Chapter 3

Ever since that night at the club, my chest had been harboring a dull ache.

A trip to the hospital revealed that the lung infection had worsened, leading to severe fluid buildup in my chest.

The doctor scheduled me for a chest drainage procedure on Thursday. He repeatedly emphasized that I was strictly forbidden from leaving alone after sedation. I had to have someone pick me up and stay by my side, or the hospital would refuse the procedure.

Luca, Cassian, and Roman originally agreed without hesitation.

Luca was to act as my emergency contact.

Cassian was responsible for transportation.

Roman kissed my forehead, promising he would wait right outside the operating room until I woke up.

They always said my asthma was easily triggered and needed constant attention. They said they knew how uncomfortable I would be, so if I ever needed surgery, no matter how busy they were, they would stay by my side.

Yet, they were the same ones who kicked my medicine away at the club and ignored me completely for Chloe's sake.

But this was a major procedure, and I still wanted to believe they would come to be with me.

So the night before heading to the hospital, besides packing my own necessities, I also packed their favorite bottled water and made homemade sandwiches.

At eight o'clock the next morning, I sat in the hospital room waiting for over half an hour, but they never appeared in the hallway.

The head nurse came in with the pre-op form, urging me to contact my ride home.

I could only take a deep breath and dial Roman's number.

The phone rang for a long time before it was picked up.

"Duke is barking frantically at my bedroom door. I don't even dare to open it. He's going to bite me!"

Roman spoke in a low, gentle voice, coaxing her for quite a while before turning to me with a hint of apology.

"Elena, I'm sorry, I got tied up here. What did you need me for?"

"I'm having my chest procedure today."

The line went quiet for two seconds.

"Elena, can you reschedule the surgery?"

"You guys promised me last night that you would come and be with me."

"Duke is completely frantic right now. Chloe is terrified being alone. She can't handle it at all."

I squeezed the wrinkled medical record in my hand tightly.

"Does it take three grown men to calm down a dog?"

The receiver instantly went silent.

A moment later, Luca snatched the phone.

"I'm calling the dog trainer. Cassian is going to buy bite suits, and Roman is staying to keep Chloe company. Elena, you've always been understanding. It's just a minor surgery. Don't force everyone to be there for you at a time like this, alright?"

The head nurse was urging me impatiently for the third time.

I stared blankly at the empty emergency contact line on the anesthesia consent form.

"Then who is going to pick me up and stay with me after the anesthesia?"

Luca's tone carried heavy displeasure.

"You're already taking charge of the Family business on your own. Will it kill you to take an Uber home by yourself after a surgery?"

"Hospitals here have a strict rule. You cannot leave alone after general anesthesia. Someone has to drive me."

"Then just use a local anesthetic."

He said those words as lightly as a feather.

As if the person who was about to have a thick needle thrust into their chest, the one who would shake from the pain, wasn't his own flesh and blood.

In the background, Chloe pleaded with a tearful voice.

"You should let Roman go be with Elena. I'll be fine hiding under the covers by myself."

Roman cut her off without hesitation.

"You're so scared you can't even stand properly. What will you do all by yourself?"

Then, he turned and spoke to me, his tone gentle yet cruel.

"Elena, you've always been the strongest. The local anesthetic will wear off quickly. I promise, the moment your surgery is done, I'll be right there in your room, okay?"

The call disconnected.

The nurse looked at me with sympathy.

"If you don't have anyone, should we reschedule for another day?"

I lowered my eyes and glanced at the three carefully prepared meals in the cooler bag.

"There's no need."

I took the pen, crossed out general anesthesia on the form, and checked local.

When the thick needle was forcefully inserted into my chest, the pain was so severe I bit my lip until it bled on the operating table, and tears streamed down my face.

Under the glaring lights, the doctor kept telling me to relax.

But all that echoed in my ears was Roman's voice, 'You've always been the strongest.'

Because I was strong enough, I deserved to be forced to take twelve penalty shots at the pool table.

Because I was strong enough, I wasn't even worthy of having someone by my side entering the operating room.

Because I was strong enough, it was only natural that I endured all the pain silently on my own.

After the procedure was completely finished, the lab results confirmed I had a severe lung infection and fluid in my lungs.

The doctor prescribed heavy doses of antibiotics and strictly warned me never to touch alcohol or cigarettes again.

As I leaned weakly against the bench gasping for air, Roman sent a picture in the group chat of Duke locked inside a heavy crate.

"This beast has finally calmed down. Did you reschedule the surgery? I'll adjust my schedule to come be with you."

It was truly a miracle he could even remember me at this point.

"No need, it's already done."

His call came through immediately.

"Didn't they say they would refuse to put you under without someone to drive you?"

"Didn't you say I was strong, and told me to just endure it with a local anesthetic?"

The line fell into a dead silence.

"Why couldn't you just wait for me to get there?" His voice cracked, filled with frantic panic. "This is a major surgery! Why do you never take your own health seriously!"

I let out a weak laugh.

"Who could I possibly wait for?"

He couldn't find an answer to that.

By the afternoon, the three of them had taken Chloe to a high-end restaurant for a seafood feast to calm her nerves.

The group chat was filled with discussions about the food. Chloe casually complained that she was craving French pastries, and Luca immediately ordered custom macarons from the Family's private chef for her.

Roman sent a private message asking if I wanted to join them.

"We can also celebrate Chloe finally escaping the shadow of that dog."

Not a single person asked about the results of my chest procedure.

No one even cared if I could eat rich seafood in my current condition.

I locked my screen and didn't reply.

When I got home, I threw the three stale, hardened sandwiches into the trash can.

Then I opened the airline's ticketing page and confirmed my international flight check-in details for the final time.

There were less than forty-eight hours left until I left this place completely.