Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 466

"Sorry, I..."

Seeing my escalating distress, Russel sighed and tried to wipe away my tears. But I angrily brushed his hand aside.

Aside from that one time when we were drugged and lost control, we've always kept a respectable distance. This was his first attempt to breach that.

I didn't know why, but Russel doing this affected me more than Neil. Maybe in my heart, Russel was still a better person than Neil, at least in terms of manners.

As for Neil, I had long considered him a brute.

"Get off me and arrange for my discharge. I want to go home; I can't stand being here!" I wiped away the tears stinging my eyes and tersely ordered Russel.

"You can leave tomorrow, not today." Russel refused to comply with my request.

I knew he just wanted me to stay in the hospital for a couple more days, to get some IV fluids or something, but I didn't need that. My mental trauma was far more severe than any physical ailments.

"No way, I just want to go home!"

But today, Russel was as stubborn as a mule. He responded with a hint of authority, "That's not possible. Until tomorrow afternoon, you'll stay here and rest. I've instructed the nurses to keep a close eye on you."

"Russel, are you out of your mind??" I was aghast. I was starting to doubt if this man was really Russel.

"I'm just concerned about your health. I promised to take care of you. Will you please listen?" Russel reached out, gently patting my head. His words were soft, but they just made my chest tighten.

I wanted to retort, but Russel had already turned and left. His steps were brisk, not his usual calm and steady pace. He seemed eager to get away.

His anxiety was probably as heavy as mine, but he had to bear it. If we kept arguing, things might get worse.

Maybe he was just avoiding me. That was fine, I needed some time to calm down.

I had wanted to talk to him about the situation between Louis and Neil, but now I didn't want to say anything. I just wanted to clear my mind and try to relax.

...

By the time evening fell, the plump doctor who had brought me lunch came by again, this time with dinner.

Russel could have brought it, but he didn't. Probably because of our argument this afternoon.

I didn't want to see him right now, which was just as well.

"Thank you." I didn't have much appetite, but I thanked him quietly.

"Ma'am, actually..." The plump doctor started awkwardly, "I think Dr. Russel really likes you. Did you two have a fight? He seemed off all afternoon. It's rare for him, a professional like him, to let personal matters affect his work."

I looked at the young man in front of me. He was a bit chubby, but he looked barely in his mid-twenties, innocent and guileless.

"Dr. Ronald, you're single, aren't you?" I glanced at the name tag pinned to his chest.

"Yes." Dr. Ronald nodded.

"That's why you don't understand. Thanks for the meal." I gave him a small smile. "I'll be discharged tomorrow, so you don't need to bring me anything anymore. Even if Russel asks you to, don't agree."

I pulled out my phone, downloaded a random game, and handed it to Hiram, "This is the game. Can you play it?"

Hiram glanced at it, "Of course, I can! Even if I don't know now, I'll figure it out after playing a bit!"

Just the sight of the game made his eyes light up. He was clearly excited.

I let him play with my phone, and while he was engrossed in the game, I managed to ask him a few questions. He was so focused on the game that he let his guard down, allowing me to find out a lot of things.

For instance, the watch on his wrist was a special gift from Karina. It wasn't just a regular watch – it had phone and video calling capabilities, GPS tracking, and a camera.

"Did you use the GPS on your watch to find your dad when you got hit by a car that day?" I suddenly asked.

"Yes!" Hiram was so engrossed in the game that he answered without thinking.

"Did your mom ask you to do that?" I continued.

This time, Hiram became wary. He looked up at me, his small face full of suspicion, "No, my mom didn't tell me to do that!"

I raised an eyebrow. The more Hiram denied it, the more I was convinced something was off.

His eyes were clearly flustered, and he seemed unnaturally on edge.

"You don't have to hide it from me, you know. Your mom popped in to see me today, you must have known. She spilled the beans, and the reason I'm asking these questions is because she wanted me to relay a message to you. She said she's sorry for letting you do something so perilous, and she's asking for your forgiveness." I admit, I might have been playing mind games with a kid, which was a bit too much.