Chapter 339 He's Burning Up!
In the middle of the emergency treatment, Grant came out to give Jerry an update. "I've done everything I can. The rest is up to Mr. Griffin. But he said that while it's treatable, he's not a miracle worker. If the patient stays emotionally distressed and can't get a grip, he won't be able to save the baby."
Jerry's hands balled into fists at his sides, his jaw clenched tight.
After a few moments of silence, Jerry finally spoke, "Whether we can save the baby or not, focus on Hope first."
Elissa saw the storm of emotions in Jerry's eyes, but she couldn't quite grasp them.
She never thought she'd see Jerry like this. It was like his whole world was falling apart.
"There has to be a way," Elissa said, turning her face away to hide her tears. "Hope is strong. She's just struggling to accept it right now, and she said she wouldn't give up on the baby. Jerry, you have to stay strong too. Hope just lost Claire. She can't lose this baby too, or she'll completely fall apart."
Francis wanted to wipe Elissa's tears, but she pushed his hand away.
He turned to Jerry and said, "Elissa's right. We have to do everything we can to save the baby."
Given the situation, Elissa didn't want to snap at Francis.
Elissa continued, "She must be feeling awful after the funeral today. When she wakes up, I'll talk to her. Trust me, she's just having a moment. If she talks to me more, maybe she'll be okay."
Jerry knew all this, but he couldn't stand seeing Hope suffer anymore. Pregnancy was already tough, and the repeated near-miscarriages were taking a toll on her body.
On top of that, Hope had been through so much. If she forced herself to keep going for the baby's sake, it might drive her insane.
If she had a miscarriage later on, the damage would be even worse. No matter how much it hurt, they might have to cut their losses.
Jerry said, "Dr. Quill, if we can't save the baby, don't push it. I just want her to be healthy and safe."
"Jerry!"
"Jerry."
Elissa glared at Francis and said to Grant, "If Hope is conscious, you have to ask her opinion. It's her right. Jerry, even if you're worried about Hope, you have to talk to her. You can't make this decision alone. This is your child together."
Jerry stayed silent.
Grant nodded and went back to the emergency room.
Sophia left the church, and it was already dark.
Neil had been following her, and she was pretty annoyed.
She treated him like a stranger and didn't talk to him to avoid arguments, even though he was always quiet and never argued.
Neil said, "It's hard to navigate here in the dark. Follow my car. You can also ride with me, and I'll have someone drive yours back."
Sophia ignored him. Now he wanted to talk?
She got into her car and sped off.
Neil pressed his lips together and followed her.
The emergency lasted six hours.
When Sophia arrived at the hospital, it was still going on.
She took Nolan, who had fallen asleep in Elissa's arms. "Thanks."
Elissa stretched her sore arms and shook her head. "No problem. We're family."
Sophia glanced at her, then picked up Nolan and said to Jerry, "Nolan might catch a cold sleeping like this. I'll take him to a nearby room. Call me if you need anything."
Jerry nodded.
Sophia got it—she knew how he felt, but she couldn't wrap her head around why their struggles never seemed to end. They'd already been through so much, and now even their unborn child was in trouble.
Neil said, "Let me take him."
Neil had tried to take a shortcut and got stuck in traffic, so he arrived much later than Sophia.
Sophia sidestepped his outstretched hand and went into the room.
She put Nolan down, took off his shoes and coat, and covered him with a blanket. Then she sat down beside him.
Neil said, "You should rest with the kid for a bit. I'll call you if anything happens."
Sophia stayed silent.
Elissa went back to the emergency room and noticed something was off with Jerry.
He was leaning against the wall, slightly bent over, his head hanging down, and his body swaying.
Before she could get a closer look, Jerry collapsed to the ground as she approached.
Elissa tried to catch him but missed.
Just as he was about to hit the floor, Francis arrived and caught him.
"He's burning up!" Francis said, feeling Jerry's forehead. "Go get a wheelchair."
