Emma's brow furrowed as she forced her heavy eyelids open, her body trembling from the cold. The chill gnawed at her senses, grounding her in the moment. Her gaze dropped, and she gasped sharply, in a split second a shout escaping her lips as she realized she was dressed only in her lingerie.
But the panic didn't end there. Her wide eyes darted down to the strong arms wrapped securely around her waist. Turning quickly, she pulled away, her heart pounding as the scene before her unfolded like a horror movie.
Leon was slumped against the edge of the bathtub, his head resting against the cool porcelain. His face was unnervingly pale, his breathing shallow. The bandage on his shoulder had come loose, the wound beneath it bleeding through, staining the water in faint swirls of red.
"Leon!" Emma cried, her trembling hands shaking him desperately. "Wake up! What's happening?" Her voice cracked with fear as she struggled to keep herself together.
Still trembling, she jumped out of the tub, grabbed the bathrobe hanging nearby, and dashed to the door. Throwing it open, she gasped, "Help!" Her voice barely carried as her lips trembled, unable to form any other words.
Leon's assistant immediately rushed in with the doctor following closely behind. Emma pointed frantically toward the bathroom, her voice shaking as she shouted, "In the bathtub!"
Emma leaned against the wall, her legs trembling as she watched Leon's team carry him to the bed. Her heart pounded, and despite her body still feeling off, the fear she felt after seeing Leon's condition earlier overpowered everything else.
"Miss Whitmore..." a young woman called gently from behind, her tone concerned. "Let's get you treated too."
Emma didn't move, her eyes fixed on Leon. She bit her lip, shaking her head. "I'm okay. Just… just take care of him first."
"Don't worry, he's being treated now," the young woman reassured her, glancing over at the other doctor who was carefully unwrapping the blood-soaked bandage from Leon's shoulder. Both of them watched in silence, the air heavy with tension.
Emma stood there, her eyes glued to Leon as the doctors worked on him. Her stomach was in knots, the fear from earlier still clawing at her. She had never felt so helpless.
"Is he going to be okay?" she asked, her voice shaky.
The young woman beside her nodded, though her face looked concerned. "He's tough. He'll make it."
Emma wasn't convinced. The sight of Leon, pale and still, kept replaying in her mind. She bit her lip, trying to hold it together.
The doctor worked quickly, cutting off the rest of the bandages. His expression shifted as he examined the wound closely. "The infection's already set in," he muttered, his tone serious. "This wound isn't treated properly. The surrounding tissue is inflamed, and it's spreading. We'll need to act fast."
Emma's heart sank at the doctor's words. Infection. The word echoed in her mind, drowning out everything else. She couldn't stop thinking about how close she came to losing him.
"How bad is it?" she whispered, barely able to breathe.
The doctor glanced up, his face tight with concern. "It's serious. We've got to keep the infection from spreading further, or things could get much worse. But right now, the bleeding is under control. We need to monitor him closely."
Emma stepped back, feeling powerless as the doctor continued his work. She paced around the room, her mind racing. After what felt like an eternity, the doctor finally spoke again.
"He's stable for now," he said, but his eyes never left Leon's wound. "We'll need to keep him under observation. This infection is the real threat right now."
Emma exhaled, a wave of relief washing over her, but the worry still lingered at her. It could get worse, and she couldn't shake the fear of what might happen if it did.
"Can I stay with him?" she asked, her voice soft but firm.
"Of course," the young woman replied with a nod. "But Miss Whitmore, if Mr. Gray were awake, I'm sure the first thing he'd want you to do is get treated." She gave Emma a gentle smile.
Emma shook her head, her eyes still glued to Leon. "I'm fine," she murmured, her voice distant. "Just... just make sure he's okay."
The young woman hesitated for a moment but then nodded, stepping outside.
Emma slowly approached Leon's bed, her heart hammering in her chest. She reached for his cold hand, pressing it against her cheek. His skin was still cool, the warmth she'd felt before now a distant memory. She stared at him, a fear tightening in her stomach. He was still, too still.
Minutes passed. The doctors continued their work, moving around him quietly. Emma kept her eyes on him, unable to look away, afraid that if she did, something would change.
Then, the doctor turned toward her, his face grim but composed. "We'll be waiting outside, but Miss Whitmore, I think we need to move him to the hospital immediately."
Emma's breath caught, her heart skipping a beat. "Why wait? Get him there now! He's going to be okay, right?"
The doctor hesitated, his expression darkening slightly. "We're not out of the woods yet. The wound is still infected, and we need to monitor him closely."
Emma nodded quickly, gripping his hand tighter. "Okay, whatever it takes, let's hurry and get him to the hospital."
Just then, the machine suddenly beeped, and Leon's body jerked upward, making Emma startle in panic.
"Miss Whitmore…" The doctor's voice sharpened as he observed Leon's sudden movement. "We're seeing signs of sepsis. His temperature is spiking, and his heart rate is elevated. The infection is spreading faster than we anticipated."
Emma's stomach dropped. "What? But you just said he was stable!"
"We might have been wrong," the doctor said, his voice low but urgent. "Perhaps the infection has already spread to his bloodstream. We need to act fast."
Emma's world tilted, the room spinning around her as the blood drained from her face. The doctor moved quickly, applying pressure to Leon's wound, adjusting IV fluids, and checking his oxygen levels. The room felt smaller with every passing second.
"Please, please…" Emma whispered, her voice barely audible. "Don't let anything happen to him."
But the long, mournful beep from the machine shattered her prayer. "What happened?" she asked, her voice trembling with panic.
The doctor froze for a moment, his face pale. He finally looked at her, his expression filled with sorrow. "Miss Whitmore, I'm sorry."
"No, no, wait. You're joking, right? Leon!" She rushed to his side, shaking him gently. "Wake up! This isn't funny! Open your eyes! Leon, please!"
Emma's heart raced, her vision blurring as the weight of the doctor's words crashed down on her. She felt dizzy, as if the world around her was spinning uncontrollably. The sound of Leon's stillness, the beeping of the machine, the doctor's face—everything seemed to blur together. Before she could catch herself, everything went black.
Gasping loudly, Emma jolted awake, her heart racing. She quickly looked around and realized she was back in her room at the Whitmore mansion. The bed beneath her was soft, and the dim light from the window made everything feel strangely calm.
But the weight of the nightmare still clung to her. Her hands shook as she gripped the sheets. "What... what just happened?" she whispered, trying to make sense of it.
The fear wasn't gone, but the silence of the room told her one thing—there was no Leon, no doctors, no machines. "Dream?" she mumbled to herself.
"Emma!" The door suddenly swung open, and Melissa appeared, her cheerful voice breaking through the fog in Emma's mind. "I heard you've been back for two months! Sorry I didn't come sooner. The NCY branch shipped me off for three months, and let me tell you—it was hell!"
Emma blinked, staring at Melissa in disbelief. The exact same scene, the same dialogue, with the same person.
'Did I just get a déjà vu?'