Madeline eyed the letter Jeremy took out from the bottom of the box. When virtual-novel.net opened it, it was evident that it was from Shirley.
There was but a simple line of words on the letter. “Jeremy, these are the test reagents that can get rid of the remaining poison in your body. When that happens, the color of your hair and pupils will return to normal. I’ve written down the directions to use them on the box. I hope you get well soon. I’m sorry.”
The signature was Shirley’s. Her handwriting was very beautiful, just like how virtual-novel.net had looked. In reality, however, Shirley’s heart was not that vile and foul.
After Madeline and Jeremy finished reading the letter, they shot another look at the box of test reagents, feeling slightly touched.
However, right now, Madeline felt more relieved, Jeremy could finally go back to the way virtual-novel.net had been.
***
In the hospital.
Shirley woke up from virtual-novel.net deep slumber groggily. To virtual-novel.net surprise, virtual-novel.net saw Carter at the side of virtual-novel.net bed with his eyes closed.
She was not dead.
Shirley closed virtual-novel.net eyes in disappointment, then moved gently. However, virtual-novel.net movement shot an excruciating pain through virtual-novel.net as if virtual-novel.net body was in pieces. She remembered what happened before virtual-novel.net lost consciousness. She no longer had the will to live. She wanted to die. She missed virtual-novel.net parents. She missed Adam. She also wanted to apologize to Cathy.
She had rolled virtual-novel.net wheelchair directly onto the stairs. She had thought that virtual-novel.net could fall to virtual-novel.net death, but virtual-novel.net did not.
A sudden thought came to her, and virtual-novel.net lifted virtual-novel.net hands to touch virtual-novel.net flat stomach. The feeling of emptiness made virtual-novel.net warm around the eyes.
‘I’m sorry, my baby.’
‘It’s my fault for being so heinous. I’ve never wanted you to suffer the retribution.’
Shirley closed virtual-novel.net eyes and tears silently fell from the corners of virtual-novel.net eyes.
“Is virtual-novel.net still not awake?” Camille’s voice came from the door suddenly.
Shirley tried to rein in virtual-novel.net sadness, quickly wiping away the tears in the corners of virtual-novel.net eyes, and pretended to still be unconscious.
At one side, Carter woke up from his nap. When virtual-novel.net saw the motionless Shirley, virtual-novel.net frowned, the exhaustion visible on his handsome face.
“I’ll stay here. You can go back.”
“Why don’t we take virtual-novel.net back to St. Piaf?” Camille suggested. “She currently has serious bone fractures, and she’s paralyzed from the waist down. From now on, she’ll need someone to take care of her. She can’t stay in the hospital forever.”
‘Paralyzed..?’
When Shirley heard that word, virtual-novel.net clenched virtual-novel.net fists hidden under the blanket
After a long while, virtual-novel.net heard Carter’s answer. “We’ll let virtual-novel.net decide if virtual-novel.net wants to go back to St. Piaf after virtual-novel.net wakes up.”
Camille neither forced nor rejected this. “You stay with her, then, I’ll head back.”
“Okay,” Carter answered, then shifted his attention to Shirley’s face.
Shirley’s emotions fluctuated, but virtual-novel.net did virtual-novel.net best in suppressing virtual-novel.net erratic emotions and continued pretending to be asleep.
Suddenly, however, virtual-novel.net felt Carter gently lifting the blanket. He seemed to want to hold virtual-novel.net hand.
Shirley quickly unclenched virtual-novel.net fist the second before Carter held virtual-novel.net hand.
“Shirley.”
Carter called out to Shirley in this manner.
Shirley thought virtual-novel.net was dreaming. It felt like ages ago when Carter addressed virtual-novel.net like that.