Chapter 8
With my face smeared in blood, my features might be just a blur. No wonder he didn’t recognize me.
With great effort, I raised both hands together, trying my best to wipe the blood off my face.
I hurried closer to him, suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to say something–anything.
But when I tried, the words just escaped me.
Forcing myself forward, every step a struggle, I moved toward him.
But halfway there, my legs gave way and I collapsed to my knees.
As if waking from a dream, Elbert abruptly came to his senses and lunged toward me.
He’d always been the epitome of composure.
When our parents were alive, he was that precocious little gentleman, mature beyond his years.
After they passed, he became the decisive executive who never faltered.
But now, over just a few steps, he stumbled so badly that he even fell halfway.
I couldn’t help but let out a weak laugh, only to feel my nosebleed worsen.
Then, to my surprise, Elbert burst into tears.
Tears streaming down his face, he rushed to my side but didn’t dare touch me.
“Dora…” he stammered, panic–stricken, “what’s going on with you?”
I opened my mouth to speak.
But then everything went black and I passed out.
I could hear the sound of cicadas, just like in the middle of summer.
They buzzed endlessly, driving me crazy.
Maybe I really was dead. Otherwise, how could I hear cicadas in the dead of winter, when they shouldn’t exist?
But against all odds, I came back.
Outside the hospital window, the sky was still bright–I hadn’t been out for long.
Elbert was no longer by my side, leaving the hospital room feeling hollow and desolate.
To be honest, I was a little surprised.
I thought after seeing me bleed so much, he couldn’t bring himself to leave my
At this time, Marshall walked in from outside, dressed in a white coat.
I looked at him and asked, “Where’s my brother?”
He clutched the medical chart, his eyes slightly reddened.
side.
Alarm bells went off in my head as panic set in. I looked at him anxiously and blurted out, “Did you tell him?”
Marshall averted his gaze, unable to bear looking at me any longer.
He shook his head, his voice trembling slightly. “No.
“I told him you just had a fever, plus a sudden, minor coagulation issue.
“It’s nothing serious–just a short hospital stay and you’ll be fine.”
I let out a slight sigh of relief, though a pang of unease lingered. “Did he buy it?” I pursued.
Marshall hesitated for a long moment before finally admitting, “Yeah…
“Once he knew you were okay, well, Elaine is still in the hospital, so…” Marshall trailed off. 1/2
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Chapter 8
Maybe I looked too pitiful, he couldn’t bring himself to finish his sentence.
I forced a smile that never quite reached my eyes.
Elaine’s “cold” seemed serious enough to warrant quite an extended hospital stay.
To be honest, I used to be really possessive of our parents and Elbert.
But now that I was facing death, I let go of a lot.
Thinking about Elbert starting to care for someone else, treating her like a sister, I realized it was probably for the best.
If he could shift the feelings he had for me onto someone else, at least there’d still be someone by his side, someone who made him feel like family.
That way, when it was my time to go, I could rest easier.
Marshall examined me, then had the nurse set up another IV drip before stepping out.
The hospital room was deathly silent, each second dragging on unbearably.
Then I remembered–I hadn’t checked out of the place I was staying yet.
Since Marshall was finishing his shift, I asked him to do me a favor and run the errand for me.
After getting my things back, I stayed in the hospital room with nothing to do, so I went back to practicing giving myself injections on my own arm.
The syringe had just touched my arm when the hospital room door suddenly burst open.
For a second, I thought it was Marshall returning, but a quick glance revealed it was Elbert.
His expression was a bit off as he popped up out of nowhere. For a moment, I couldn’t help but wonder if Elaine had said something bad about me to him.
Elbert glanced at me, then at my arm.
Suddenly, his expression changed drastically.
