“Cough! Cough!”
Mark Anderson was awakened by repeated coughing.
When he opened his eyes, Evelyn Parker was standing beside the bed with a pale face, staring down at him while Marshmallow remained curled comfortably against his arm.
Mark blinked several times before asking expressionlessly, “Are you planning to kill me, or are you trying to get into bed with me?”
Evelyn coughed again, her voice noticeably hoarse.
“Didn’t you say you were leaving? Why are you still here?” Mark sat up and rubbed his face.
“Because the police wrecked your front door. Leaving you drunk and unconscious in a house that couldn’t be locked seemed like a terrible idea.”
Only then did Mark properly look at her.
Evelyn had already showered and changed into a fresh business suit, and her damp hair carried the faint scent of shampoo, but she wasn’t wearing makeup and her lips looked unusually pale.
“You’re sick, aren’t you? Your voice sounds terrible.”
Evelyn hesitated before admitting, “I have a slight fever.”
Mark sighed, carefully lifted Marshmallow from his arm, and handed the cat to her.
“Go wait in the living room. I’ll get dressed and take you to a hospital.”
Evelyn instinctively took Marshmallow and walked toward the door.
Then she stopped.
Why was she obeying him?
She immediately turned around and recovered her usual stern expression.
“I don’t need a hospital. I’ll take some cold medicine. Pack your things and drive me to Silverline.”
Mark glanced at her without arguing.
Then he abruptly threw back the blanket.
“Ah!”
Evelyn clutched Marshmallow against herself and hurried out of the room.
“Pervert!”
Mark looked down at the sweatpants and T-shirt he had slept in.
“Your imagination is filthy. I’m completely dressed.”
He got out of bed, stretched, and finished packing the last of his belongings.
When he entered the living room with his bag, Evelyn was sitting on the couch holding Marshmallow while staring absently into space.
The cat immediately noticed Mark and twisted free from her arms.
“Meow!”
Marshmallow ran toward Mark and tried climbing his pant leg.
“Ow. Easy with the claws.”
Mark picked him up before he could get any higher and carried him back to the cat room.
Because Marshmallow had already demonstrated an impressive ability to open doors by himself, Mark reluctantly placed him inside the roomy pet enclosure Evelyn used when nobody could supervise him.
He returned to the living room and waved toward Evelyn.
“Come on.”
Evelyn picked up her purse and walked toward the front entrance without another word.
Unfortunately, the heavy armchair Mark had pushed against the damaged door the previous night was still blocking it, and when Evelyn tried moving it herself, her weakened body barely shifted it.
“I’ve got it.”
Mark stepped forward and moved the chair aside.
Since the damaged lock still couldn’t properly secure the house once they left, he improvised a temporary way to hold the interior barrier in place after closing the door, then checked it twice to make sure it wouldn’t easily move.
“This will have to do until the door company gets here.” He dusted off his hands.
“We’ll have security keep an eye on the place too.”
Evelyn gave him a suspicious look.
“Where did you learn tricks like that?”
“Too many old detective shows.”
Mark held out his hand.
“Keys.”
Evelyn silently handed him one of the car keys.
Mark drove them first to the community security office and told the staff that the front door had been damaged during a police response.
He asked them to increase patrols around Evelyn’s property and contact her immediately if anyone approached the house.
When Mark returned to the car and pulled away, Evelyn looked at him with mild surprise because that precaution hadn’t even occurred to her.
The drive was unusually quiet.
After several minutes, Mark glanced toward her.
“How old is Marshmallow?”
“One year and two months.”
“What breed?”
“Domestic shorthair.”
Mark nodded.
“He’s a good cat.”
“You seem to like him. I can give him to you.”
Mark laughed.
“You’re not jealous because your cat likes me more, are you?”
“Just drive.”
Evelyn pressed one hand against her forehead and turned toward the window.
Mark smiled and stopped teasing her.
A few minutes later, she coughed again.
Then again.
Mark looked at her pale face, changed lanes, and took the next freeway exit.
Evelyn immediately noticed.
“Silverline isn’t this way.”
“I know.”
“Mark.”
He ignored her.
Several minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of St.
Gabriel Medical Center, a nearby hospital.
Evelyn saw the entrance and frowned.
“I told you I’ll take medicine. I don’t need to be here.”
Mark parked the car.
“Out.”
Evelyn stared at him.
Mark stared back.
Still weak and feverish, she eventually gave up and opened the door.
Inside, Mark helped her through registration and initial evaluation before they were directed to wait for a physician.
