What Separates Me and You

Chapter 332 The Cold Mercilessness of His Words

Bad-tempered patients weren’t that uncommon, but none of them could rival Lewis’ petulance.

For others, at least their rage was justified, but Lewis’ was already at an all-time high when the doctor

hadn’t even opened his mouth to speak since entering the ward.

If he hadn’t fainted earlier, the doctors wouldn’t have found the opportunity to operate on him -he was

that obstinate.

The doctor turned to Josephine now. “I have to examine Mr. Alvarez’s wounds. Could

Josephine immediately understood the implicit meaning behind his words.

you…”

She glanced at Lewis, thought about it for a moment, and approached him slowly, signing as she did.

Yet, Lewis hardly spared him a single glance.

Awkwardness flooded the room, tainting everyone in it, the doctor included.

Lewis was no longer at the age appropriate to throw such a childish tantrum.

Josephine squatted down in front of him and tugged at his arm.

“I’m not dying anytime soon. What’s there to examine?” he replied impatiently.

His brashness rendered her speechless.

The doctor explained hurriedly, “Mr. Alvarez, whether or not you die is not up to you to decide. I am the

one making that call here.” He paused slightly before adding, “This injury of yours should have been

operated on long ago. You’ve delayed treatment for so long that it’s already exacerbated more

significantly than anyone could ever anticipate. I need to see how well you’re recovering after the

surgery to ensure there aren’t any unforeseen complications.”

Lewis simply sat on the couch and looked at the doctor wordlessly.

“Are

you really not in pain?” the doctor asked.

The anesthesia should have worn off by now.

Josephine tugged at his arms again, her eyes wide and pleading.

When Lewis finally turned to glance at her, tears had already welled up in her eyes.

Conrad had called it, after all.

The glimmer of her tears stirred something foreign and complicated within him.

As he ceased to make a move, Josephine’s tears began to trickle down her cheeks.

She was afraid of losing him, of watching him slip away in her arms.

She was afraid of being the only one left on this planet.

Lewis’ lips twitched slightly before he raised his arms to rub his temples. Then, he stood. up suddenly.

His abrupt movement threw him off balance, causing his body to sway violently. After all, he just had

surgery.

Josephine rushed forward to steady him.

Lewis closed his eyes and took a moment to regain his balance. After that, he pulled his arm away from

her grip and returned to the bed at long last, allowing the doctor to finally check on his wounds.

His back was interspersed with stitches. As the incision site had just been cleaned a while back, it

appeared reddish and swollen as well. His chest, on the other hand, wasn’t simply a fracture anymore.

The condition it had been in before the surgery had resulted from his aggravation- one that could hardly

be taken lightly at all.

After thoroughly inspecting his wounds, the doctor remarked to them, “You seem to be recovering well,

but I’ll order an X-ray to ensure that we’re not missing anything crucial.” Then, seeing Lewis’ blatant

displeasure, the doctor added, “Not now. That can wait for a few more days. In the meantime, get some

rest. God knows how much you need it.”

As he prepared to finish up his check-up, the doctor reminded Josephine to have Lewis take his

medications on time, to which she readily agreed with a brief nod.

Then, he also had her keep an eye on Lewis’ IV drip as he administered it with swift precision and

instructed her to press the call button once the infusion was complete.

Josephine noted everything down meticulously. The doctor left soon after, and Josephine watched his

figure disappear around a corner as she shut the door behind him and returned to Lewis’ side dutifully.

She let out a sigh of relief as she watched him receive the IV drip without complaint, raising her arms to

sign, “You need to follow the doctor’s instructions. That way, you’ll recover quicker.”

Lewis peered at her from one side.

She then placed his pack of cigarettes on his bedside table. “You can smoke them when you’re

better.”

Her motions were tentative, timid. At the end of the day, she was still afraid of his anger.

She feared that he would leave her in a fit of rage and ignore her in the days to come.

Lewis sighed, gripping her hands tightly. “Fine. I’ll listen to you.”

2/5

A shocked pause followed his words before a radiant smile crossed her face.

Josephine sat beside him quietly, basking in the undisturbed silence of the moment. It was nice to

share a moment of tranquility with him, away from the discordances of the world.

Outside, the sun was rapidly setting, night falling and once again shrouding Elysium in darkness.

