Chapter 98 Stay Alert
Chapter 98 Stay Alert
We finally made it to the villagers‘ house. The man was warm and welcoming, and the two–story home was actually pretty nice. But I got sick.
I had already been weak; and after days of nonstop travel, the fever hit hard and would not go down. I started to lose sense of things.
When Jude called, Ellen picked up. I had no idea what they said, but I could tell he was freaking out.
Two days later, the rain finally stopped, but my fever still lingered. Dorian didn’t hesitate. He helped me onto a tractor and said, “You need an IV, now. If this keeps up, you’ll fry your brain.”
He borrowed an oversized coat from a villager, wrapped me in it, then held me close in his arms.
I looked up at his profile, and all of a sudden, I thought of Jude. Back in junior year, I had pulled three all–nighters in a row to finish a paper. In the end, I collapsed. I could barely remember it, but I knew Jude had carried me to the campus clinic, his face full of panic.
For a second, it felt just like that moment again, Jude’s anxious face, that raw urgency. I reached up and touched Dorian’s chin. My voice came out soft and dazed. “Jude, you really need to shave. You look awful.”
Dorian paused for a moment, then pulled me in tighter. When I woke up, I was staring at a chipped wall. I felt lost for a moment until I saw the stubble on a shadowed jawline and the dark circles under Dorian’s eyes. That was when it all came
back to me.
“Dorian, what happened to me?” I said.
“Your body gave out. You’ve been burning up from exhaustion,” he said, rolling his eyes as he gently pushed me back onto the bed and tucked the blanket around me. “Keep this up and you’ll end up right back here a third time.”
A slightly balding doctor walked in and gave me a quick check–up. His tone turned stern as he turned to Dorian. “Your wife‘ s already had two surgeries, and you’re still letting her run around like this? You look well–off enough with your fancy coat. How about letting her rest for once, huh?”
I opened my mouth to explain, but Dorian stood up and bowed slightly before I could say a word. “I’m sorry. This is all on me. I should’ve taken better care of her.”
The doctor’s face softened a bit at that. “A relapse like this is no joke. All we can do here is give her basic treatment. If you want real tests, take her to the city.”
Then he turned to me.“You strike me as a tough one, probably the workaholic type. But listen. Health comes first. No more pushing yourself. Rest from today.”
The town doctor was strict, but he had a good heart. He made sure to cover everything before he left. His wife even packed me a portion of their meal.
I stared at the food, not sure if I could stomach it. Dorian chuckled beside me. “Not hungry?”
“Would you like to have it?” I said hesitantly.
He didn’t even blink. The next second, he put on a pair of gloves, peeled off the skin, and handed me the lean meat. “You don’t like skin, right? Eat this,” he said casually.
I took it, a little shy and stunned, and started nibbling slowly.
He didn’t mind eating the rest himself. But at the mention of the transport problem, I was in trouble again.
“I’ll help you get the materials back. Jude can cover the transport fee,” Dorian said. “By the way, should I tell him about your condition?”
Dorian had already finished his meal and was cleaning up.
“Don’t,” I said before he continued. “Just tell him I’m still overseeing things at the factory.”
Dorian nodded without argument. The next morning, once he was sure I was okay, he started making arrangements for the trucks.
Meanwhile, I sent Jude a video message. I told him it had rained so hard that there was no signal, and that I had come down with a fever, but nothing serious. He panicked right away and didn’t question why I was with Dorian anymore.
“You sure I shouldn’t come over? I really don’t feel right just
you’re like this,” he said.
kay, really.” I shook my head.
Successfully unlocked!
“No need. I’ll stay a few more days to supervise, ther
It almost felt like we were back to how things used to be when we were first married. Not perfect, but at least we could talk without fighting.
Then Vivian popped up on the screen again, in our home. I went stone–cold.
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Chapter 98 Stay Alert
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