Evelyn sat beside him with her arms crossed, clearly unhappy about being forced away from work.
After several minutes, she finally spoke.
“You know you don’t need to do all this.”
Mark glanced at her.
“Do what?”
“Take care of me.” Evelyn hesitated before adding, “I’m perfectly happy being single, so if you’re expecting something—”
Mark laughed.
Evelyn frowned.
“You really think highly of yourself.” Mark leaned back in his chair.
“A man helping you while you’re sick doesn’t automatically mean he’s trying to date you.”
“Then why are you being this nice to me?”
The question came out before Evelyn could stop herself.
Mark shrugged.
“I feel sorry for you.”
Her expression immediately hardened.
“I don’t need your pity.”
Evelyn stood as if she intended to leave, but Mark caught her wrist and pulled her gently back toward the chair.
“Stop being difficult. There are only two patients ahead of you.”
She tried pulling free, failed, and finally sat back down with her face turned away from him.
Mark released her wrist and leaned back again.
After a while, he muttered almost to himself, “Besides, you should appreciate what you still have. At least you still have family.”
Evelyn froze.
She slowly looked toward him.
What did he mean by that?
She suddenly remembered that during the years Mark had worked at Silverline, he had almost never talked about parents or relatives.
He didn’t mention traveling home for holidays, never requested time off for family visits, and seemed to spend nearly every important occasion with friends or coworkers.
Could it be…
The anger in Evelyn’s expression gradually disappeared.
Before she could ask anything, Mark stood.
“That’s us.”
He gently took her arm and guided her toward the examination room.
Evelyn instinctively started to pull away, then hesitated and simply allowed him to lead her inside.
The physician examined her, listened to her lungs, reviewed her symptoms, and ordered chest imaging along with blood tests. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
By the time the results came back, Evelyn’s temperature had climbed to approximately 103°F, and the findings were consistent with pneumonia severe enough that the doctor wanted her observed and treated in the hospital.
“Can’t I just take antibiotics and go home?” Evelyn asked immediately.
“I have too much work waiting for me.”
The older physician adjusted his glasses.
“You’ve been running a high fever, you’re dehydrated, and you’ve clearly been pushing yourself without enough rest. You need treatment and monitoring, not another twelve-hour workday.”
Evelyn opened her mouth.
Mark interrupted.
“She’s staying.”
Evelyn turned toward him.
Mark ignored the glare and looked at the doctor.
“Start whatever admission process she needs.”
The physician smiled approvingly.
“Good. Someone around here is being sensible.”
Evelyn’s cheeks reddened slightly.
Before she could explain anything, Mark added, “She’s my boss. I work for her.”
The physician barely looked up from the chart.
“Then she should listen to her employee once in a while.”
Mark almost laughed.
Evelyn did not.
After the necessary paperwork was completed, Mark accompanied her to a regular hospital room.
A nurse brought the basic admission supplies, explained the treatment schedule, and reminded Evelyn that someone would need to bring her toiletries and comfortable clothes from home.
The room had two beds, although the second was currently empty.
Once the nurse left, the room became quiet.
Growl.
Evelyn’s stomach suddenly betrayed her.
Her face immediately turned slightly red.
Mark smiled but wisely said nothing.
He simply left.
When he returned a short while later, Evelyn was sitting upright in bed with her phone pressed to her ear, already rearranging Silverline’s schedule and giving instructions to employees.
Mark placed a breakfast tray on the bedside table and waited until she ended the call.
“Oatmeal, scrambled eggs, toast, and a banana.” He gestured toward the food.
“Nothing exciting, but your stomach probably doesn’t need anything exciting right now.”
Evelyn glanced at the meal.
“I’ll send you the money.”
“Sure.”
Mark didn’t argue over something so trivial.
He checked the time and picked up his bag.
“I’m heading to Silverline. Call me if you need anything.”
“All right.”
Mark turned toward the door.
“Wait.”
He stopped.
Evelyn hesitated for several seconds before speaking.
“For the next few days… keep staying at my house.”
Mark looked back at her.
“There’s nobody else to feed Marshmallow.”
For a moment, Mark said nothing.
Then he smiled.
“Okay.”
Evelyn looked down at her hands.
“Don’t worry about him,” Mark added.
“I’ll bring you lunch later too.”
He waved once and left the room.
Evelyn remained silent after the door closed.
Her gaze stayed fixed on the empty doorway for a long time, carrying an emotion she couldn’t quite identify.
Finally, she let out a quiet sigh.
(End of Chapter 24)