(Faint shouts and inaudible voices)

"Halil Ibrahim, please don't you dare leave me..."

"Halil Ibrahim..."

"Mr. Halil Ibrahim can you hear me...?" Doctor called...

Halil Ibrahim laying on the bed, machines connected on him. He opens his eyes slowly and sees the doctor pointing a flashlight in his eyes. The light is blinding him so he turns his head away.

"Mr. Halil Ibrahim Karasu, can you hear me?" Doctor asks but his voice is still inaudible for Halil Ibrahim. He looks at him again and images are slowly becoming clear to him. He can now clearly see the doctor's face and also hear him. He hears him asking then nods slightly. He sees Oguz next to him, Oguz puts his hand on Halil Ibrahim's hand to show support. Halil nodes then turns his eyes far ahead where Zeynep is standing.

She looks lonely and all alone as EdaNur and Sema are standing at the opposite side. Zeynep's eyes look swollen, she surely must have cried a lot. She also has her head tucked between her shoulders it's as if she feels guilty about something. Halil Ibrahim can only see her despite the crowded room. Turan and Osman keep calling out his name but he doesn't respond, in fact he won't even turn his head towards them. Of course it's because he can't move much.

"Mr. Halil Ibrahim, can you tell me how many fingers am holding?" Doctor asks...

"Umm... 3 fingers..." Halil answers in great pain.

"Ok, very good. Now can you lift your hand for me?" Doctor continues...

Halil Ibrahim tries hard and finally is able to raise his hand, then the doctor asks him if he can feel his legs and he gives a positive reply. Seeing that the doctor assures that the surgery was a success and if nothing goes wrong Halil Ibrahim might be discharged in a week. Everyone lets out a sigh of relief, Osman and Turan hug each other, EdaNur and Sema as well. Zeynep after hearing the doctor's words she quickly runs outside. Halil Ibrahim stares at her until she shuts the door.

Zeynep heads to the toilet, she cries out loud, liters of tears pouring down from her eyes. She bitterly sobs and sniffs then turn to the mirror...

"You did this Zeynep... so what right do you have to run to his arms. You aren't even his wife anymore, you are just a stranger to him. A stranger who is also the reason why he got shot. How could you even do this to him? How could you be the reason the man you love was fighting for his life in a hospital bed? And with no shame, you stand in front of him like nothing happened..." Zeynep angrily lashes out...

Suddenly EdaNur shows up and Zeynep quickly wipes off her tears. She slowly approaches Zeynep and says, "Halil Ibrahim wants to see you..." Zeynep gasps...

"He asked all of us to leave the room and to call Zeynep..." EdaNur explains...

Zeynep opens a tap collects some water in her palms and washes her face. She's been crying for so long her face is all swollen and her eyes extremely red. She looks at her reflection through the mirror, she can see what a mess she's become. After all Halil Ibrahim is the love of her life, for the first time she witnessed her other half bleeding in her arms. Was she scared? Hell yeah... Plus it was almost her fault, because she doesn't like violence or didn't want her brother to have their brother's blood in his hand. So she ordered for him to be left alive. At what cost though, so she can have her husband's blood in hers? What a shame... What a shame where their relationship has reached. And now he's calling for her, will he repremand her? Put her in her place? What would he be calling her for? For sure it's not to forgive her because he's been holding onto a twenty years revenge, forgiveness is totally out of the question. Therefore for what?

"Did he say why?" Zeynep carefully asked.

" So fast you forgot that the poor guy was your husband..." EdaNur exclaimed, "We didn't tell him of your good deed that landed him two bullets in his chest, if you are wondering."

" All this time you've been waiting to say that haven't you?" Zeynep asked as she turns her face to look at EdaNur in the eyes.

" You don't know half of what I've wanted to do... We've always treated you like our own, we were friends once but it's clear who's side you are on..." EdaNur replied. Her face was burning with anger she could almost shoot lasers from her eyes. Not just her, Sema had been giving Zeynep a hard time while they waited for Halil Ibrahim to come out of the coma. She kept glaring at her and one time Turan had to hold her back from coming at Zeynep. While Halil was fighting for his life, Zeynep didn't want to get into any fights so she stayed out of their way. However, now that Halil is out of danger the ladies can't wait to sentence the 'wrong-doer' for her wrong-doings. Well, the wrong-doer today is unfortunately Zeynep. She has unintentionally hurt everyone including her family. Fikret her brother who loves her and treats her as part of his soul can't even look at her now. Turan and Osman haven't said a word to her since they found out, EdaNur and Sema, well their reaction is obvious.

