Chapter 14: News From The Hospital

Arriving at the studio apartment, less than a ten-minute walk from the café, Abigail could finally relax, knowing she had a place to sleep for the night.

She didn’t care about the apartment’s interior. Hurriedly undressed, she rushed to the bathroom to shower, cleaning herself under the cold water.

A few minutes later, she emerged fresh, wearing only a white bathrobe and wrapping her hair in a towel.

While sitting on the single sofa overlooking the street below, Abigail started to eat her miserable lunch: dry bread and cold coffee, which she had bought at a small stall on her way here.

After finishing her late lunch, she felt her muscles betraying her, longing to lie on the bed. Her eyes were tired, and she couldn’t resist the allure of the soft bed in the corner, which seemed to call her.

Throwing herself onto the soft mattress, her eyes slowly closed. However, the vibrating phone on the bedside table made her open them again.

She immediately grabbed the phone—her heart raced when she saw a new message from Nurse Rosa.

"Abigail, thank God. Your grandmother is awake. But she’s still too weak to get up, so we let her fall asleep again. I’m sending you her picture of when she woke up a moment ago; maybe you’d like to see her. If you have time, we can video call later when she’s awake again."

No words could describe Abigail’s feelings after reading Nurse Rosa’s message and seeing her Grandma’s picture. Although her Grandma was awake and smiling, her thin, pale face made Abigail’s heartache. She hurriedly typed a short message in reply to Nurse Rosa.

After sending the message, she set a timer for the video call and alarm for her shift at the café. She needed to get some sleep now; last night in the hospital, she had barely slept.

Abigail lay back on the soft bed and felt her muscles feel stiff. She no longer had the energy to move but only to sleep, recharging her low battery.

She was physically and mentally exhausted after everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours.

After a few hours, the sound of the alarm broke the silence.

Abigail suddenly woke up and sat on the bed, staring at her cell phone on the nightstand. She lazily turned off the alarm while trying to get out of bed but felt her whole body stiff and aching, as if she had just completed a triathlon.

Her head hurt so much she felt as if someone had just pounded her head with a hammer.

With all her remaining strength, Abigail lifted and dragged her feet. She took a painkiller from her bag and swallowed it with a sip of water from the water bottle in the small cooler in her apartment’s mini pantry.

"Gosh! You look terrible, Abby!" Abigail smiled bitterly when she saw her reflection in the mirror. She couldn’t believe she had fallen asleep wearing only a bathrobe without anything under it. Her hair was still wrapped in a towel.

She hurriedly took clothes from her bag and found another black shirt. This time, she didn’t wear jeans but black mid-culottes. She was ready to go to the cafe; as is the rule there, they wear black outfits.

But she had to video call her Grandma before working in her new workplace.

After sending a short message to Nurse Rosa, Abigail felt nervous about receiving her call back. Worried her Grandma couldn’t talk to her again.

A few minutes later, a video call from Nurse Rosa finally appeared.

Abigail cried when she saw her grandmother on the other end waving her hand with a smile framing her pale face.

"Granny—" Abigail felt her heart warm, too happy to see her grandmother awake; after yesterday, she felt like her grandmother might leave her forever.

"Silly girl, why are you crying?" Sophie Lewis smiled, looking at her beautiful grandchild. "I’m not dead yet, and you’re already sobbing like that. Can you stop, Abby?"

"I’m crying because I’m so happy to see you awake and looking fresh, Granny..." Abigail said between her sobs.

"Oh, my dear Abby—"

Abigail wiped away her tears.

"Granny, please don’t scare me like yesterday. Please stay healthy."

"I will, dear. I will. I promise you, I won’t die until I see you married to Ryland and having a child with him," Sophie smiled.

Instantly, the happiness Abigail felt vanished. She can’t tell her Grandma now about her relationship with Ryland, or her Grandma might faint again.

Abigail could only push herself to smile at Granny and tried to divert the conversation. She avoided talking about Ryland.

After a few more minutes, they talked about her Grandma’s condition, and finally, Abigail excused herself. She told her Grandma about her plans to go to the side project.

***

While In a particular place, somewhere,

In a minimalist living room, Sawyer sat on a single couch, and Ethan Smith, one of his most trusted few, sat opposite him.

"So, how’s your investigation so far, Ethan? Is something happening at the Autumn Garden Nursing House?" Sawyer asked, curious.

"Yes, sir, something is happening there," Ethan quickly explained that Abigail’s grandmother, Sophie Lewis, had an injury and underwent surgery at a hospital on the same day. The latest news he learned was that Sophie finally woke up just a few hours ago.

"I see," Sawyer was surprised to hear that because what Abigail told him was completely different.

’Why didn’t she tell the truth about her Grandma?’ Hearing his thoughts, Sawyer immediately dismissed his curiosity. How could he want to know her reason?

"Okay, thanks for the info, Ethan. You may go now."

"Sir, you might need to know something about Abigail Snow."

"What is it?" Sawyer’s brow furrowed, his curiosity about Abigail returning.

"She is struggling to pay her Grandma’s medical bills," Ethan explained briefly. "Perhaps you want to do something about it?" he politely asked.

Sawyer thought for a few moments before he said, "You’re right. I want to do something about it. Please settle the hospital bill. Do it secretly, without a trace."

"Gladly, Sir. Consider it done!"

After seeing Ethan walk toward the door, Sawyer stood from his seat and wanted to head to the second floor to rest. However, his step halted when he saw Ethan still standing there, and his face looked like he wanted to say something, but he hesitated.

"Anything else you want to say, Ethan?"

"Yes, Sir. Just one more thing, Sir. Miss Abigail is also looking for a place to stay. To live."

Sawyer suddenly frowns. His foolish mind started to make him think about something he should not.