Tatiana woke up early in the morning, as always. This habit had formed in her over the years, gradually, as if engraved on the skin of time. Her husband — Vladimir — was a man of strict rules and firm life principles. He didn’t like being late, couldn’t stand disorder, and always got up at the crack of dawn — exactly at six o’clock, when everything around was still plunged in darkness and the city was just beginning to wake up. And Tatiana, without thinking, rose with him. She knew that if she left him alone, he would make himself something simple, maybe even forget to put sugar in his tea. So she got ready, sleepy but diligent, to set the table, slice the bread, boil the water, and heat up the leftover soup from yesterday. Then she helped him dress, checked if he took his keys, wallet, and phone. Simple, almost ritualistic actions that made up her daily care.
But now everything had changed. Now, with her husband lying in the hospital for the third month, these morning alarms had become meaningless. She woke up in the dimness of the room, feeling a void forming inside — without purpose, without movement, without the beloved voice that usually filled the home with warmth and comfort.
It all started suddenly. One evening, while they were sitting at home as usual, watching some movie on TV, Vladimir suddenly frowned and said:
— Tanya… my head hurts strangely…
Those words, spoken with a dull anxiety, were the last she heard from him consciously. The next thing Tatiana remembered was how he suddenly slid off the sofa, hit his shoulder on the edge of the coffee table, and then froze as if time had stopped.
The ambulance arrived quickly, but for Tatiana that hour stretched into an eternity. Intensive care, white walls, cold light, endless waiting by the door where doctors tried to bring her beloved back to life. Then long days in the hospital corridors where the smell of antiseptic mixed with the heavy air of anxiety. The doctors spoke cautiously, choosing their words carefully to avoid giving false hope.
— The condition is severe. The prognosis is still unclear.
And now three months had passed, and Vladimir still hadn’t come to. But Tatiana didn’t give up. Every day she came to his ward, sat beside him, and talked. Talked about everything — what was happening in the city, what news was in the papers, who was blooming in the park, what the sky looked like today. Sometimes she read aloud to him, sometimes she told him how she spent her day, how much she missed him. The doctors assured her that even in a coma, a person can hear and feel. So she continued, because she couldn’t allow herself to stop.
One Thursday, when the sun barely pierced through the clouds outside, Vladimir’s sister-in-law Lyudmila — his own sister — unexpectedly showed up with her husband Andrey. They had never been particularly close; their relationship was more formal than warm. Lyudmila lived in a neighboring city, came rarely, and always with a purpose. Sometimes she borrowed money from her brother, sometimes she asked for help finding a job for her son or a good deal. But now their visit seemed suspicious to Tatiana.
— Tanya, how are you? How’s Volodya? — said Lyudmila, hugging her sister-in-law, though there was not a drop of sincerity in that embrace.
— No change, — Tatiana replied briefly, tensing inside.
— Oh, it must be so hard for you… And no children, no support… — sighed the sister-in-law with fake sympathy.
Indeed, she and Vladimir had no children. It was one of those painful topics they tried not to discuss. They had tried for many years, went through numerous examinations, consultations, procedures. In the end, they accepted it. Not because they stopped wanting a child, but because they realized they could be happy together. Their family was everything to each other.
But now those words sounded completely different. Like a hint at her loneliness, her vulnerability, that she was alone against the whole world.
— Listen, Tanya, — Lyudmila suddenly began, settling at the table, — have you thought about the apartment?
— About the apartment?
— Well… Volodya is in a coma. And what if… God forbid… you understand the apartment is legally half mine? As inheritance from our parents.
Tatiana was shaken by those words. A chill ran down her spine, as if someone had turned off the heat in the room.
— Lyudmila, my husband is alive. What inheritance are you talking about?
— I’m not talking about that… I’m just thinking maybe we should arrange some papers? Just in case? You never know…
Andrey, who had been silent until then, cleared his throat and carefully took out a folder from his bag. Inside lay a power of attorney to manage Vladimir’s property. Tatiana’s hands trembled as she took the document.
— Are you serious? — she could only manage to say.
