Got it! The doctor administered intravenous (IV) glucose through a needle in Ava's vein instead of giving her a drinkable glucose supplement. I'll adjust the scene accordingly. Here's the revised version:
Liam's Perspective: The Moment, I Found Her Again
I stood frozen outside the apartment door, my mind an empty void of shock. My hands twitched at my sides, but I couldn't move. Couldn't think. Couldn't even breathe properly.
Ava. Surin.
She had been right in front of me. After all this time, after all the nights I had spent replaying her leaving, she had walked past me like I was nothing.
She didn't say a word.
Didn't even look at me twice.
And now I was standing there, unable to make a sound, my throat locked tight with emotions I couldn't name.
"Hello? Excuse me?"
I barely registered the voice at first. A girl. Someone was talking, but the world was still muffled—still blurred—as if my mind refused to function beyond the weight of seeing Ava again.
"Are you the new neighbor or something?" the girl asked again.
I finally blinked, turning toward the voice. A girl with sharp eyes and an impatient expression stood before me, waiting for an answer. My mouth opened, but nothing came out.
Her eyes narrowed. "Okay… I think you're a little disturbed, Mister. Now, if you could move, I need to go in."
I barely processed her words until she stepped forward. She lived here?
"You… live here?" My voice came out hoarse, barely more than a whisper.
She nodded as if it were obvious, then moved past me to enter the apartment.
I still couldn't move. My heart was pounding too loudly in my ears, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. I wasn't ready for this. Seeing Ava again had shattered every wall I'd built around myself.
Then I heard it.
A scream.
"SURIN!!!"
My breath hitched, and my body moved before my mind caught up. I peered into the apartment just in time to see her—collapsed near the doorstep, unconscious.
Everything inside me shattered.
"Ava!"
Without thinking, I rushed in. There was no hesitation, no moment of doubt. I scooped her up effortlessly, her body feeling far too light in my arms. She looked exhausted—far too exhausted.
She had always been strong. Always stood tall, even when she was hurting.
But now…
Now she looked like she could break apart at any moment.
Jia was still calling her name, but I wasn't listening anymore. My feet moved on their own, carrying Ava out of the apartment. I barely remembered going down the stairs, barely registered the cold air hitting my skin as I reached the parking lot.
I gently placed her in the passenger seat before climbing into the driver's side.
"Wait, where are you taking her?!" Jia demanded, scrambling into the backseat.
"The hospital." My voice was steady, but inside, my world was falling apart.
—
At the Hospital
I stood silently as the doctor examined Ava. My fists clenched and unclenched at my sides, my breath uneven.
"It's nothing serious," the doctor finally said. "Her blood pressure dropped due to extreme stress and exhaustion. She needs rest. We'll administer IV glucose to stabilize her."
I watched as the nurse inserted the needle into Ava's vein, attaching the IV drip. The clear liquid began flowing into her bloodstream, and my chest ached at how fragile she looked.
Jia let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God… If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have even known what to do."
I didn't respond. I hadn't heard her.
My attention was elsewhere.
Because for the first time in so long… I could hear Ava's thoughts again.
Her voice, soft yet exhausted, echoed in my mind.
I'm still not ready to face him.
My chest tightened.
I wish he'd just disappear… or die…
The words hit like a punch, but I barely flinched. I deserved that. I deserved worse.
But then—
I hate that I still love him.
My breath caught. My fingers trembled at my sides.
She still… loved me?
I looked at her. She was still unconscious, her face pale from exhaustion.
A choked sound left my throat, and I quickly turned away, blinking back the burning in my eyes.
I wanted to say sorry.
I wanted to fix this.
But more than anything—
I just wanted her back.