Chapter 141 The Awakening Antidote
Kimberly, engrossed in her paperwork, briefly glanced up at Cecil West and Julian. After a moment of contemplation, she declared, "Gentlemen, let's not forget that Xanthe is a married woman!" With that, she returned her attention to the documents at hand.Pearl struggled to suppress her laughter, not daring to disrupt the familial atmosphere. After all, they were all kin, and jesting at one another's expense was hardly suitable. Especially considering Cecil, the youngest of the group, was known for his quiet demeanor and exceptional intellect. To provoke him was to court disaster.The plane hummed steadily through the sky, and throughout the lengthy flight, Paige did nothing but sleep, rousing only for meals. During these brief interludes, she took the opportunity to remind her colleagues to rest as well.Perhaps Paige's words resonated with Cecil West. After finishing his meal, he wrapped himself in a blanket, powered down his laptop, and surrendered to sleep. This unexpected behavior left the others puzzled. Could Xanthe's words truly hold such sway?Sullivan, however, merely chuckled to himself and closed his eyes. He was no stranger to such oddities and found nothing amiss.As the plane neared its destination, the captain's voice echoed through the intercom, rousing the slumbering passengers. The aircraft touched down gently, prompting Paige to inquire, "Where have we landed?"Pearl responded, "This isn't our usual airfield. We're at Northwind Airport."Paige nodded in understanding. "Where's my car? I need to get back to the South Garden Villa with Sullivan."Pearl reassured her, "Everything's been arranged. Your car is waiting in the airport parking lot."Upon landing, Paige, armed with nothing more than a cooler containing the antidote and Sullivan at her side, disembarked swiftly. She hopped into her Viper and sped toward home. Having been abroad for several days, her primary concern was Mrs. Sackler, who remained bedridden.Sullivan, seated in the passenger seat, clutched the cooler containing the precious antidote. Despite his fastened seatbelt, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Could you... slow down, slow down... hey, red light ahead..."Paige, who had been blissfully ignorant of the traffic lights, slammed on the brakes at Sullivan's warning. The sudden halt sent Sullivan lurching forward, then crashing back into his seat. He was certainly unaccustomed to such a jarring sensation.As a career scientist and a homebody, Sullivan was not used to such excitement. Paige glanced at his disheveled state and quickly apologized, "I'm so sorry, I'll slow down. I forgot about your motion sickness. You know, when you have some time, why don't you take care of that? I've been thinking of getting you a car to make getting around easier."Sullivan grimaced in response, "I don't get car sick when I'm driving, not like when you're at the wheel."For the remainder of the journey, Paige moderated her speed. She was eager to get home, but not at the expense of her passenger's comfort.Once the pace eased, Sullivan said, "That's better. You should always be mindful o f safety when driving, not just the thrill of speed."Paige remained silent. Men who nagged were the worst. They could be downright lethal.Eventually, they arrived at the southern manor. As soon as she parked, Paige made a beeline for the ground-floor infirmary. Her closest allies had been dispatched to Country M, leaving Mrs. Sackler with only the medical staff. Pearl had set up surveillance to monitor the situation continuously, but it hadn't eased Paige's mind.Upon entering the room and seeing Mrs. Sackler lying peacefully, unchanged, Paige breathed a sigh of relief.The doctor, having heard of Paige's return, rushed over to update her on Mrs. Sackler's condition over the past few days. It was the usual for someone in a vegetative state, but to Paige, no news was good news.Paige sat by the bedside, asked the medical staff to leave, and held Mrs. Sackler's hand in her own, occasionally bringing it tenderly to her face. With her there, nothing unforeseen would happen.Sullivan had already gone to make preparations, and it wouldn't be long before they could administer the antidote."Mrs. Sackler, I'm back, and I've brought the antidote with me. You're going to wake up soon, Mrs. Sackler. I've missed you. Once you're awake, can we promise to never be apart again? Mrs. Sackler, I've grown up, and from now on, I can be the one to protect you, to stay by your side."
With her face pressed tenderly against the palm of Mrs. Sackler's hand, Paige's heart swelled with joy. The thought of Mrs. Sackler awakening and stroking her face with her own hands filled her with a profound sense of anticipation.Paige had endured five grueling years in prison, yearning for the day she could see Mrs. Sackler again. Regrettably, the actions of the Sackler family had left the poor woman bedridden, teetering on the edge of life and death.The struggle to extricate her from the clutches of those responsible had been arduous. It was only then that Paige had discovered the existence of an antidote. The reunion with Mrs. Sackler was a moment she had longed for, and it seemed that the worst was finally behind them.Just as tears threatened to spill from her eyes, a knock on the door interrupted her reverie. Paige swiftly composed herself, recognizing that it must be Sullivan, arriving to administer the antidote. Mrs. Sackler was about to wake up, and Paige didn't want Sullivan to witness her vulnerable side.After taking a moment to regain her composure, Paige called out, "Come in."The door swung open to reveal Sullivan, clad in a pristine white lab coat, cradling a portable cooler. Setting the cooler aside, he perused the doctors' notes from the past few days. He then summoned a doctor and requested the comprehensive medical report they had prepared the previous night at his behest.Handing the report to Paige, Sullivan suggested, "Let's review this together. If everything checks out, we can proceed with the antidote."Paige nodded, her focus momentarily diverted by her emotions. She realized she hadn't yet examined the report herself. After scrutinizing it, she confirmed, "Everything appears normal according to the indicators. Let's go ahead with the antidote. I long to see her awaken as soon as possible."Sullivan nodded in agreement, requested the other doctors and nurses to vacate the room, and shut the door. He then prepared the area, carrying out the necessary sterilization, and filled a syringe with the antidote.Paige had delegated this crucial task to Sullivan for two reasons: trust was one, and her own emotional state, being somewhat fraught, was the other. Moreover, while Sullivan administered the antidote, Paige needed to keep a vigilant eye on the various data displayed on the machines, ready to intervene if anything seemed amiss.Sullivan loaded the syringe with the antidote and, casting a glance at Paige, signaled, "I'm ready." Paige responded with a nod, "Let's get started. I miss her so much; it'll be beneficial for her to wake up even a minute sooner."As long as she could wake up, as long as Paige could cradle her in her arms and call out her name, expressing how much she missed her, that was all that matteredPaige watched with bated breath as Sullivan inserted the syringe into Mrs. Sackler's vein, slowly infusing the antidote into her bloodstream…
