The Bigshot's Superstar Wife

The journey back to the main city felt surreal. The convoy of rescue trucks sped down the cracked dirt roads, bouncing over uneven ground as the dense forest faded behind them.

The trees thinned out, giving way to wider paths and eventually paved roads.

The faint traces of civilization, broken fences, old road signs, and rusting guardrails, signaled their return to safety.

Yet Athena couldn’t shake the tension that lingered in her chest.

The images of those twisted, infected crew members haunted her thoughts, and no amount of distance seemed to erase their grotesque faces from her mind.

The hospital’s bright lights stung her eyes when they arrived. Blurry figures in sterile uniforms rushed toward them, shouting for gurneys and preparing emergency stations.

Athena felt her arm pulled as a nurse guided her to one side, but her gaze remained locked on her friends. Marco’s body was limp, his face pale and slick with sweat.

His leg, swollen and twisted at an unnatural angle, looked far worse than Athena had realized.

Lisa was barely conscious, her breath faint and shallow. Bruises covered her face and arms, and her fingers trembled weakly when a nurse tried to take her pulse.

Darren’s face was pale, his ribs heavily wrapped as he grimaced with every movement.

His breathing was labored, and one of the paramedics muttered about possible internal bleeding.

"You’re hurt too," a nurse said firmly, steering Athena toward a nearby bed. Athena barely registered her words.

Her thoughts kept returning to her friends. They had fought so hard, survived so much, only to be left battered and broken. Guilt gnawed at her insides.

She had led them through the wilderness, made the decisions that kept them alive, but at what cost?

Athena winced as the nurse wiped a damp cloth across her forehead, revealing a gash she hadn’t noticed before. Dried blood clung to her skin, matting her hair to her scalp.

"You’re lucky," the nurse muttered. "This could’ve been worse."

Athena’s body ached all over, bruises along her ribs, scratches lining her arms, and muscles stiff from endless walking.

Yet her pain seemed insignificant compared to what Marco, Lisa, and Darren endured. She turned her head, watching as the doctors surrounded their beds.

Machines beeped steadily while nurses hurried with IV bags and bandages. The sterile scent of antiseptic filled the air, clinging to her senses.

Hours passed, yet Athena barely noticed. She remained half-awake, refusing to rest fully. Every time her eyelids drooped, memories of the forest snapped her back to reality.

The monstrous figures staggering toward her, the guttural sounds of their distorted voices, and the feeling of cold dread that had gripped her when she realized those creatures had once been human.

By the time a doctor approached her, Athena’s fingers had gone numb from clutching the edge of her blanket too tightly.

"Your friends are stable," the doctor said, offering a tired smile. "But they’ll need time to recover."

Athena’s chest tightened with relief, but the doctor’s expression remained grim.

"Marco’s injuries are severe," he continued. "His leg was badly fractured, and there’s muscle damage. He’s stable now, but he’ll need surgery to regain proper movement.

Lisa has two broken ribs and some minor internal bleeding, we’ve managed to control it, but she’ll need to stay under observation for a while. Darren..." The doctor hesitated.

"His injuries are serious. There’s a fracture in his left arm, and his chest took the worst hit. We’re watching for signs of lung complications."

Athena swallowed hard. "They’ll be okay though... right?"

"We’re doing everything we can," the doctor assured her. "They’re strong, that’s why they made it this far."

Athena knew that strength had carried them through impossible odds, but now she worried it wouldn’t be enough.

After the doctor left, she sat quietly by Marco’s bed. His breathing was steady, but his face remained pale, twisted slightly in pain. She reached for his hand, gripping it tightly.

"You’ll get through this," she whispered, more to herself than him. "You all will."

Days blurred together as Athena kept vigil over her friends. She barely left their sides, forcing herself to eat only when nurses insisted.

She memorized the rhythm of the machines, the steady beep of Marco’s heart monitor, the faint hiss of oxygen near Lisa’s bed, and the soft rustling of bandages as doctors checked Darren’s wounds.

Lisa was the first to wake. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, and she winced at the light. Athena immediately rushed to her side.

"You’re okay," Athena murmured, smoothing Lisa’s hair back. "You’re safe now."

Lisa’s voice was barely audible. "Did... did we make it?"

"We did," Athena said with a strained smile. "We’re back in the city."

Tears welled in Lisa’s eyes, and she gripped Athena’s hand with surprising strength.

"I thought we wouldn’t... I thought we’d..." Her voice broke, and Athena leaned closer, holding her tightly as Lisa’s sobs shook her fragile body.

"We’re safe," Athena repeated softly. "It’s over."

But she knew it wasn’t over. Discover stories at NovelBin.Côm

Even as her friends began to recover, Darren woke next, his exhausted smile filled with relief, and Marco finally stirring after a second surgery, Athena’s mind refused to rest.

The infected crew, the strange creatures that roamed the forest, and the unsettling feeling that something was still watching them haunted her every thought.

On her fifth night in the hospital, Athena overheard two nurses talking in hushed voices near the hallway.

"They said the third crew team’s still missing," one whispered.

"They’re probably gone too," the other replied grimly. "Like the others."

"What if they’re... like those things?"

Athena felt a chill run down her spine. She knew what they were implying. The infection, whatever had twisted those people into mindless, bloodthirsty beings, was still out there.

And if the third crew team hadn’t been found... it meant more horrors could still be waiting in the shadows.

Athena closed her eyes, trying to push the thoughts away. Her friends needed her now, and she couldn’t afford to fall apart.

But deep down, she knew they weren’t truly safe yet. Whatever nightmare they had escaped in the forest... it was still out there, lurking in the darkness, waiting to strike again.

Athena barely slept that night, her mind racing with uneasy thoughts. The soft beeping of the monitors offered little comfort.

Each shadow cast by the hospital lights seemed to flicker and move, reminding her of those red-eyed creatures stalking through the trees.

She kept glancing at her friends, their battered bodies still fighting to recover. Athena clenched her fists tightly, vowing to stay strong.

If whatever cursed presence from the forest dared to follow them, she would be ready. They had survived too much, she wouldn’t let anything else take them away. Not now, not ever.