Rushing out of the bar, Vera Wave made her way swiftly towards a nearby hospital. By the time she stormed into the cardio-cerebrovascular ward, she was panting heavily from her hurried run.
In the ward, the old lady's hair was entirely white. Her face was pale as she lay propped against her pillow, gasping for breath like a beached fish.
"Grandma…" Vera hastily rushed to her side, clutching the elderly woman's hand. "How are you?"
Seeing her granddaughter, the old lady's eyes radiated a gentle warmth. "Vera, don't... don't worry. I'm... I'm alright..."
"Grandma!"
Kris Cooper also raced into the room. Seeing him, the old lady became visibly agitated, pointing at Kris. She struggled to speak, her chest heaving violently...
"Grandma?!" Realizing the severity of her condition, Vera screamed, "Quick... get a doctor!"
Hearing the urgency in her voice, a caregiver turned and rushed out the door, while Kris hit the call bell mounted on the wall.
The call for help went out: "Bed 49 needs resuscitation!"
Within moments, nurses and doctors rushed in and began emergency treatment for the old lady. Kris supported Vera, attempting to pull her towards the door.
"Let go of me! Grandma, hold on... Grandma..."
Vera struggled, unwilling to leave, but Kris managed to pull her out of the ward.
Watching as the nurses closed the door, the hand that the old lady had raised fell weakly onto her bedsheet. Vera screamed out in distress.
"Grandma!"
Her vision went dark, and she collapsed towards the floor.
Kris dashed forward, catching her just in time, his voice filled with concern.
"Vera!"
A caregiver rushed over from the side, reaching out to pinch Vera's philtrum.
"Get away from her!"
Kris scooped Vera into his arms and made a beeline for the Nurse Station.
"Nurse, doctor!"
A nurse from the station hurried over, instructing him to lay Vera on a bed.
By now, the caregiver who had tried to help Vera earlier had also caught up. Vera was still unconscious, so the caregiver looked to Kris.
"Sir, the doctor... needs to speak to a family member."
"What's wrong?" Kris shifted his gaze from Vera's face, as she lay on the bed, to the caregiver.
"The elderly lady must be moved to the Intensive Care Unit. Otherwise, her condition is critical."
"Then move her!"
"Well…" the caregiver coughed. "The old lady's account has run out of funds."
"Watch her!"
After instructing the caregiver to watch Vera, Kris strode out of the ward.
「...」
By the time Vera regained consciousness, it was already the next morning.
When she opened her eyes to the unfamiliar, stark-white ceiling, Vera simply rubbed them in confusion.
"You're awake?"
A pleasant male voice sounded from her side.
Vera was taken aback.
She turned her head and saw Kris, who was only wearing a shirt. The second thing she did was pull back the blanket to check her clothes. Seeing she was still fully dressed, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness, I haven't been violated!
Confident of this, she immediately threw off the blanket and jumped off the bed barefoot, intending to rush out.
Kris grabbed her and tossed her back onto the bed.
"What are you doing? I need to see my grandma!"
"Your grandma's condition has stabilized, and she's out of danger now," Kris said, standing by the bed and looking down at her. "Now, let's clarify what happened between us!"
Hearing that her grandmother was okay, Vera heaved a sigh of relief. Looking at Kris and recalling the previous night's events, she coughed awkwardly.
"Well... how much... how much money do you want? Um... would 500 USD be alright?"
Last night, he must have thought I was a client soliciting services. In that case, I should just pay him.
Kris's expression darkened.
Money?
She thinks she can just pay me off?
Noticing the anger on his face, Vera offered an appeasing smile.
"Right, right. Five hundred is definitely not enough for a top man like you. How about... one thousand? One thousand should do it, right?"
Kris was on the verge of losing his temper.
It seems 1000 is still too little. A premium guy like him must cost a lot.
"Well!" Vera put on an excessively sweet, fawning smile. "Top-tier big brother, thank you for taking care of me. You're such a kind person, could you maybe give me a discount?"