Elissa quickly fetched one, and Francis took Jerry to a ward and called for an emergency doctor.
The doctor said, "It's a high fever from an infected wound. This needs serious attention. First, we need to reduce the fever and inflammation. Don't leave him alone tonight. If the fever keeps coming back, it could be very dangerous."
Francis got it.
The burn hadn't healed, and Jerry had been running around for two days and even got caught in the rain today.
He shouldn't even be wearing clothes and needed timely wound cleaning and dressing changes.
Francis understood, but no matter what, the living had to keep living. They couldn't neglect their own health.
"I understand," Francis replied.
Before leaving the ward, the doctor reminded him, "Call me immediately if anything happens."
Francis nodded and then said to Elissa, "Go to the emergency room. If Dr. Quill comes out, ask him about Hope's condition. If there's nothing urgent, have him come check on Jerry."
Elissa nodded and went back to the emergency room.
Just as Grant came out, she asked, "How's Hope?"
Grant didn't see Jerry and already had a sense of what was going on.
He replied, "She's stable for now. She'll be moved to a ward soon, and Mr. Griffin will continue her treatment. But, as I said, if she can't resolve her own emotional distress, no amount of medical skill or medication can save her. In her current condition, it's not suitable to keep using medication."
Elissa nodded. "Please go check on Jerry. He has a high fever."
Grant wasn't surprised. With all this running around, it was no wonder he had a fever.
When I woke up again, the first thing I saw was a blinding white.
I closed my eyes again, slowly opening them just a crack until I adjusted.
"Hope, you're awake!" Elissa was super excited. "Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere? I'll go get Mr. Griffin to check on you!"
I didn't even have time to speak before she rushed out.
Declan was next door, treating Jerry.
Elissa said, "Mr. Griffin, Hope is awake."
While treating Jerry, Declan asked, "How does she look?"
Elissa hadn't really taken a good look and forgot to wait for my response after asking.
"I'll go check again."
With that, she hurried back to the next room.
I must've been out for a while, feeling dry and thirsty, but I was relieved to sense that the baby was still there.
I was about to get up to drink some water when Elissa came back and quickly took the cup from my hand.
Elissa said, "I'll get it for you. Just lie down and wait for Mr. Griffin to check on you before moving."
Seeing Elissa so anxious, I got worried about the baby too and lay back down.
Elissa poured a cup of water and handed it to me, then adjusted the pillow behind me to make me more comfortable.
I sighed, "You don't have to be so meticulous. I'm not that fragile."
Elissa looked serious. "You don't have to pretend to be okay in front of me. We've been friends for so many years; I know you."
I lowered my head to drink water, hiding the pain in my eyes, and didn't respond to her. "Where's Jerry?"
Elissa said, "He has a high fever and is being treated next door."
She didn't give me a chance to speak and continued, "Hope, I didn't try to comfort you before because I know that no one can truly understand your pain. No matter how many comforting words I say, Claire won't come back. Losing a loved one is a lifelong pain, so I didn't tell you to look forward or not to be too sad. But now I have to say it. You can't go on like this. I'm not using the baby to pressure you, but you said you wanted to keep her, so you have to be responsible for her. Otherwise, you might as well end it now. Don't let her suffer with you, and you'll hurt yourself too."
Elissa added, "Don't keep everything bottled up. It's okay not to cry, but you need to express your feelings honestly to me. If you keep it all inside, you'll end up hurting yourself, the baby, Jerry, and all of us who care about you."
Elissa's mouth was dry from talking, so she drank a cup of water and prepared to continue.
I raised my hand to stop her and asked, "Is my baby okay?"
Elissa said, "Mr. Griffin said if you can't get over it yourself, he doesn't have the power to save the baby. Jerry doesn't want you to suffer and hurt yourself. So he's already said that if the baby can't be saved, then so be it. He can't bear to see you in pain. Neither can I. If I can't persuade you, then maybe this baby isn't meant to be with us."
