A Whisper that went unheard novel Chapter 90

Melody glanced at Krystal, but she no longer cared. Lowering her voice, she quickly explained the situation at the orphanage to Jeremy, pleading, "Can you come with me to check on the children?"

Jeremy slowly furrowed his brows.

Krystal spoke coldly, "Jeremy is a neurosurgeon. For checkups, you should be asking a doctor from a different department."

Looking at Jeremy, Melody explained, "Madam Callahan just wants a basic health screening for the kids."

He remained expressionless. "That's not within my field of study, and it's against regulations."

Doctors weren't allowed to see patients outside their specialty.

Melody was getting anxious. The department had been swamped lately, and he hadn't returned home in days.

At the hospital, he was either in meetings or with patients, leaving her no chance to speak with him. It was only during the brief minutes after work that she could speak with him.

"It's just a basic checkup," she insisted. "The kids have been running a temperature and stomach pains."

Jeremy's voice turned even colder. "If they're sick, they should come to the hospital for treatment. A checkup is just for show."

Melody suddenly realized that Jeremy and Krystal would never understand the situation.

An orphanage raising dozens of children relied entirely on donations and whatever income the director could earn. And those so-called donations? They only arrived when people felt generous or wanted to polish their reputation.

Most of the time, the orphanage's entrance was deserted.

Forget about proper medical care—having three decent meals a day was already a stroke of luck for them.

Getting hospital treatment, attending school, celebrating a birthday—things ordinary people took for granted—were dreams too distant for the children at the orphanage.

A bitter ache spread in Melody's chest as the light in her eyes dimmed. She turned and walked out of the office with worry.

Leaning against the wall outside, she exhaled slowly, trying to think of another way.

The office door had been left open, allowing Krystal's voice to be heard.

"So, do you actually have time this weekend? The department is swamped."

Jeremy was still reviewing a CT scan. Without looking up, he answered, "I requested the morning off. Didn't Mr. Finnigan transfer to Jembina?"

"Yeah, he's at the Third Hospital." Krystal sounded resigned. "Let's see him together. You're a top specialist—if you tell him to stay in the hospital, he'll listen. Otherwise, he'll just keep trying to leave."

"Alright."

She studied his sharp profile with a flicker of admiration. Then, she said, "Also, thanks for returning my necklace. My dad gave it to me for my birthday. It's really important to me."

The "dad" she referred to was, of course, her adoptive father.

"Be more careful next time. Don't lose it again." Jeremy's voice was calm and steady, but to Melody, it felt like a stab.

She closed her eyes, realizing he had chosen to visit Krystal's adoptive father.

As she turned and walked away, she felt numb.

Jeremy set down the CT scan and looked up just in time to see Melody's slender figure stumble slightly as she left. His brows instinctively knit together, and his gaze followed her until she disappeared completely.

…

…

Felicia drove while Melody hailed another car.

The nearest hospital was the public hospital known as the Third Hospital. Melody carried Orphy straight into the emergency room while Felicia took the others for examinations.

By the time they were done, the results were clear—the kids had sustained food poisoning.

…

As soon as Melody arrived at the lobby to make the payment, she saw Jeremy. He was alone and faltered the moment he saw her, after which he walked straight toward her.

His gaze fell on the bill in her hand, and his voice was steady. "Who's sick?"

"It's a stranger," came her reply, knowing that the orphanage children had nothing to do with him.

Jeremy's brows furrowed slightly. Seeing the sweat beads on her forehead and her red eyes, he more or less figured out what had happened.

"I was just about to head to the orphanage," he claimed.

Melody turned to look at him and pursed her lips before speaking slowly. "It's fine. You were right. I should have brought them straight to the hospital."

Shaking her head, she added, "Don't worry, I won't bother you again."

No one in the world truly understood someone else's pain. She shouldn't have expected anything from him.

Something clenched in Jeremy's chest, and the discomfort made him frown. His dark eyes fixed on Melody as he mentioned, "I never thought you were bothering me."