Chapter 96 Juniper's Car Accident?
"Take this stuff and give it a read. You're starting in September. Get a grip on the research so you don't look like a total newbie when you join the lab," Aurora offered.
Camilla glanced at the papers in her hand and nodded. "No sweat, I'll get up to speed quick and not drag you down!"
Aurora chuckled at her confidence. "You think I don't trust you? I saw your interview. I was worried if you could keep up with the latest research."
She gave Camilla's shoulder a reassuring pat. "But after watching it, I realized you're still sharp as ever."
And Sebastian's question? That was a pleasant surprise.
Honestly, even third-year grad students might not have answered as well as Camilla did.
It wasn't just her answer; it was the logical thinking she showed.
Aurora truly valued Camilla's talent. "You're my student. No one knows your talent better than I do. You've got this, okay?"
After chatting a bit more, Aurora got called away by a phone call.
Camilla took the stack of papers home, thinking about Aurora's words, and got a bit lost in thought.
She hadn't always been so sure of herself. She'd been scared, hesitant, worried about screwing up.
Especially knowing Aurora had been stuck on a research topic for years with no results. If she couldn't bring something new, what was the point?
Reading the papers, Camilla noticed they were in chronological order. The further down, the older the dates.
Before, she'd understood biology like a reader, like reading a book. No matter how much she read, she was just an observer.
Now, looking at it as a creator and practitioner, it felt like she was walking in the footsteps of the greats, joining in.
They were two totally different experiences. Camilla got totally absorbed.
Suddenly, her phone rang. She picked it up.
"Are you a family member of Juniper? This is Sunrise Hospital. She was in a car accident. Please come as soon as possible."
Camilla's hand trembled, her heart almost stopping. She ended the call, grabbed her bag, and, thinking about hospital expenses, took a few of her credit cards just in case. She snatched her phone and coat and rushed out.
Luckily, a taxi drove by before she even opened the ride-hailing app. "To Sunrise Hospital, please," she urgently requested.
The driver, a middle-aged guy, saw her anxious look and got it. "Buckle up! My car's fast but steady. I'll get you there safe."
Camilla managed a "Thanks."
On the way, terrifying images flashed through her mind. Not knowing what else to do, she called Juniper again.
As expected, the phone was off.
The driver liked to listen to the news on the radio. After the music intro, the female host's voice came on. "It's 1:30 PM, and here's an urgent news update. A bus rear-ended a truck at 26 Dawn Road, causing a chain reaction accident. Ten people are injured, and one is dead."
Camilla's heart jumped to her throat. Dawn Road was right by Juniper's company. Her fear was almost suffocating.
The driver kept his word. What should've been a half-hour drive, he cut down to fifteen minutes.
Camilla jumped out of the car and hadn't even entered the hospital when she heard the sirens of an ambulance.
"Hurry! These are the injured from the Dawn Road accident. Get them to the emergency room."
Camilla saw the unconscious, bloodied patients being carried off the ambulance and felt a chill down her spine. She quickened her pace.
Locating the front desk nurse, she provided Juniper's name.
"Are you a family member?"
"Yeah, I came after getting a call."
The nurse paused, looking regretful. "You should go in and see her now."
Camilla's heart sank to the bottom. She tried to control her trembling right hand, took a deep breath, and turned the doorknob.
The next second, she saw a body covered with a white sheet lying on the hospital bed. Her legs went weak, and she almost collapsed.
Just then, a voice suddenly came from behind. "Camilla, why are you here?"
Camilla turned around abruptly. There stood Juniper, alive and unharmed.
"You scared me to death! Who's in there?" Camilla's voice quivered.
"Why did you come here?" The nurse who had directed Camilla earlier passed by and frowned. "Your friend is in the next room."
Camilla was speechless.
The nurse pointed at Juniper and continued, "She was standing right behind you when you opened the door. How could you mistake her?"
Camilla was at a loss for words.
"Still mad?" Juniper hooked her hand. "I was wrong. Don't be mad, okay? Haven't you heard that getting angry makes you age faster? My Camilla is so beautiful; it wouldn't be good to get wrinkles from anger."
Seeing Camilla's face darken, she quickly added, "But even if you age, you'll still be the most beautiful and elegant."
Knowing Juniper was okay, most of Camilla's anger had already dissipated. Now, Juniper's antics made her laugh.
Juniper joked, "Alright, alright, the storm has passed! Not mad anymore?"
"The hospital called and said you were in a car accident. I was scared to death. So what happened? How did you get hurt?" Camilla inquired.
She was actually relieved it was just a false alarm, but seeing the injury on Juniper's face, she couldn't help but frown.
"I was off work and wanted to check out the new BBQ place nearby. Unexpectedly, I passed by Dawn Road and got caught in the chain accident. Some glass shards scratched me, and I fell," Juniper explained.
She continued, "I didn't want to come to the hospital, but the rescue medics saw my facial injury and worried it might affect my brain. To be safe, they brought me along in the ambulance."
It was Juniper's first time in an ambulance. There were other injured people on board, and hearing their cries made her scared. If she had been a bit closer, she would be the one in the emergency room now.
Camilla realized this too and held her hand. "You're okay, that's all that matters."
Juniper's eyes softened, and she smiled. "Don't you know me by now? I've always had great luck, nothing will happen to me. But did you really think I was dead?"
Juniper was sure that if she had spoken a second later, Camilla would have cried when she saw the body.
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