Only, it wasn’t complete darkness that descended, for New Year’s Eve called for blazing lights and

fireworks adorning the velvety night sky with their brilliance. Yet, despite the earth- shattering blasts

and the crowds teeming with spirited joy, the hospital remained empty as

ever.

Just like that, Josephine leaned into Lewis’ embrace, the two of them listening to the sound of fireworks

erupting in the sky above them, watching the sky light up in dazzling displays of color.

Suddenly, Lewis’ phone rang, shattering the stillness of their shared moment. Immediately, Josephine

scrambled to hand him his phone..

It was a call from his mother, Nancy.

A frown marred his features, his brows perpetually knitted, but he answered the phone regardless.

Nancy’s voice filtered through the phone as soon as the call connected. “Lewis, hi. Are you not in

Elysium today? It’s New Year’s Eve. Are you coming home?”

Lewis was a picture of composure as he waited for his mother to finish bombarding him with questions.

“I’m not in Elysium. I’m afraid I won’t be coming home this year.”

“Oh, you stubborn child! What are you doing, loitering outside, today of all days? Who are you with right

now?”

Nancy was evidently unaware of the recent happenings in Elysium. Being someone who seldom kept

up with the news, it was not entirely unexpected. In her eyes, the incident on the cruise ship could very

well be another news article unworthy of her time and attention. She did. not know that her son was in

the hospital-no one had informed her of his condition.

“I really don’t know what to say anymore. Every last one of you left. Your father’s not at home, your

sister is still in jail, and you-you’re not here either, which leaves me alone in the house, spending New

Year’s Eve by myself, my family completely out of reach.”

Her voice was tinged with despair the more she spoke, stark loneliness permeating her words.

“Even the maid has gone home.”

Lewis did not speak for a long time, though his expression remained carefully blank.

Nancy spoke in frustration after a long pause. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

3/5

“What is there to say?”

“Are you really not coming home?” she asked, incensed.

“No.”

“You…” She was at a loss for words now that the truth laid bare in front of her, brutal and unrelenting.

Inexplicable bitterness welled up within her, triggered by the indifference in his voice and the

overwhelming loneliness that threatened to swallow her whole. Her voice trembled, saturated with

poorly suppressed emotion. “You’re not even going to acknowledge me as your mother anymore, are

you? You’re willing to do all this just for that mute?”

Lewis glanced at Josephine instinctively.

The latter couldn’t discern what Nancy had said over the phone, nor did she have any inkling about

their conversation. She stared back at Lewis unblinkingly, her clear eyes radiating a kind of child-like

innocence not unlike that of a ten-year-old.

“If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up now.”

“Lewis!” Nancy called out desperately. She tried and failed to speak for a long time; the words. stuck in

her throat no matter how hard she tried to voice them. Eventually, the only thing she could muster was

a choked, “I miss you.”

The sorrow in her voice was apparent, as was the underlying exhaustion and bone-deep

weariness.

Something foreign glistened within his eyes. Lewis turned to the windows suddenly, unable to speak for

a long time.

Another round of fireworks graced the sky, a phantasmagoria of colors rendering the dark canvas a

picturesque work of art.

Even with the advanced noise cancellation systems in place, the crackle of fireworks could be

heard in the solemn air of the ward.

“Lewis, can you come home tomorrow?”

“I told you I can’t.” His voice was still nonchalant as always, even though the iciness in his words

offered no mercy.

Nancy was truly driven to the breaking point now as her sobs left her body in a painful heave, too

potent to hold back any longer.

Before Lewis could hang up, she ended the call and hurled her phone onto the couch angrily.

The cavernous villa was drenched in silence so thick that the air seemed almost charged.

The Elysian weather was still stormy, with heavy downpours accompanied by violent flashes of

lightning and thunder masking the festiveness of the New Year.

Lewis gazed at the disconnected phone call and placed his phone down without giving it much thought.

Then, he leaned against the bed, shut his eyes, and sighed deeply.

Despite having missed most of their conversation, Josephine could deduce from Lewis’ side of the call

that Nancy had asked him to return for New Year’s Day.

Now that he was still strapped to the IV, there was no way he could make it back in time.

She went over and gripped his hand tightly, offering him as much solace as she could.

He might be in the hospital on New Year’s Day, but he wasn’t alone. He never would be.

She would be here no matter what.

Lewis turned to meet her gaze, as if he were only remembering something just then. “What do you

want for your present?” he asked.