was alright, excitedly approached him. "It’s really great that you’re okay." Dr. Mundo checked Joseph’s condition. Joseph, still focused on Lucy, continued to ask her questions. "So, tell me, what’s happened? Who brought us here? Were we being chased? How many people are after us?" Lucy hesitated. Joseph still didn’t know the full extent of what had happened? Perhaps his mind hadn’t fully recovered. Lucy had no choice but to tell him everything that had happened recently. She recounted how they had encountered enemies abroad, how Joseph had been knocked out, and everything else she knew. However, these were all things Lucy had heard from others. The details of the battlefield would have to wait until Joseph’s memory returned. "I see..." After understanding the situation, Joseph said to Lucy, "You did very well! If you hadn’t brought Dr. Mundo to me in time, I think I would have died!" Lucy shook her head. "I didn’t know what to do at the time. I just thought that things were already so bad, and there was nothing else we could do! Who knew... your injuries were that severe!" "My body... was it really in that bad of a condition?" "I don’t know. I just felt like your body was so light, your head felt wrong, and it seemed like you had been crushed by something..." "It’s okay now; you’re fine. The doctor said it’s a miracle you survived." "And... Joseph, my parents have recovered as well." "And now... I’ve also accepted your proposal, Joseph. If you want, we can get married." Upon hearing this, Joseph immediately became excited. "Really?!" Lucy shyly nodded. "Yes, really!" Joseph, overjoyed, said, "Then give me a kiss!" Lucy quickly shook her head, flustered. "There are still so many people here! And you’ve just woken up, I don’t want to..." Seeing how shy Lucy was, Joseph couldn’t help but laugh. He nodded and didn’t push the issue. After resting for a bit longer, Joseph and Lucy talked about other matters. Then Joseph turned to Dr. Mundo. "Dr. Mundo, you said I was hit in the head. Will there be any lasting effects?" "There might be," Mundo replied. "But it shouldn’t affect you too much." "Okay." Next, Dr. Mundo checked Joseph’s physical condition and informed him of what he needed to do. "You need to start some rehabilitation training. Your body is too weak and needs strengthening. Otherwise, even if your head is fine, your body won’t be able to handle it, and you’ll end up getting sick again!" After hearing Dr. Mundo’s advice, Joseph nodded. "Alright, I’ll make sure to follow your instructions." Although Joseph seemed frail, he still had considerable strength. He believed that with proper training, he could recover quickly. "Dr. Mundo, if I start training now, will I be able to get back to my old self? How long will it take?" "It’s hard to say," Mundo replied with a hint of resignation. "Your condition isn’t great, so you’ll need to work very hard. It might take a few months." "And that’s in an ideal scenario!" Joseph found this hard to believe. He hadn’t realized that he was currently in such a weakened state! How could he help and protect Lucy like this? But... considering the extent of his injuries, he knew survival was the most important thing. Fortunately, recovery wasn’t out of reach. Joseph was confident that, with time, he could regain his former strength.