— Tanya, don’t think badly of us! — Lyudmila hurried to explain. — We want to help! Volodya is my brother, I worry about him as much as you do!
— Then why haven’t you come to the hospital even once in three months?
Lyudmila faltered, her face slightly paled.
— It’s far to travel… work… and the doctors say it’s better to limit visitors…
— What doctors say that? I’m there every day!
— Well… anyway… Tanya, sign the papers. We need to sell some of Volodya’s things. So there’s money for treatment.
— What things?
— Well… the car, for example. It just sits unused. And money is needed for medicine…
Tatiana slowly sank onto the sofa. Her head was buzzing, thoughts flying, crashing into chaos.
— Lyudmila, have you lost your mind? My husband is in a coma, and you’re already dividing property?
— We’re not dividing! We’re helping! — the sister-in-law protested. — You can’t handle it! Look how thin and pale you’ve become! We’ll take all the hassle on ourselves!
Andrey remained silent, but Tatiana noticed how his gaze slid around the room, lingering on expensive electronics, antique furniture, paintings on the walls. That assessing, almost predatory look left no doubt — they hadn’t come to help.
— Get out of my house, — she said quietly, standing up.
— What? — Lyudmila didn’t understand.
— I said — get out! And don’t come with such proposals anymore!
— Tanya, what are you doing? We’re family! — the sister-in-law tried to stop her.
— What family? Where were you when my husband was in intensive care? Where were you when I stayed awake nights, praying for him to survive? And now you come to divide what belongs to a living person!
Tatiana decisively headed to the door and flung it open.
— Leave. Right now.
Lyudmila and Andrey exchanged looks. Then the sister-in-law arrogantly lifted her chin, as if trying to keep the last shreds of pride.
— Fine. You’ll regret it. You won’t manage without our help.
They left, loudly slamming the door. Tatiana was left alone. She slowly sank to the floor in the hallway and cried. Tears ran down her cheeks for a long time — from helplessness, from pain, from loneliness, from betrayal by those she considered family.
A week later, her mother-in-law Anna Petrovna called.
— Tanya, how are you? Lyudochka told me you had a quarrel…
— Anna Petrovna, your daughter came to divide the property of a living man.
— Oh, no… She’s just worried about her brother! She only wanted to help…
— Helping is coming to the hospital, holding his hand, bringing something tasty. Not demanding power of attorney to sell the car.
The mother-in-law was silent.
— Tanya, maybe she’s right? Volodya is… not doing well… Maybe you should think about practical things?
— Anna Petrovna, what are you talking about?
— I’m not talking about that… I’m just thinking — what if Volodya doesn’t get better? It will be hard for you alone… And Lyudochka will help arrange everything…
— Anna Petrovna, I believe my husband will recover. And I’ll believe it to the end. If you and your daughter have already buried him in your minds — that’s your business. But don’t drag me into it.
— Tanya, come on… We’re family…
— Family is when you support each other in hard times. Not when you come with lawyer papers.
She hung up and went to the hospital.
Vladimir lay motionless, machines beeped rhythmically, counting his heartbeat. Tatiana took his hand in hers.
— Volodya, your sister wants to sell our car. She says you need medicine. And her mother supports her. They think you won’t recover…
And then — a barely noticeable movement. His fingers slightly clenched. Tatiana jumped up, eyes wide open, heart pounding.
— Volodya! Can you hear me?
Again — a squeeze. Weak, but real.
— Doctor! Doctor! — she shouted, running into the corridor.
The doctor came, checked his reactions, examined the patient carefully.
— Good sign, — he said. — Consciousness is gradually returning. Keep talking to him.
Tatiana returned to her husband, holding back tears of joy.
— Volodya, can you hear me? I come to you every day. Tell you the news, read the papers… And your relatives decided you’re already a dead man…
Her husband squeezed her hand again. Awareness appeared in his eyes. The light she had waited for so long.
— Volodya! — Tatiana leaned toward him. — You’re coming back! I’ve been waiting for this moment!
