Chapter 32 Unexpected
After reading Katniss's diary entry, I understood the complex emotions she has towards Nathan. Those feelings can't be called love, but they can be described as infatuation and admiration. Although today's conversation between Nathan and Katniss made me worry that things might go back to square one, reading Katniss's diary entry made me realize that the seed of desire in Katniss's heart has already taken root. It's just temporarily in a period of stagnation due to lack of sunlight and water, so I need to continue to carefully nurture it. There will always be a way to help her inner desires continue to grow.
After a good night's sleep, I was woken up the next day by Katniss's phone call. Katniss sounded sweet and much better emotionally during the call, slowly returning to her usual self, which was a good thing. After a nice chat with my beloved Katniss on the phone, I got up, freshened up, had breakfast, and started another mundane day of training. By the evening, the training finally ended. Just as I stepped out of the electronic classroom and turned on my phone, Katniss's call came in.
I felt a bit strange because normally my phone would be turned off during training, and Katniss wouldn't know when the training ended. It was too much of a coincidence that Katniss called just as I turned on my phone. Katniss usually only calls me around dinner time after I return to the hotel. Why would she call at this time? It could only mean that Katniss had been trying to reach me, and as soon as I turned on my phone, she got through. Could something urgent have happened? With that thought in mind, I quickly answered Katniss's call.
"Honey, something's wrong, Dad had an accident." As soon as I answered the phone, Katniss's urgent voice came through, though she sounded relatively calm.
"What happened to Dad?" Hearing Katniss mention Nathan's accident, I was so shocked that my briefcase almost fell to the ground. I couldn't control myself and blurted out, drawing strange looks from my colleagues who were walking out of the classroom.
"Today during the day, when Dad was standing on a stool trying to reach something from the cabinet, he accidentally fell off the stool and is now in the hospital." Katniss's voice was tinged with a hint of tears, indicating that she was extremely worried too.
"How serious is it? Is his life in danger?" Upon hearing Katniss's response, my mind went blank. Nathan was getting older, and even a minor fall could lead to major issues, especially falling directly from a stool. Considering Nathan's age, if he hit his head, it could be a serious problem. Since my mother passed away, I had devoted all my filial piety to Nathan, so upon hearing about Nathan's accident, I couldn't think of anything else. I just wanted to hurry back home to take care of Nathan and prevent any further accidents.
"There's no life-threatening danger. When Dad fell, he landed on his hands first, so he didn't injure his head or any other part. Luckily, he used his hands to cushion the fall. But..." Hearing Katniss say that Nathan didn't injure his head and wasn't in a life-threatening situation, I breathed a sigh of relief. However, the last two words from Katniss - "But..." - made me tense up again.
"But what?" I quickly asked, picking up my briefcase and hurriedly walking out of the office building.
"Due to the impact of landing on his hands first, Dad has fractures in both hands and soft tissue injuries. The doctors are currently applying splints and casts on Nathan."
"Is it serious? How long will it take to recover?" Hearing this, I felt a huge sense of relief. It was just fractures, nothing more serious, which was much better than I had feared.
"The doctor said he needs 100 days of rest. If everything goes well, he'll need to keep the splints and casts on for a month, and take some calcium supplements orally. After a month, the splints and casts will be removed, gradually increasing joint movement, ensuring daily exposure to sunlight, and gradually adding weight-bearing to the hands, not exceeding the limit. In about three months, he should be fully recovered." Katniss slowly calmed herself down and started explaining seriously.
"Alright, take care of him slowly. I'll go ask for leave from work now. You take care of Nathan at home first, and I'll come back to help you soon." I knew that Katniss needed my help at this moment because there were many things she couldn't handle alone. Fortunately, Nathan's injuries weren't too severe, and as long as he recovered slowly, there wouldn't be any lasting effects.
"Goodbye, honey. You focus on your training. I can handle it myself. Dad's injuries aren't serious, and for the next few days, I'll take care of him. I've already had my mom take our son away during the day, so she can help take care for a few days. I've also taken a week off from work, so you don't need to worry. I can take care of Dad on my own while you're away."
Katniss refused my offer to take leave and had everything at home arranged. She entrusted our child to Sophia Martinez for care, took leave to look after Nathan, and everything was well organized. Katniss's capabilities were truly remarkable. Back in college, she was in the etiquette team and even managed the student council. Her ability to get things done during college was highly praised by teachers and administrators.
"Alright, Katniss. When will Dad be discharged from the hospital?" With Katniss's arrangements, I finally felt at ease.
"In a little over an hour. Once the splints and casts are removed, he can be discharged and go home for recuperation. Besides his hands, he hardly has any other injuries, so walking and everything else is fine. He just needs help with eating until he recovers."
"That's good, honey. Thank you for taking care of him." I suddenly couldn't find any other words to thank Katniss for her efforts. Perhaps I was being too formal, which didn't suit the intimate love between Katniss and me.
"What are you saying, honey? Since you're not at home, of course, I'll take good care of Dad. Don't worry, I'll take care of Dad just like I took care of you when you were sick. Don't worry. I have to go now, the doctor is calling me. Goodbye, honey, talk later." With that, my wife quickly hung up the phone. I looked at the now disconnected call and couldn't help but chuckle. It was truly unpredictable. At this critical moment, Nathan had an accident.
As I walked on the road, understanding Nathan's condition, my worries gradually faded. It wasn't a big deal, as long as Katniss took good care of Nathan, I believed he would recover quickly. I thought that Nathan falling off the stool was probably due to his recent mental confusion, lack of concentration, and definitely related to his intimate contact with Katniss. If that was indeed the reason, then I was the main culprit for Nathan's injury this time. Thinking about it, I couldn't help but smile wryly. Fortunately, no major harm was done, but it was just an accident, something beyond my control.
At this point, I no longer worried about Nathan. Even though I wasn't at home, with Katniss taking care of Nathan, I trusted that she would care for him just like she did for me when I was sick.
Wait, just like she cared for me? Would she also care for Nathan in the same way? I didn't know why such a dirty thought crossed my mind at that moment, perhaps because I no longer had worries about Nathan's injury. At that moment, I remembered my plan. With Nathan's hands injured, many daily tasks would require Katniss to assist, such as feeding him. During Nathan's illness, undoubtedly, the time and intimacy between the two of them would increase. Thinking about this, I suddenly felt a hint of excitement. Nathan's injury could be a good opportunity for me. I believed that things might take a turn.
Suppressing the excitement in my heart, I didn't even feel like eating. I quickly returned to the hotel, hastily ate some leftover snacks, and sat on the bed with my laptop. I opened the real-time monitoring video from home, waiting to see how Katniss would take care of the now injured Nathan when they returned.
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