NovelEnglish
Chapter 911 Homebound
“But...” Charlotte was about to argue when she saw Fae walking up to her in a hurry. The older woman assessed
Charlotte anxiously and asked, “Lottie, are you all right?”
A surge of warmth seized Charlotte. Touched by Fae's concern for her, she answered reassuringly, “It's just a
sprain, that's all. Nothing to worry about.”
When Ashlyn was done applying ointment on Charlotte's ankle, she stood up and said to Joseph, “Sit down and let
me have a look at your head.”
Joseph did as he was told. After that, Ashlyn cupped the sides of his head and began examining it. She had dabbled
in medicine before and knew how to examine a person for injuries.
There was no medical equipment there that allowed her to look into any injuries to Joseph's skull. Still, she moved
her fingers carefully along his scalp and pressed down on certain points, checking to see if there were any odd
bumps or indentations that should not be there.
Following that, she checked his pulse.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt“I think it's best if you return to Lake City, Mr. Joseph,” she concluded grimly when she was done examining him.
“I'm worried that there might be ruptured blood vessels or blood clots resulting from blunt trauma.”
“Go back to Lake City, Joe,” Fae urged as she looked at Joseph fretfully. “Lottie can go with you. Your father and I will
stay here and help out with disaster relief. Besides, I'm sure Lucas and the others can hold down the fort while
you're gone. Don't go straining yourself; I can't afford to lose my only son.”
Joseph stared at Fae for a moment, his reluctance clearly written on his face. He knew Ashlyn was exceptional in
medicine, and as far as he was concerned, her word held more authority than any other doctor's. He had no reason
to be skeptical of her now.
He took a deep breath. If he were to leave for Lake City now, he would not be able to contribute to his country or
be by his parents' side while they volunteered in this disaster zone.
The thought of this filled him with insurmountable guilt.
He did not want to leave this place at all.
“The head is part of the central nervous system, you know. There's no telling what might happen to you if any part
of your skull or brain is damaged. Go back to Lake City for Fae's sake, if not your own.” Ashlyn gave him a cursory
glance, then said, “Luigi can go back with you.”
Just like that, she made the decision on Joseph's behalf.
Fae gave her a grateful look before turning to Joseph. “Joe, I won't be there with you, but Lottie can take care of
you while you're in the hospital.”
Disappointment flickered in Charlotte's eyes, but she managed a faint smile as she said, “Joseph took care of me
before, and now, it's only right for me to do the same for him. I hope you wouldn't mind having me around,
Joseph.”
She had a feeling that he wanted Sheryn to go back with him more than anything else. Why did they have to put
me up for the task when he probably thinks I'm a bother?
She tried to keep her disgruntlement hidden and did not dare meet Joseph's eyes, afraid that she would see the
contempt he had for her in them.
“She's better off going back to Lake City with me than staying here in this disaster zone. There's nothing for you to
worry about if I have her with me, Mom.”
Just then, Joseph's crisp voice cut above Charlotte's thoughts and struck her in a way she imagined a thunderbolt
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmwould.
She looked up at him in a daze, and at once, his smoldering gaze bore into her.
Did I hear him right? He actually wants me to go back with him! But, what about Sheryn?
“Don't... Don't you...” Charlotte fumbled over her words, but before she could collect her thoughts, Joseph cut her
off with a sharp, “Don't read too much into things. Sometimes, whatever you perceive isn't necessarily the truth.”
There was a time when he had suddenly lost grip of his thoughts and mistaken Sheryn for Charlotte.
It seemed as if his mind was gradually giving up on him, and that was one of the reasons why he ultimately agreed
to return to Lake City, albeit reluctantly.
He hated to consider what would happen to him if his mind continued to deteriorate as a result of delayed
treatment.
However, he was terrified that the incident today would repeat itself.
It was afternoon when Charlotte and Joseph left the disaster zone.
There were other critically-injured volunteers who were headed for the Lake City hospital as well.
Having seen Joseph and Charlotte off, Fae busied herself with volunteer work at the village. It was then that she
realized how fast time had passed.
Evening was upon them in the blink of an eye.
Without anyone noticing, the sky began to darken, and a light snowfall accompanied the biting breeze.
At that moment, Fae halted in her tracks.
Visit our social media platform to read fascinating stories every day and connect with the community!