The next day Vladimir could already move his lips, trying to speak. His speech was slurred, but the doctors were hopeful — recovery was going well.
Tatiana called her mother-in-law to share the good news.
— Anna Petrovna, Volodya is coming around! The doctors say the prognosis is good!
— Oh, that’s wonderful! — the mother-in-law rejoiced. — Lyudochka will be glad! She was so worried!
— She was worried about how to divide the property, — Tatiana couldn’t help but say.
— Tanya, come on… She wanted to help with a pure heart…
— Anna Petrovna, helping means coming to the hospital, holding his hand, bringing something tasty. Not demanding to sign papers to sell someone else’s property.
A few days later Lyudmila and Andrey came again. This time with flowers and apologies.
— Tanya, we’re so glad Volodya is getting better! — chirped the sister-in-law. — We were wrong back then… We were just so worried!
— Come in, — Tatiana said dryly.
— We want to apologize, — Lyudmila continued. — We understand it was wrong to come with those papers…
— Wrong timing? — Tatiana repeated. — Lyudmila, your husband was in a coma, and you came to divide the inheritance of a living person. That’s not “wrong timing.” That’s mean.
Andrey blushed.
— We really wanted to help… The lawyer said it was better to do it in advance…
— Which lawyer? The one who hasn’t even seen the patient? The one who, according to you, is ready to declare him incompetent?
Lyudmila shifted in her seat.
— Tanya, we didn’t know Volodya would recover…
— Didn’t know? Or didn’t want to know? In three months, you never visited, then showed up with signed papers.
— We’ll do better! — promised the sister-in-law. — We’ll visit and help!
— No need, — Tatiana said firmly. — The spouses will manage on their own.
A month later Vladimir was discharged from the hospital. His speech was still a little impaired, his left hand moved weakly, but doctors promised full recovery with regular therapy.
At home, the husband learned about the relatives’ visits.
— They… what… wanted? — he spoke with difficulty.
— To sell our car. Said you need money for medicine.
Vladimir frowned.
— Ly… daughter… always… was like that. Greedy.
— They thought you wouldn’t recover.
— And you… did you believe it?
Tatiana took his healthy hand in hers.
— I knew you would come back. My husband couldn’t leave me.
Vladimir smiled.
— My… wife… the best…
That evening, Lyudmila called.
— Volodya! How are you, brother? We’re so glad you’re getting better!
— Lyudochka, — the husband said slowly, — thanks for… caring. But my wife and I… will manage ourselves.
— What about the car? Maybe we should still sell it? The money is needed for rehabilitation…
— Lyudochka, we’re not selling the car. And nothing else. Tanya and I… have everything we need.
— Volodya, we only wanted to help…
— Help? — the husband looked at his wife. — Tanya told me… about your… papers. Three months in the hospital… you never… visited. Then came… with a lawyer.
Lyudmila fell silent.
— Volodya, we just…
— Lyudochka, I understand everything. Thanks… for showing… your true face. Now my wife and I know… who to count on.
He hung up.
— You did the right thing, — Tatiana said.
— My wife… is smart. She immediately saw… what they were like.
Since then, the relatives never called again. Lyudmila and Andrey realized their plan failed and lost interest in “helping.”
Vladimir gradually recovered. After six months, he could speak almost normally, and his hand worked better. The doctors were pleased with the progress.
— You know, Tanya, — one evening he said, — illness is bad. But sometimes it helps you understand who really matters.
— You mean the relatives?
— And them too. But most importantly — I realized what kind of wife I have. She came to me every day for three months. Talked, read. The doctors said — it was you who saved me.
Tatiana snuggled close to her husband.
— Spouses should be together in sorrow and joy. That’s what they promised at the registry office.
— They promised. And you kept the promise.
— My husband kept his too. He came back to me.
They sat hugging, watching TV. Outside the window it was raining, but inside the house was warm and cozy.
And in the neighboring city, Lyudmila and Andrey still couldn’t understand how their plan had failed. They had counted so much on the apartment and the car…
But sometimes justice triumphs. And true love defeats greed.
