Chapter 43 Continuing To Care
Rachel hadn’t been unconscious the entire time.
The ordeal was relentless–at times, the drug’s effects surged with brutal intensity; other times, they faded into ceric stillness. And through it all, Zane endured it with her, sharing in her suffering.
They had to add ice to the bath three times over the course of five grueling hours. Zane never left her side.
When the drug finally wore off, it should’ve been over. But after spending so long submerged in ice–cold water, Rachel’s body began to burn with a high, dangerous fever.
Shawn had already seen this coming. He’d even prepared medicine in advance. Once the maid had changed Rachel into clean clothes and settled her in bed, Shawn began treating her.
By the time everything was over, night had fallen. In the past seven years, Myra Heights had never been as lively as it was today.
Zane had been so absorbed in taking care of Rachel that he hadn’t even noticed Janice’s calls, let alone answered them.
News of Rachel’s presence at Myra Heights had been tightly kept under wraps–there was no way for Janice to find out.
It wasn’t until much later that Zane finally stepped out of the bedroom and took a call in the study.
“Zane, why haven’t you replied to any of my messages or picked up my calls all day?” Janice’s voice was sharp with frustration. “Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?”
Zane rubbed his brow, his tone noticeably softer. “I’m not in Guardia right now. There’s a complicated situation I need to deal with.”
Janice’s anxious tone shifted in an instant.
“You left the city? Why didn’t you tell me? Have you sorted it out yet?”
“Not yet,” Zane said slowly. “I’ll come back once everything’s handled.”
“Alright, I’ll wait for you. Please take care of yourself and don’t make me worry.”
After hanging up, Zane set his phone aside and returned to the bedroom.
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Chapter 13 Continuing To Care
Shawn had already hooked Rachel up to an IV and checked her temperature. Forty degrees Celsius,” he said grimly. “The fever’s going to keep coming and going through the night Someone needs to stay with her and monitor her closely.”
He glanced at Zane’s dark, stormy eyes and shrugged helplessly. “There’s nothing more I can do. She was in that cold water way too long. You’ve been looking after her all day–what’s one more night?
“When she wakes up tomorrow and finds out you stayed by her side all night, she’ll be so moved she might even finish that research project for you ahead of schedule. That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
Zane gritted his teeth. “Do I really need to bribe her?”
Shawn nodded. “Of course. Have you forgotten how important this project is to you? Why else would insist on collaborating with her, even after learning Selena was Rachel?”
you
Zane was tempted to curse out loud.
Shawn clapped a hand on his shoulder and said, “A real man knows when to bend. And beyond the research–come on, after everything you’ve seen, don’t you think you owe your ex–wife a little help? Especially with the way her family’s treated her?
“Everything you need is here; I’ve labeled it all. I’ll head back now. If anything comes up you can’t handle, just give me a call. Goodnight.”
He yawned, waved, and left.
Zane stood by the bed, looking at Rachel’s flushed, unconscious face. His feelings were a tangled mess.
He called to Colin at the door, “Bring me the files and my laptop.”
Just as Shawn predicted, Rachel’s fever kept coming in waves.
Zane checked her temperature every 30 minutes, making sure her medication was given right on time. He moved with the precision of a tireless caretaker.
By the end of it, he couldn’t help but mentally curse Shawn. What had possessed him to take his advice in the first place?
Then, half–conscious, Rachel suddenly grabbed Zane’s hand and murmured feverishly, “Doctor, please, save my child. Please, save my child.”
Her tears had soaked the pillow, her voice desperate and pleading. She clung tightly to Zane’s
hand.
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Chapter 43 Continuing To Care
And when Zane heard those words, he froze completely.