I was silent for a moment, not knowing where to start.
I never thought Claire would leave me so soon. I was ready to take good care of her in the future. I was even willing to take care of Larry for her.
But before I could settle everything, I lost Claire forever.
Because of the baby, I didn't have time to grieve.
I had to immediately pull myself out of the grief of Claire's death, but it wasn't easy.
I pressed my lips together. "I want to see Jerry first."
Elissa went to get a wheelchair.
I felt weak, so I sat in the wheelchair and let her push me over.
Seeing me, Declan checked on me first and said, "I don't recommend using too much medication. It's better if you can resolve your emotional distress on your own. If you really can't, then take the medication."
I thanked Declan and looked at Jerry.
Declan said, "He's not in great shape either. The only consolation is that he's physically strong, but he can't withstand a prolonged high fever. If the fever doesn't break tonight, be prepared."
I held Jerry's hand, feeling the heat that made me tremble. I thought, 'How could he be so hot? Even a strong body can't take this, especially when he's injured.'
"Be prepared for what?" I asked.
Declan and Grant exchanged a glance and said, "The worst-case scenario. If the fever turns into pneumonia, combined with his large infected wounds, he..."
That word shouldn't be mentioned today.
Declan continued, "You can't stay up all night or exhaust yourself. After seeing him, go back to rest. Even if you can't sleep, close your eyes and rest. We'll keep an eye on him here."
Jerry was lying on his stomach, and seeing the extensive wounds on his back, I felt a lump in my throat.
But I didn't want to cry. Crying was useless.
"Elissa."
"Yes, Hope?"
I took a deep breath, trying to appear calm. "I want something to eat."
Elissa replied, "Okay, I'll go get you something."
It was late, and Francis went with her.
"Get more. Everyone probably hasn't eaten," I reminded.
We were supposed to eat after the funeral, but one thing after another kept us from it.
But saying this worried Declan and Grant.
They could tell if I was genuinely feeling better or just pretending.
After all, losing a loved one wasn't something one could recover from quickly. It took time.
Sometimes, one just had to let things take their course.
Jerry woke up briefly, saw me, and squeezed my hand before closing his eyes again.
It happened so quickly that if I hadn't been watching, I wouldn't have noticed he woke up.
"It's okay. Don't worry. He's probably worried about you, but his body can't handle it. Seeing you here reassured him," Declan explained.
I wiped the sweat from Jerry's forehead and sighed softly.
Declan didn't disturb us further and sat on the couch with Grant, discussing medical ideas.
I didn't understand, so I leaned against the bed, watching Jerry.
Every now and then, I took his temperature. But the fluctuating temperature made my heart race.
If Jerry got worse because of me, I'd feel even more guilty.
Everyone around me seemed to meet a bad end.
"You're overthinking again."
Startled, I saw Jerry open his eyes and asked, "Was that you talking just now?"
Jerry smirked. "The way you're staring at me blankly, I thought you had a high fever and lost your mind."
I quickly took his temperature. It was still high. I looked at Declan. "Can he drink water?"
Declan said, "You can use a cotton swab to moisten his lips."
I got up, but Jerry stopped me. "I don't want water. Don't move around, and don't sit here all the time. Go lie down and rest. Stop blaming yourself for everything."
I didn't know how to respond. "You were asleep. How did you know I was overthinking?"
"Because I know you," Jerry replied.
Jerry's eyelids drooped, clearly uncomfortable. I quickly said, "Don't talk so much. Save it for when your fever breaks."
Jerry pressed his thumb into my palm.
I was puzzled. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." After a brief silence, Jerry looked at me and said, "Your palm is sweaty. You grabbed me tightly just now, so I knew you were overthinking. Hope, don't punish yourself for others' mistakes."
I opened my mouth, about to tell him to rest more, but before I could say a word, he closed his eyes again.
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