I still had a lot of faith in Andrew.
Back in university, he and Julian were rivals, but they were also the closest of friends. Both were brilliant in the medical field. Andrew wasn’t just skilled with surgery; he also had a talent for researching pharmaceuticals. Thinking about Julian and his love life, I couldn’t help but feel that Alisa had slowed down his research progress. However, someone like Andrew, who was a workaholic, probably felt lonely despite his success. He practically lived at the hospital and was always working. He’d spend hours doing research, and sometimes, when there was no one around to listen to him, he’d come by my ward just to talk.
At this point, after being sick for so long, I had enough knowledge to give him some feedback. But mostly, he treated me like a guinea pig, asking me about every new medication I was trying, wanting to know how it felt. Since all my health indicators were good, I was eager for surgery to finally happen. Andrew had already set everything up, but I couldn’t get a wink of sleep the night before the operation.
The door to my ward creaked open quietly, and I thought it was just Anna Buller, the caretaker, coming in. I felt embarrassed and started to sit up.
“Sorry, Anna. Did I wake you?” I started to say. “I didn’t mean to—”
Then, I saw who it was. My breath caught in my throat.
It was Jack.
He had lost so much weight since I last saw him three months ago, and his features were sharper now. His eyes had a cold edge to them, though there was something in them I couldn’t quite place.
My mind went blank, and for a moment, I couldn’t say a word. He stood there in the doorway, opening his mouth as if to speak, but he didn’t.
We stared at each other for what felt like forever before I finally managed to force a smile.
“Jack… It’s been a long time.”
It seemed like he snapped out of whatever trance he was in. He nodded at me and carefully stepped closer to my bed.
He took my hand, his grip tentative as though he couldn’t quite believe I was real.
“You’re still alive?” He was in disbelief.
I squeezed his hand gently. “I’m here, in the flesh. Still kicking, not dead.”
Before I could say another word, he hugged me tightly, holding me like I might disappear. I felt something warm soak into my neck, and my eyes started to well up with tears. “Jack, easy… I’m fragile right now. If you don’t let go, I might pass out,” I joked through my tears.
I patted his shoulder, and he finally loosened his hold on me.
“Are you okay?” There was no accusation in his voice, no anger just concern. He didn’t ask questions about why I hadn’t told him I was alive.
His simple words made my tears start to flow freely. All I could do was nod.
Seeing me quiet, Jack began telling me everything that had happened over the past few months. He found out I’d been giving money to Crystal, who had been making secretive phone calls.
Everyone else was crying sorrowfully, but Crystal was in a mix of laughter and tears at the funeral.
I sighed. Crystal might have been one of my more emotionally stable friends, but her acting skills were still nowhere near professional.
“And Julian… He’s been acting weird.”
“Julian? No way.”
I could understand why Crystal’s acting wasn’t great. But with Julian and his perpetually icy expression, what was there worth suspecting?
Besides, Julian planned all of this himself. Could there really be any flaws?
I looked at Jack, suspicion creeping into my thoughts.
Jack gave a helpless smile. “He was so sad. It kind of showed in his performance.”
I remembered the live stream during the funeral, how Julian had held Alisa and cried. The fake sobs, the forced tears… It did seem off.
Jack smiled again, though. “But hey, it’s alright. You’re alive. That’s what matters. I’m just glad you’re here.”
He reached out and pinched my cheek. “You’ve gained some weight, huh? You must be having a good time here.”
I felt a little embarrassed and lay back down. “I’m tired… I have surgery tomorrow.”
I tried to pull my hand away, but he held on tight.
“I know. I’ll stay with you tomorrow,” he assured me.