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"But—" Lena hadn't finished speaking when the call abruptly ended.
Lina turned to her and asked, "Was that Chris? Did he need something from you?"
Lena smiled and replied, "Oh, no. Wrong number."
She didn't care about any urgent matter Elijah might have, nor did she need that triple overtime pay.
It was the weekend, a statutory holiday, and Lina was having a prenatal check-up. Lena had to be there with her.
Her phone buzzed, and it was a message from Elijah with a location.
When Lena checked, she realized the location was actually the hospital. It surprised her.
Then another message arrived, with a much softer tone: [Lena, please help me out. My daughter is in the hospital,
and I've reached out to you as a last resort. If I've offended you before, please forgive me.]
Lena clenched her hands. In her mind, she could faintly see the little princess holding her hand and calling her
'Madam'.
At that moment, a few nurses took Lina for the next examination.
Lena, separated by the door, asked softly, "Lina, Um... I have a friend in this hospital. Can I go say hello?"
"Oh, sure!" Lina said, "I don't need you here for now. Go and come back quickly!"
"Okay!" Lena agreed and headed to the pediatric department, which was conveniently located nearby, just down a
flight of stairs and around a corner.
As she entered the corridor, her eyes fell upon Elijah, who appeared agitated with tousled hair and prominent dark
circles under his eyes.
The pediatric department boasted a charming and inviting decor, but the sound of intense crying emanating from
within was deeply unsettling.
Lena was startled and inquired, "What's happening?"
Elijah saw her like a lifeline and pulled her into the ward without saying a word.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"Nala!"
Lena saw five nurses trying to console the little princess on the small bed. Despite her tear-stained face, she was
stubborn. When Nala threw a tantrum, she looked like a fierce little kitten who was not afraid of anything.
"I won't take the shot! I won't—"
"Nala Chriss!" Elijah's anger was evident as he glared at her. "You behave yourself! I'll spank you if you dare to
throw a fit again!"
"Waaah—" Nala cried even harder. She thrashed on the bed, knocking over a cup on the bedside table.
Lena glared at Elijah and rushed over to hold Nala.
At that moment, it felt like she was holding her past self.
When she was a child, her mother sent her to live with a family in the village. The head of the household was a
heavy drinker who gambled a lot. He would shout and swear at her when things didn't go his way.
Once, when she had a fever and didn't want to take her medicine, he threatened her just like Elijah did, saying, "If
you make a fuss, I'll spank you!"
Unlike Elijah, that man actually grabbed a broom and struck her forcefully...
Lena suddenly jerked, shivering involuntarily, and hugged Nala even tighter.
Out of the blue, she heard a small voice from within her hug, asking, "Madam, are you feeling cold?"
Lena was astonished. She glanced downward and found Nala gazing up at her with large, teary eyes, a single tear
still at the corner.
After a brief pause, Nala softly touched Lena's face. "Madam, Nala is sending you some strength. Don't shiver,
okay? Don't be afraid!"
Lena's nose tingled, and tears welled up. She had to muster all her strength not to lose composure in front of Nala.
"Thank you, Nala. I am not cold anymore." Lena's voice unexpectedly turned gentle, even surprising herself. "Nala,
can you tell me why you were crying just now?"
"They want to pierce me..."
"Does that mean you're feeling sick?"
Nala looked at her pitifully and pointed at her abdomen. "My tummy hurts..."
"Ms. Nala had some bad food, so she has gastroenteritis and a bit of fever, too." A woman who seemed like a nanny
explained from the side. "Luckily, it's not acute. A simple IV drip should do."
"So..." Lena looked at Elijah. "You called me because Nala is afraid of the butterfly needle?"
Elijah cleared his throat a couple of times, straightened up, and put his hands in his pockets. He still looked like an
elite, but just too disheveled and ridiculous.
Lena gently coaxed Nala and caressed her head, trying to recall the story of Little Red Riding Hood from her
childhood memories. She stumbled through the tale, making some mistakes, but Nala snuggled close and listened
carefully.
The nurse skillfully administered Nala's butterfly needle and started her on the drip. The once-chaotic hospital ward
had now returned to a calm and peaceful state.
A while later, Nala fell asleep in Lena's embrace.
After making sure Nala was truly asleep, Lena put her down carefully and tucked her in before leaving the room
with Elijah.
He breathed out in relief once they stepped out. His tie was crooked, his shirt was unbuttoned, and his suit jacket
seemed to have torn—probably the little princess' doing.
Those who had no idea might think he was robbed. Lena smiled softly.
Elijah appeared a bit embarrassed and stumbled over his words. "T-Thank you."
"Don't mention it," Lena said calmly.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThen, she took out her phone and saw a message from Lina.
[Lenny, take your time. It's going to take a while here. The nurses are taking good care of me.]
"Um..." Elijah said, "I'll transfer the money to you. You keep it."
"No need." Lena looked at him. "I'm not your nanny. Besides, I quite like Nala. I don't mind looking after her."
Elijah showed a tinge of guilt. "You've really helped me a lot today."
Lena said seriously, "Mr. Chriss, children are young and have weak immune systems. Getting colds and fevers is
common. But Nala is your daughter. Please be patient with her in the future!
"As a father, you can't even coax your own daughter, yet she still calls you 'dad'!"
"You!" Elijah was fuming from her scolding, but he had to keep his emotions in check because what she said made
sense.
"Where's your wife?" Lena asked, "Why isn't she here when your child's sick?"
Elijah scoffed and patted his pocket for a cigarette. When he looked up and saw the No Smoking sign, he slowly put
it back.
It was frustrating not to be able to smoke. He kicked the floor. "She went back to her family."
"What?"
"We got in a fight," Elijah said flatly, "She goes home whenever we fight and leaves the child to me... She takes care
of Nala, and now she leaves her! This is her common trick!"
Lena could not listen more and frowned. "Mr. Chriss, the child doesn't belong to the mother. The father is
responsible, too!
"You leave your kid to Mrs. Chriss usually and have your fun outside. It's already great that she could put up with
you for so long. If I were her—"
"What would you do if you were her?" Elijah asked, giving her a sly look and a smirk.