Chapter 536: You Just Decided to Cut It Off Like That?
Dr. Walker had promised Jasper he'd beef up the night staff to keep Adeline from "hurting herself," but he knew better than anyone that her finger injuries weren't self-inflicted.
Still, Dr. Walker had to cover his bases in case Jasper pointed fingers later. So, he grabbed a few temps off the street after a quick chat.
He didn't even bother with their resumes and just put them on Adeline duty. She was so doped up on their meds that she could barely move, let alone escape or hurt herself. This was all just to keep Jasper off his back.
As night fell, Adeline lay in her hospital bed, watching a few people take up posts outside her door. A cold smile crept across her face.
What was Jasper thinking? Even if she had magic, there was no way she could break out of here. Did he really need to post so many guards?
It was like she was some kind of monster that needed constant watching, even while she slept. She closed her eyes, sighed, and tried to get some rest.
She'd lost a finger today, but at least the nurse had given her another painkiller shot, so she could get through the night without too much pain.
Tomorrow's problems could wait until tomorrow.
Adeline didn't know how long she'd been out when she heard the door creak open. She opened her eyes and saw a pair of clear, bright eyes staring back at her.
The guy was wearing a mask, and she didn't recognize him at first. When he saw she was awake, he pulled off the mask, revealing a face with sharp, cold features.
Adeline was stunned. "David!"
David gave her a cool look. "How did you end up like this?"
Adeline bit her lip and whispered, "It's a long story."
"Let's save it for after we get out of here," David said with a sigh. "Linda heard from Violet that something happened to you, and she was freaking out. I had to rush over to Radiance Springs. This isn't my turf, so I had to be careful. We disguised ourselves as caregivers to get in."
David glanced at the fully armed woman behind him.
The woman took off her mask; it was Linda. Seeing Adeline in this state brought tears to her eyes.
Linda helped Adeline change into a caregiver's uniform while wiping her tears. "Didn't you say last time that Blake and Lauren were getting better and you'd be leaving soon? How did things get so messed up in just half a month?"
Adeline gave a bitter smile, "All thanks to Jasper."
Once Adeline was dressed, David had his men carry her. As they left the room, Adeline said, "If I just run away like this, they'll quickly notice."
David smirked. "Don't worry. I've got someone taking your place. They won't notice until tomorrow."
Adeline bit her lip. It was one thing for Jasper to find out she had escaped, but what if the person replacing her got into trouble?
David seemed to read her mind. "Her identity is special; they won't mess with her."
David sighed. "Besides, she owes you."
Before Adeline could figure out what David meant, his men were already carrying her out.
When they got to the door, they used the excuse that a female caregiver had heatstroke and needed to leave. The guards didn't think twice, figuring these temps wouldn't be up to anything shady, so they just logged them out and let them go.
The van tore down the highway in the early morning light. Adeline's wounds got jostled a bunch during the escape, and as the painkillers wore off, she started shaking in Linda's arms, her face ghostly pale from the pain.
Linda kept whispering, "Hang in there, Adeline. Just hang in there."
Tears streamed down Linda's face as she held Adeline tight, the van racing towards Neon City. "We're almost there!"
They couldn't risk staying in Radiance Springs or finding a doctor there. David and Linda had never really grasped how cruel Jasper could be to Adeline until now.
After hours on the road, they finally pulled into David's private hospital in Neon City at dawn.
Adeline's broken finger got X-rayed, but by the time the results came back, she had already passed out from the pain.
"The bone's completely shattered," the doctor said, shaking his head as he looked at the X-ray. "Looks like it was smashed with a hammer or something heavy. But she doesn't look like a laborer."
Linda covered her mouth, trying to hold back her sobs. "Can her finger ever be the same again?"
"No," the doctor replied, shaking his head. "Amputation is the best option. If it gets infected, she could lose her whole hand. There are already signs of infection, so we need to act fast. We need the patient's or a family member's consent."
After saying this, the doctor walked out.
Linda finally broke down, tears streaming down her face.
Adeline had such beautiful hands, which could create the most stunning jewelry designs.
At some point, Adeline had woken up on the hospital bed. Her pale lips trembled as she spoke, "Do it. I can live without a finger."
Compared to staying in the psych ward and having a finger broken every day, losing one pinky was the best option now.
Seeing Adeline force herself to make this decision, Linda cried and threw herself onto Adeline. "Are you sure? Maybe there's another way."
Adeline shook her head and gave a bitter smile. "What other way is there?"
She wasn't a kid anymore. Once something was shattered, it couldn't go back to how it was.
After signing the surgery consent form, Adeline was wheeled into the operating room.
Linda collapsed onto the marble floor of the hallway, crying uncontrollably.
Seeing her so heartbroken, David walked to the end of the corridor, feeling irritated. He lit a cigarette and sent the X-ray of Adeline's finger to Jasper.
David: [What do you think caused this damage?]
By now, it was already daylight.
Jasper, who had been worried about Adeline, hadn't slept well all night. Early in the morning, he called Dr. Walker to check on her.
After hearing that Adeline was fine, he felt relieved and was about to go downstairs for breakfast when he got David's message.
He opened the X-ray and looked at it for a while, then laughed.
Jasper: [I'm not a doctor; how would I know? But judging by the shattered bone, it was probably from a hammer or a rock. Whose is this? Yours?]
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