Either way, now she has to go face Halil Ibrahim. Will she even be able to look him in the eyes? First of all, what will she even do the moment they are all alone in the room? They are divorced after all, he also said he couldn't be friends with her since she's the woman he loves. If not friends then what? She can't run to his arms, she can't go down on her knees and beg for his forgiveness. Will they even be able to say a word to each other? As of late, all their conversations ended with either one of them leaving or one of them ending up lashing at the other. Was it the right time to come face to face when their wounds are all fresh?

" You insisted on the divorce despite knowing that the guy loves you like crazy. Now since you got it, I hope when you leave, you'll finally leave him alone. Let him know peace at least... because it's obvious he can't see it with you next to him." EdaNur whispered.

"I don't need you to tell me what I'd already planned to do... Plus, I don't take orders from you." Zeynep explained while leaving, she shut the toilet door loudly leaving EdaNur inside. Her steps became heavier when she got closer to Halil Ibrahim's ward. Outside everyone's eyes were fixated on her, she walked with her head facing the ground... somehow she made it to the door. Oguz was standing right next to the door, she held the knob and looked at Oguz, he looked back. The only person that looked at her without judging, Oguz was the only one that patted her shoulder when everyone threw disappointed comments towards her. She doesn't understand why either but at least she didn't feel too alone. Oguz nodded at her as if he was giving her a go ahead, taking a deep breathe she opened the door. Halil Ibrahim was facing away but after he heard the door open his face immediately turned to face it.

Maybe it's because they hadn't seen each other for a long time or was it the experience that wore the both of them out. In his eyes, Zeynep looked so tired. It was as if she couldn't take it anymore, life had reached a point where the sun wasn't shining anymore. He stared at her as she closed the door, she continued facing it for almost a minute so Halil Ibrahim said, "Will you not give me a hug this time?"

It was a statement she's heard several times already but why did it feel as if it was her first time? It's true that she thought of all sorts of scenarios while Halil was lying on the ER, but hearing him ask for a hug was not among them at all. Likewise for Halil Ibrahim, he's been wondering what he'd tell her the moment they were left alone. It's been a few days now and all they did was fight the moment they saw each other. He thought maybe death was a sign, a sign that life was short especially for a man in his line of work. Those moments when he was losing consciousness, he remembered how the last thing he could hear is Zeynep's voice chanting his name in terror. How scared she must have been? He had promised her a safe life, a life where they'll walk together but how come he's laying on the floor, bleeding in her arms? So how else was he supposed to greet her the moment he comes out from the clutches of death?

While he was thinking, she entered abruptly so he ended up saying the first thing that came to mind. I guess it worked out though because Zeynep turned around and faced him the moment she heard that. Zeynep looking at Halil Ibrahim with tears in her eyes, Halil Ibrahim looking at Zeynep with longing in his. Of course, they were two lovers who had so much love for each other they wouldn't think twice to sacrifice their love. Although their marriage didn't last long but their love has known no bounds. They loved each other despite the distance, despite the unexpected third parties between them, despite their families and despite the revenge. It's through death that they part and through death they get together, through love do they fight and through love they sacrifice.

Today too, their love is being tasted. Some might think it's an easy thing to run to your loved one and melt in their arms, but not these lovers. The distance between Halil Ibrahim and Zeynep this time felt longer than the twenty years they spent away from each other. Halil Ibrahim forced himself up, he opened his arms for Zeynep even though he was in pain. " If you don't wish for my stitches to open, I suggest you get over here this second." Halil Ibrahim commanded as he stared at her eyes. Zeynep looked so defeated, her heart could almost lift her legs if she didn't. She was fighting her own heart at this point, but the winner is obvious. Her heart has had Halil Ibrahim all her life while her mind had been battling these feelings and distracting it with nonsense notion that her own brain didn't believe, let alone her heart.

" Hmhmm... I don't love him anymore? What a joke.." she thought as she ran into his arms.