Henry finished tidying up his workspace and turned around to size up the loud-talking boy.
The boy was tall and handsome, his hair a sunny shade of flaxen. A small diamond glinted on his nose, adding to his striking, rebellious look. His features were undeniably attractive, yet carried a strong hint of defiance. In his arms, he held a girl, his posture somewhat stiff. It was the awkward stance of a clumsy boy unsure of how to properly handle a cherished doll.
"You're Ryan?" Henry asked.
Ryan raised an eyebrow. "I don't know you." He had never stepped foot in the infirmary before.
"Philip is my junior," Henry replied. In college, Henry and Philip had been quite close. He had often seen pictures of Philip and this Ryan in Philip's wallet and had heard Philip mention Ryan a few times.
"Oh," Ryan muttered, now aware that Henry was Philip's friend.
"For someone with a heart condition, having such a temper isn't ideal," Henry said calmly.
"Damn it!" Ryan cursed under his breath. That damn Philip! Frustrated, he tightened his grip, causing Emily's bones to audibly creak.
"It… hurts…" Emily moaned softly.
"Are you not going to put the patient on the bed? You're going to suffocate her," Henry sighed, shaking his head. It was hard to believe that the gentle and considerate Philip could be friends with someone as reckless and stubborn as Ryan. The world was full of surprises.
Ryan froze for a moment. He glanced down at Emily in his arms, noticing her flushed cheeks and labored coughing. Frowning, he cursed under his breath before striding over to the bed and setting her down.
"Thank you," Emily said between coughs.
Ryan stayed silent, pulling the blanket over her and wrapping her tightly, almost like a cocoon. Then, he turned to Henry and barked, "Hey! Hurry up and treat her!"
Henry strolled over unhurriedly, a faint smile on his lips, as if nothing ever troubled him.
"Can you hurry up?!" Ryan shouted in frustration.
"Don't be like that..." Emily gripped his wrist. Her palm was burning hot, her touch as light as a feather. "You're yelling so loud my ears are ringing, and my head is spinning..."
"Really?" Although he doubted his shouting could have such an effect, he inexplicably lowered his voice.
Emily blinked. "No, I lied."
"You—"
"I'm really happy." She smiled, her expression almost transparent. Her hand remained on his wrist, gentle and warm.
Ryan glared at her.
"Thank you for being so kind to me," she sighed, closing her eyes. "You know, you're as good as an angel..."
An angel? What nonsense! Ryan frowned.
Henry studied Ryan for a long moment, as if searching for any angelic qualities. After much scrutiny, he concluded that Ryan was still in the process of "evolving into an angel." Whether this evolution was as lengthy as that from ape to human remained an intriguing question.
"I am NOT an angel!" Ryan snapped, his tone awkward. He hated such sappy words.
"...Oh." Emily weakly scratched her head. Well, it didn't matter. Angels usually didn't admit they were angels anyway. She opened her eyes and kept a faint smile on her lips. "Um... you don't have to be so nice to me... I feel... a bit overwhelmed..." She was used to his harsh demeanor. Seeing his clumsy tenderness suddenly made her feel a pang of heartache.
"I'm not being nice to you. I just agreed that if you found the diamond, I'd date you for a month. That's all," Ryan said arrogantly, his face cold. However, the nervousness in his eyes slightly betrayed his calm facade.
"Oh... I see..."
His nervousness seemed to transfer to Emily. Her heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly coughed violently.
"Doctor—!"
Ryan began shouting again, the veins on his forehead bulging.
Henry had already moved to Emily's bedside. He helped her sit up and gently patted her back to ease her breathing. "How many days have you had a fever?" he asked calmly.
"Cough... cough... four days..." Emily wheezed, trying to catch her breath.
"It's lasted that long without improving?" Henry frowned.
Emily covered her mouth as she coughed again. Well, it should have gotten better... except for when she jumped into that icy fountain water.
"Hey! Let go of her!"
Ryan shouted furiously. Grabbing the collar of Henry's shirt, he yanked him away. "Who gave you permission to touch her?"
Suddenly losing Henry's support, Emily fell back onto the bed with a heavy "thud"! "Ah..." She groaned, pain shooting through her. Luckily, the pillow was soft; otherwise, she would have certainly ended up with a bump.
"Quickly, tell me how she is! Does she need to be hospitalized?" Ryan's eyes burned with fury as he glared at Henry, who was just getting back to his feet.
Henry took a deep breath, pushing down the anger rising within him. This brat! If it weren't for knowing about his condition, he'd seriously consider starting a fight.
"She'll be fine. With some medicine and rest for a day or two, she'll recover," Henry said, walking over to the desk by the window and picking up his pen to jot down notes. "However—"
"What?" Ryan pressed.
"If someone keeps yelling around her all day, disturbing her peace, her recovery will be very slow," Henry replied calmly.
Ryan froze. Did they think he was an idiot? This sounded like nonsense! Yet... "You shout so much that my ears buzz, and my head feels dizzy..."
He glanced at Henry, then at Emily, his lips suddenly pressing together tightly.