In the underground level, inside the operating room, Lisa finally emerged after over two hours of intense work.
Having donated 400cc of her blood to Aaron and worked tirelessly without rest, her steps were heavy, and her delicate face was ghostly pale.
"Are you okay?" Miles immediately caught her, his heart aching as he scolded, "Are you out of your mind? There are so many people outside you could've drawn blood from—why yours?"
"Shut up and stop questioning my professional judgment!"
Lisa forced a weak smile, turning to Mary and saying, "He's stable for now, but he'll need more blood transfusions later. That's all I can do for now."
With that, Lisa collapsed into Miles's arms.
Carrying her carefully, Miles brought Lisa back to the bedroom. Moments later, he returned downstairs and looked at Mary. "I really don't get it. Are you two even real siblings?"
"You…"
Mary instinctively wanted to snap back but swallowed her words. After a pause, she explained softly, "Aaron is my stepmother's son. That's why our blood types don't match. He's the only boy in the family, with three sisters."
"Tsk tsk, what a mess…"
"…Miles," Mary hesitated, then bowed slightly. "Thank you."
"Spare me. Just don't kick me again, and we'll call it even." Miles waved her off carelessly. "You're in charge here now. There's a walkie-talkie in the medical room—use it if you need me."
Mary nodded. "Thank you."
"Though it'd be better if you didn't need anything. My wife can't handle being worn out by you anymore." Miles turned and headed upstairs, not bothering to look back. "When he's awake, you can leave. We don't have extra chopsticks lying around."
Watching his figure disappear around the corner, Mary's cold and proud face flushed with both anger and embarrassment.
"Idiot…"
…
In the kitchen, Miles busied himself clumsily.
A pot of red date and brown sugar soup simmered on the stove.
"Ah, crap!"
Miles winced as he poured the soup into a bowl, carefully carrying it back to the bedroom.
"Lisa?"
He called out softly.
"Ugh…"
Lisa stirred in her sleep, frowning and pouting. "Go away, don't bother me. I'm so tired…"
"I made you some soup. Just drink a little before going back to sleep." Without waiting for her consent, Miles gently propped her up and brought the bowl to her lips.
Lisa instinctively took a sip.
"Ah!"
"Are you trying to burn me alive?!" Lisa exclaimed, more awake now, glaring at him. "Seriously, this won't do anything for me. I need actual food to replenish my energy!"
Miles blinked. "I heard this is what women drink… you know, during that time."
Lisa gave him an exasperated look, blushing faintly. "That and this are two completely different things, okay?"
After devouring several small cheesecakes, Lisa finally seemed to regain some strength.
Miles handed her a cup of hot milk and warned, "Slow down. You're eating like you've been starved for days. Anyone seeing this would think I've been mistreating you."
"Hah…"
After gulping down the milk in one breath, Lisa sighed with satisfaction and asked, "Where's Mary?"
"Downstairs," Miles replied, pointing.
"Did you make sure Aaron got his blood transfusion?"
"Wow, you're really dedicated, huh?" Miles shook his head. "Yes, Ryan found a few O-negative donors. Don't worry, I even stocked up on some blood bags from the hospital before—Aaron could lose all his blood twice over, and he'd still be fine."
Lisa froze for a moment, then exploded in anger. "You stocked blood plasma and didn't mention it earlier?!"
"I… I didn't think of it at the time!" Miles stammered defensively.
"Idiot! One day, you'll be the death of me!"
Lisa huffed as she got out of bed, slipped on her lab coat, and stormed out.
Miles could only shake his head helplessly. "Relax. He's not going to die. Can't you rest a little longer?"
"Rest your ass!" Lisa snapped, baring her teeth like a feral cat. "Don't talk to me. I need some peace and quiet…"
"…"
Lisa made her way to the medical room, where Mary was dozing off beside Aaron's bed.
"You're here!"
Hearing the movement, Mary woke up and looked at Lisa with gratitude in her eyes.
Lisa smiled, nodding. After glancing at the monitors, she said, "Don't worry. He's fine now, but he'll need time to recover."
Mary's eyes reddened as she bowed deeply. "Doctor, thank you!"
Lisa quickly held her arm to stop her. "Oh, no, no, no! Don't do that—it's not necessary. Saving lives is my duty."
Mary bit her lip and looked at Lisa earnestly. "No matter what, I owe you my thanks. And rest assured, I'll keep my word about what we discussed."
Lisa smiled. "Then we're even now."
Mary didn't reply, but her eyes were filled with gratitude.
Though she often appeared cold and aloof, as Aaron had said, she was someone with a sharp tongue but a soft heart—a person who always cared deeply behind her tough exterior.
"Wait… what's that smell?"
Lisa sniffed the air, her gaze shifting to Aaron before asking curiously, "Could it be an infection? That's strange… it doesn't smell like it."
"…"
Mary froze, her face instantly flushing red with embarrassment. "I… I'm sorry. We haven't had a proper bath in over five months. Should I… should I leave?"
Realizing the misunderstanding, Lisa's face turned awkward. "Oh no, I didn't mean it like that."
"I know…"
Mary nodded, but her nose stung as her emotions threatened to overflow. Lowering her head, she turned to leave.
"Wait!" Lisa called, grabbing her arm with a smile. "Come with me."
The two headed to the first floor.
Pointing to the guest bathroom, Lisa said with a grin, "Go ahead and take a bath. There are new toiletries in the cabinet under the sink. I'll find you some clean clothes."
Mary stared at the bathroom, her eyes filled with longing. "Are you sure… this is okay?"
Lisa chuckled. "We're all family now. Don't be shy. Take your time—our water supply is more than enough. You go ahead; I'll change Aaron's bandages in the meantime."
What does it feel like not to bathe for nearly half a year?
Mary's pride, which had always been her armor, crumbled to pieces the moment she stepped into that bathroom.
…
In the kitchen, Miles was attempting to cook.
In his 28 years of life, the number of times he'd stepped into a kitchen could be counted on one hand. Normally, he stuck to simple stir-fries and instant meals, but thinking of Lisa's weakened state and need for nutrition, he gritted his teeth and got to work.
Sizzling beef hit the pan, and the hot oil erupted in a symphony of pops and crackles.
Whoosh!
Flames flared up suddenly.
"Shit!"
Miles jerked back, but not fast enough—his bangs and eyebrows took the brunt, turning a singed shade of ginger.
"Goddamn it…"
Slapping the lid onto the pan to extinguish the flames, Miles admitted defeat, turning off the stove and abandoning his culinary ambitions.
Grumbling, he made his way to the bathroom.
Creak.
Pushing the door open, he stepped inside—only to be greeted by a high-pitched scream that pierced his ears.
"AHHH!"