Mrs. Larson went grocery shopping and prepared the meal. Lewis remained in the room throughout.
Even after being called for dinner, he didn't come down.
Mrs. Larson eventually gave up.
Josephine slept longer than ever before. She didn't wake up until noon the next day.
When she opened her eyes and saw the quiet room, she closed them again in disappointment.
Every time she woke up, she was all alone. It felt as if everybody had abandoned her.
She felt an indescribable sadness and loneliness.
Her heart felt empty.
After a while, she mustered the strength to sit up with great effort. She then slowly got out of bed and moved toward the bathroom.
Lewis pushed the door open and entered the room. His face fell when he didn't see Josephine on the bed.
He then hurriedly walked towards the bathroom.
Josephine was sitting on the toilet with her shoulders drooping. She looked as if she was half-asleep.
In fact, she had finished using the toilet a while ago but didn't have the strength to get up.
Her dim eyes regained some luster when he saw Lewis entering.
"You're back?"
Lewis stared at her for a moment before nodding. "Yes, are you done?"
"Yes, but I can't get up." Josephine pouted and looked at him innocently. She sounded quite adorable.
Lewis paused for a moment, then walked over to help her up. He then flushed the toilet and helped her to the sink before washing her hands.
Once settled, he carried her back to the bed.
Josephine leaned against the headboard and stared at him weakly. "Why were you away for so long?"
"I wasn't away. I was just outside. Are you hungry?"
Josephine touched her stomach and nodded. "Yes."
"I'll get you something to eat, but don't sleep yet." He gently touched her cheek and left after receiving her approval.
After a short while, he returned with some light food.
Josephine looked at the bland oatmeal and broth. Instantly, she lost her appetite.
Lewis held a bowl and fed her spoonful after spoonful.
Perhaps she had starved for too long. Although the food was bland, she ate quite a lot.
After finishing the last bowl of broth, Josephine held onto his hand again. "I don't want to stay here anymore. When can we go home?"
Lewis fell silent.
Josephine looked at him expectantly. She waited for a long time and didn't receive a response. She bit her lip and let go of his hand.
Lewis reached out and caressed her cheek. "Wait until you're better."
Josephine was tired of hearing that phrase. She sighed in frustration. She didn't even know what "better" meant anymore.
Suddenly, faint voices came from downstairs. Yet they were too soft to discern who it was.
Josephine strained her ears to listen. It seemed to be Avery's voice.
Indeed, it was Avery. Besides that, Quintin was here too.
The two met at the entrance and exchanged glances before speaking simultaneously.
"Why are you here?"
"What brings you here?"
Quintin hesitated for a moment and scratched his head awkwardly. "I came to check on Josephine. I was grounded before this and couldn't visit her when the fire broke out. I wonder how she's recovering."
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