Chapter 271
Could the spiritual spring water have lost its effectiveness?
Thomas frowned.
"Derek hasn’t left the apartment this entire time. Logically, he shouldn’t have gotten sick in the first place."
"Exactly..." Suzy murmured.
Derek had always been healthy.
More importantly, she regularly used spiritual spring water to strengthen his body. With his physical condition, catching an ordinary illness should have been extremely unlikely.
And she had already given him spiritual spring water as a precaution.
No matter how she looked at it, none of this made sense.
The hours dragged by.
Suzy remained by Derek’s bedside the entire night.
The fever never broke.
By the time dawn began painting the horizon with pale silver light, she was still sitting in the same chair.
Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot.
Dark shadows hung beneath them, stark against her already pale complexion, making her look almost translucent.
She had replaced countless cooling patches.
Derek’s skin remained scorching hot.
The medicine hadn’t worked.
The spiritual spring water hadn’t worked.
For the first time in a very long time, Suzy had absolutely no idea what to do.
The helplessness felt like an invisible hand wrapped around her throat, squeezing tighter and tighter until she could barely breathe.
A narrow beam of sunlight finally slipped through a gap in the curtains and landed across Derek’s face.
The light should have looked warm.
Instead, it only emphasized how lifeless he appeared.
Staring at that fragile strip of sunlight, Suzy suddenly felt a sting behind her eyes.
She blinked hard, forcing the moisture back.
The system was still unreachable.
For the entire night, she had called for it again and again inside her mind.
No response ever came.
The dormant system remained completely silent.
It was the first time she had felt this powerless.
A soft click sounded.
The bedroom door opened.
Leonard immediately spotted her.
His hand froze on the doorknob.
Thomas stopped behind him.
Neither man spoke. They simply stood there, staring.
Suzy sat hunched beside Derek’s bed.
Her long hair spilled over her shoulders in disarray, several loose strands framing a face that suddenly seemed far too small.
One hand rested on Derek’s wrist.
Her thumb unconsciously stroked his cold skin, as though reassuring herself that he was still alive.
When she heard them enter, she slowly turned her head.
The movement looked exhausting, as though even lifting it required effort.
Morning sunlight illuminated her face.
Only then did they notice the bloodshot veins threading through her eyes.
Leonard’s chest tightened painfully.
Thomas pressed his lips together.
His hands clenched at his sides until his knuckles turned white.
Crossing the room in several quick strides, he crouched before her.
Gently, he brushed the loose hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear.
His fingertips touched her icy cheek.
The concern in his eyes nearly overflowed.
"You didn’t sleep all night."
It wasn’t a question.
Suzy’s eyelashes trembled. She lowered her gaze and said nothing.
Leonard walked over and rested a hand on her shoulder.
"Suzy, you need to rest."
"I’m... not tired."
Her voice was so hoarse it barely sounded like her own.
"Your eyes are blood-red and you’re telling me you’re not tired?"
Leonard’s tone carried equal parts frustration and heartbreak.
"Look at yourself. You’re as pale as paper. If you collapse too, what are Thomas and I supposed to do? And when Derek wakes up, how do you think he’ll feel seeing you like this?"
Suzy bit her lower lip.
She knew they were right. She knew she needed rest. But she couldn’t stop worrying about Derek.
"Go get some sleep."
For once, Leonard’s voice turned stern.
"We’ll take care of him. If he wakes up, I’ll come get you immediately."
Suzy hesitated.
"Listen to me, Suzy."
Leonard rarely used her full name in such a serious tone.
This time, there was no room for argument.
Thomas spoke next.
"Do you not trust us?"
"No. Of course that’s not it."
She immediately shook her head.
How could she not trust them? That had never been the issue.
"If that’s true," Thomas said quietly, "then trust us now."
Both of them were looking at her with unwavering determination.
At this point, she couldn’t refuse.
"...Alright."
Her voice softened.
"I’ll go rest."
Thomas exchanged a glance with Leonard before helping Suzy to her feet.
As they left Derek’s room, she looked completely distracted.
"Do you want to eat something before you sleep?" Thomas asked.
She shook her head.
"I don’t really have an appetite."
Thomas studied her for a moment but didn’t push.
Instead, he led her into his room.
"You can sleep here."
"Okay."
He straightened the bedding and adjusted the blankets.
When everything was ready, he looked back at her.
"There. Go to sleep." His voice softened. "I’ll stay right here."
Suzy nodded.
Then she lay down on Thomas’s bed.
The mattress was soft.
The blanket and pillow carried the faint, clean scent that belonged uniquely to him.
Wrapped inside that familiar fragrance, her tense body finally began to relax.
A yawn escaped her mouth. For the first time, exhaustion caught up with her.
She had stayed awake all night.
She had spent every second on edge.
The only thing sustaining her had been her concern for Derek.
Now, surrounded by warmth and softness, she could no longer fight it.
Sleep claimed her within minutes.
She dreamed endlessly.
In one dream, Derek stood far away, smiling at her.
She ran toward him.
She kept running.
No matter how hard she tried, she could never reach him.
She called his name.
He didn’t hear her.
Turning away, he walked farther and farther into the distance.
She tried to follow.
Her legs felt weighted with lead.
Not a single step would move.
Then the dream changed.
She found herself inside her personal space.
The spiritual spring had dried up.
The little spirit was gone.
The white cat was gone.
The entire place stood empty and silent.
Only the wind remained.
Suzy jolted awake.
The room was quiet.
For several seconds she simply stared at the ceiling.
Then she noticed warmth surrounding her fingers.
Turning her head, she found Thomas seated beside the bed.
His hand was wrapped tightly around hers.
As gently as possible, she slipped her fingers free.
The movement woke him immediately. He lifted his head and looked at her.
"You’re awake."
His voice was rough with fatigue.
Suzy nodded.
"Yeah."
Thomas glanced at the clock.
"You barely slept."
"I had a nightmare." She pressed her lips together. "I couldn’t fall back asleep."
The question that had been tormenting her surfaced immediately.
"How is Derek?"
Thomas’s expression darkened.
"He still hasn’t woken up."
Suzy widened her eyes. Her thoughts tangled into a mess.
After all this time, Derek was still unconscious. What were they supposed to do?
Then, suddenly, a face flashed through her mind.
Liam.
Her eyes widened.
Wait.
The people downstairs.
Liam had mentioned that one of those four men practiced traditional medicine.
Maybe... Maybe he knew something.
Maybe he could help.
The realization struck her like lightning.
She sat upright so abruptly that Thomas nearly jumped.
Startled, he immediately reached toward her.
"What happened?"
"I need to find someone."
Her voice rang with sudden determination.