Chapter 288 If You Want to Cry, Just Cry
Upon hearing James' words, Jennifer bit her lip instantly, her expression complex. While she was in a daze, James had already walked into the bathroom, stood in front of the mirror, and saw his own reflection clearly.
"Indeed, pretty ugly."
Three-quarters of his face was disfigured by a extensive, continuous scar, which was appalling to behold.
One could say that except for James' eyes, there wasn't a single good piece of flesh on his face, making it impossible to recognize his original appearance.
No wonder their initial reaction was so intense.
Apart from his eyes, there wasn't a single patch of unblemished skin on his face. It was no wonder everyone had reacted so strongly.
His appearance was intimidating to children, and at night, he could be mistaken for a monster.
The little nurse wasn't wrong. His level of burns had destroyed the epidermal tissue, meaning the flesh was cooked. How could it possibly return to its original state? Even if the necrotic skin and flesh were removed, the new flesh that grew would have the same scars—hideous, terrifying, and ugly.
Fortunately, he wasn't an ordinary person but a genius who had practiced a unique family technique since childhood. His reservoir of inner energy was copious, surpassing the boundaries of ordinary human capabilities. It granted him the ability to gradually restore himself at a fundamental level, harnessing the power of his inner energy for this purpose.
Given time, he could still restore his original appearance without a trace of blemish.
He looked at himself in the mirror, his gaze gradually turning cold. "Perry family, I had no desire for revenge, but you've brought this upon yourselves. Don't blame me for what's to come."
The aura he emitted made everyone in the hospital room instantly feel a kind of fear and suffocation they had never experienced before.
Fortunately, this feeling only lasted for a second. To them, it was just a moment, making them think they had hallucinated and couldn't understand why they felt that way.
"What's wrong? Why is everyone looking at me like that?"James asked, stepping out of the bathroom. He smiled, but the gesture seemed strained.
James came out of the bathroom, looked at everyone in the hospital room, and said with a smile.
"Mr. Smith, if you need to cry, just let it out. You don't have to hold it in. Let it out; we all felt sorry for you!" Edwin said sympathetically.
Michael also said, "Yes, Mr. Smith, there's no shame in grief."
James smiled bitterly. "What's there to cry about? It's not a big deal; it'll get better eventually."
But no one took his words seriously. Instead, they became even more worried. Jennifer held his hand, her face full of heartache, and said, "I know you must be feeling terrible inside. Just let it out. No matter what, I'll stand by your side. What I said before is true."
James felt a wave of helplessness wash over him. Why was everyone so convinced that he was on the verge of a breakdown? He was fine. He had endured the worst of it. He was healing. Apart from the occasional itch as new skin grew, he felt no pain. And soon, he would shed this damaged skin, this temporary disfigurement, and return to his former self. What was there to grieve?
"I'm serious! I'm fine!" James said.
But no one believed him. Even Ignatius and the assistant doctor thought he was enduring it. To allay their concerns, he said, "Alright, actually, I'm really not feeling bad at all because these scars on my body will all fall off in a few months, and I'll return to my original appearance. So there's really nothing to feel bad about."
However, upon hearing this, everyone's expressions became even stranger, thinking he had a mental problem and became even more worried.
Edwin and the two old doctors exchanged worried glances. Mr. Smith's face wasn't just burned; it seemed his mental state was also problematic!
Michael and Atticus had the same thought.
Especially Dennis and Kaitlyn, who were beyond just worried; they were panicking. They thought more than anyone else. After all, James was their son-in-law. If James was disfigured and had mental issues, their daughter would suffer for a lifetime!
They exchanged glances, seeing the worried hints in each other's eyes.
Jennifer, hearing his words, lowered her head, her eyes turning red with heartache and distress.
Harmony had the same reaction.
James sighed and didn't bother explaining further. Time would prove everything. Once his skin returned to normal, everything would be fine.
After removing the bandages, the assistant doctor applied some topical medication to James' scars and rewrapped them with new bandages.
Similarly, the other wounds on his body were also rebandaged and medicated.
Edwin, a highly skilled old doctor with experience in treating burns, specially prepared some oral and topical medications for James to speed up his recovery and enhance his immunity.
Given James' current condition, the scars were a minor issue. The main concern was that many functions of his body needed to recover slowly.
Subsequently, as it became evident that James had achieved mental stability and ceased to utter any alarming statements, the individuals present accordingly relaxed to a certain extent and progressively dispersed.
Tonight, Jennifer stayed to take care of him, and Dennis and Kaitlyn were also there. They called Jennifer to the hallway after James fell asleep.
"Dad, Mom, what's so secretive that you can't say it in the room and have to come out here?" Jennifer asked curiously.
Kaitlyn looked around and, seeing no one else, said, "What are you going to do about James' current situation?"
"What else can I do? I have to take good care of him," Jennifer said.
Dennis frowned and said, "What do you mean by taking good care of him? In his state? Can you really take good care of him? Kaitlyn and I specifically asked the doctor. With James' injuries, it's impossible for him to recover to his previous state. Even with the best medicine and surgery, there will be a large scar on his face! And such scars aren't just on his face; they're all over his body. In other words, he's ruined. Do you understand?"
Kaitlyn immediately added. "Yes, and you heard it today. Despite his condition, James said he would recover in a few months. Isn't that nonsense? I think James can't accept the blow and has a mental problem! He might even become a lunatic. There are many such cases in society!"
Jennifer was not naive. She understood the implications of their words, and anger flared within her.
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