3 Years by His Hospital Bed, He Chose Her

Chapter 5

Ethan's brow furrowed at the word "wife", about to ask what the doctor meant.

But before he could speak, Olivia clutched her wrist and dabbed at imaginary tears. "Ethan, my hand hurts so much… What if I can never play the piano again?"

Ethan's expression shifted instantly. Panic flashed across his face as he pulled her into his arms, murmuring softly, trying to comfort her.

A nurse standing nearby let out a loud scoff. "Quit the act. If you'd come any later, that scratch would've healed on its own."

Olivia's eyes welled up with exaggerated tears, but Ethan shot the nurse a frosty glare. "Is this how your hospital treats patients?"

The nurse crossed her arms, unfazed. "We're here to treat real injuries, not perform in your drama."

"While you were fussing over her, another girl came in with her hands shredded. The admitting nurse said if we didn't treat her immediately, she'd lose the use of both hands!"

Ethan stiffened. Rachel.

He had only meant to scare her a little. Teach her a lesson. Just a few blades in a piano, he never thought it could really cause lasting damage.

A doctor nearby added, "One of us could've easily handled Miss Olivia's cut. The rest of the team was needed elsewhere."

The others nodded and returned to their duties, leaving Ethan standing there, a strange unease twisting in his chest.

Once Olivia was bandaged and settled, Ethan finally went to the room the nurse had mentioned.

But when he pulled back the curtain and saw the patient wasn't Rachel, his whole body relaxed in relief, though he wasn't sure why.

…

When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. A nurse explained what happened, how I'd been brought in late, how they couldn't reach anyone, so they called my last contact: Jason.

Jason had rushed over immediately. When he found out all the doctors had been pulled away by Ethan for Olivia's minor injury, I saw fury flash across his face. His jaw clenched, veins popping in his neck as he tried to stay calm.

He carried me himself to a different hospital. Just in time to save my hands.

Now, as I blinked up at him, Jason's voice was thick with regret. "I'm so sorry, Rachel. I never should've let you go back to the Jiang family."

I moved my fingers just enough to signal: Don't blame yourself. I made that choice.

I glanced at the clock. It was already 9 a.m. Just one more hour… and I'd finally be able to speak again.

Jason found a wheelchair and insisted on pushing me. I raised an eyebrow, then lifted my legs to show they worked perfectly fine. He laughed and gave up the idea.

As fate would have it, we ran right into Ethan in the hallway, he was there to pick up Olivia's medicine.

I instinctively pulled Jason's sleeve and tried to walk away, but he clutched his stomach and groaned, "Ugh, go ahead, I'll catch up."

I hesitated, then lowered the brim of my hat and hurried off.

Later, when I saw him walk into the clinic beaming like he'd just scored a personal victory, I scanned him head to toe, making sure he wasn't hurt. Only then did I feel at ease.

Jason had always been stubborn. I knew I couldn't stop him even if I tried, so I acted like I didn't notice anything.

I sat off to the side while he passionately described our "relationship" to the doctor, full of flair. I couldn't help but chuckle. The doctor, clearly annoyed by his long-winded story, finally handed him the contract just to shut him up.

Exhausted, I leaned back and let my eyes close.

Jason stood outside the glass, watching me. The doctor handed him a cup of water.

"So, what's the deal with you two?" the doctor asked.

"Friends," Jason replied.

Then, almost as an afterthought, he added quietly, "But I like her."

…

When I opened my eyes again, the first thing I saw were his clear, familiar eyes. He signed to me, You okay?

I blinked. I didn't even know how I understood sign language. It just felt… natural. And I instinctively asked, "Who are you?"

He froze, the smile slipping slightly, but then lit up again. "I'm… your friend. Jason."

His voice was gentle, careful, as if he didn't want to scare me.

I tried to reach for his hand, but even the smallest movement sent pain shooting through my arms. I flinched. I couldn't remember how I'd gotten hurt.

Just then, my phone buzzed.

[Rachel, after what you did to Olivia's hand, don't you think you owe her an apology? Come back right now!]

I stared at the message, completely confused.

"Do you know who this is?" I asked Jason.

He took the phone from my hand, gave it one glance, then frowned. "Nope. And don't worry, I'll block him for you."