Chapter 284 Fever
The door creaked open, and Zack stepped aside, letting Aurelia go in first.
The living room lights were on, giving off a calm, cozy vibe.
Zack followed her in and dug around the shoe cabinet for a bit before pulling out a fresh pair of slippers. "Mrs. Heilbronn, there are only Mr. Heilbronn's shoes here. Please use these for now, and I'll get you a new pair tomorrow."
Aurelia stared at the shoes, lost in thought for a moment. She'd worn his slippers at home before. Once, after a shower, she cleaned her own shoes and wore his out of convenience. Those slippers disappeared after that.
She'd been upset about it for a long time.
Aurelia kicked off her shoes and walked in barefoot.
Zack said, "Mrs. Heilbronn, Mr. Heilbronn is in the bedroom."
Zack led the way to the room, where the curtains were tightly drawn.
Nathaniel lay in the middle of the bed, flushed and mumbling incoherently.
Aurelia walked over and touched his forehead. As expected, it was burning hot.
Feeling the unfamiliar touch, Nathaniel shrank back but then seemed to find the cool touch comforting and turned over, seeking its source.
"Aurelia," he mumbled.
Aurelia finally made out his slurred words; he was calling her name.
"Nathaniel, you have a fever. Get up We need to take you to the hospital," she said.
Hearing her voice, Nathaniel struggled to open his eyes. The face from his dream gradually became clear. He couldn't tell if it was real.
Since finding Aurelia, he hadn't had this problem for a while, but today, he felt unwell and had taken two pills prescribed by his psychiatrist.
"Aurelia, is that you?" Nathaniel said.
He reached out and tightly grasped Aurelia's wrist, unconsciously using so much force that he left red marks on her skin.
In the past, whenever he saw her in his dreams, he always ended up grasping at nothing, leaving him sleepless for the rest of the night.
This time, holding her for real, Nathaniel's mind cleared a bit.
"Aurelia, don't leave me!" he pleaded.
Aurelia endured the pain as he squeezed her wrist. He had no idea how much strength he was using.
"Nathaniel, get up. We need to go to the hospital," she insisted.
Nathaniel struggled to sit up against the headboard, never letting go of Aurelia's hand.
The top two buttons of his pajamas were undone, revealing skin covered in red rashes, scratched to the point of almost breaking.
It seemed like an allergic reaction with a fever, making him look quite pitiful.
Nathaniel pulled Aurelia closer to sit by his bed.
"Aurelia, how did you get here so late? Will you ever leave me again" he asked.
He hadn't even considered himself, his mind preoccupied with the fear that Aurelia might leave him the next second. Seeing her in the middle of the night felt like a dream come true, a blessing he never dared to hope for.
He even felt that this time, getting sick was worth it.
Nathaniel glanced at Zack, who then left the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Zack understood with just a look that he was no longer needed.
Nathaniel just wanted to savor this rare moment together, even if they did nothing but sit quietly.
Aurelia was caught off guard as he pulled her to the bedside, her heart aching.
She was fully aware of their current divorced status and knew they should keep their distance.
"Nathaniel, you're hurting me," Aurelia said.
He quickly let go of her hand.
"Aurelia, I'm sorry. I'm afraid you'll leave," Nathaniel said.
"Where's the first aid kit? Let me take your temperature first. You have a high fever. Are you really not going to the hospital?" she asked.
Nathaniel smirked, his tone dripping with indifference.
"If you take me to the hospital, then you'll leave. I'm not going, and you can't trick me," he said.
Aurelia was at a loss for a moment. She glanced back and saw the bedroom door was closed, and Zack was nowhere to be seen.
He really had hired a good assistant.
Aurelia left the bedroom and found Zack lounging on the sofa, playing a game. Nathaniel had told him to leave, but he didn't dare go far, just in case he was needed. So, he played games to pass the time, ready to assist at any moment.
"Zack, is there a first aid kit in the house?" Aurelia asked.
"Yes," Zack replied.
He put down his phone, retrieved a small box from a cabinet, and handed it to Aurelia.
"Mrs. Heilbronn, do you need anything else?" Zack asked.
"Get a glass of water. He needs to stay hydrated with a fever," she said.
Aurelia returned to the bedroom with the first aid kit, rummaging through it until she found a forehead thermometer. She placed it on Nathaniel's forehead, and the next second, it beeped an alarm.
His body temperature was a scorching 103.3 degrees Fahrenheit!
Aurelia panicked. She knew his constitution well. In the past, his fevers rarely exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and he didn't even need fever medicine. Drinking water and sleeping it off usually did the trick.
But this time, it was 103.3 degrees Fahrenheit!
If it were just a cold, she wouldn't be so worried. But he had an allergic reaction to medication, which could be serious and even life-threatening.
Aurelia's face darkened as she reached out to pull him up.
"Get up and go to the hospital with me. We can't delay with such a high fever. We need to go to the emergency room," she insisted.
Nathaniel, like a stubborn puppy, refused to budge, making it impossible for Aurelia to move him with her strength alone.
With a slight pull, Nathaniel yanked Aurelia onto him, causing her to fall on his chest.
Aurelia's face pressed against his chest, the scorching heat startling her.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
She reflexively jumped up and took a few steps back, glaring at him and loudly questioning his actions.
Nathaniel's heart skipped a beat, and he didn't dare speak. He knew he wasn't good with words and feared saying something wrong that would drive her away.
At that moment, Zack brought in a glass of water. "Mrs. Heilbronn, here is the water."
Zack sensed the strange atmosphere in the room. Cautiously, he placed the glass on the bedside table and was about to leave when Aurelia stopped him. "Zack, stay here and make sure Mr. Heilbronn drinks the water."
Zack looked around, feeling torn.
One wanted him to leave, the other ordered him to stay. It was a no-win situation.
Weighing his options, he decided it was more dangerous to offend Aurelia. He picked up the glass and handed it to Nathaniel. "Mr. Heilbronn, you need to drink water with a fever. I'll get more after you finish this."
He emphasized the "get more" part, hoping Nathaniel would understand his meaning.
Nathaniel obediently drank the water in one go.
Zack took the empty glass, relieved to have a reason to leave the room. He closed the bedroom door behind him.
The room was left with just the two of them, and an awkward atmosphere began to spread.
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