Loving You Too Long

A few moments earlier, Nathan stared at the old building in front of him. Was this where Haisley lived? Was this place better than Nathan’s own home? He snorted and entered the building. The elevator was moving slowly, and Nathan felt impatient. Eventually, he chose to run up the stairs to the floor where Haisley’s room was located.

He paced back and forth for a moment, torn between barging in forcefully or politely knocking on her door. Eventually, in his remaining patience, Nathan’s hand lifted, and he knocked on the door roughly.

Haisley opened the door. Her face was flushed, and her hair was disheveled. Nathan’s mind instantly turned negative. He ignored her surprised question, walked in, and immediately saw the messy bed.

His suspicion was correct. His brother had engaged in inappropriate behavior with Haisley, the girl they were supposed to protect. Instantly, anger surged within him. Rage clouded his mind. Nathan forcefully opened the bathroom door, causing it to slam loudly against the wall.

“Who are you looking for?” Nathan redirected his attention to Haisley. He walked back towards her with quick steps and grabbed her upper arm roughly. “What were you two doing last night?” he demanded harshly.

The girl seemed unfocused. “What do you mean?” she countered. Nathan felt something odd about Haisley, but he chose to ignore it.

“You and Gilbert! What were you doing last night? Were you having a wild affair?” He didn’t want to ask, but he couldn’t control his mouth. Haisley still didn’t answer, and Nathan saw no sign of Gilbert anywhere. Had he been wrong in his assumptions?

“Answer me!” he ordered roughly, shaking Haisley’s body once more.

The girl seemed to struggle to breathe. “Nathan… I…” Then suddenly, her body slumped to the floor, pulling Nathan down with her. His knees hit the floor instantly, causing a pain that made him grit his teeth.

The girl’s head hung limply on Nathan’s chest.

“Haisley, Haisley,” Nathan patted Haisley’s cheek, lifting it so he could see her face clearly. “Haisley?” he called her name again. But only faint moans escaped Haisley’s lips. “Haisley, what’s wrong?” he asked again, hoping for a response from her.

The girl’s eyes opened slowly. Her lips parted as if to say something. Again, she moaned softly. Her face clearly showed pain. Her breaths became shallow.

“Haisley?” he called her name once more. But she was completely limp in his arms. “Oh God. Haisley, wake up!”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Nathan had no other choice. He carried her with both of his hands. With every step, he could feel Haisley’s body swaying above his arms. Now Nathan could feel the heat radiating from her body. The elevator opened, a stroke of luck. He quickly entered and struggled to press the first floor.

Within seconds, he managed to get out of the building. He ran as fast as he could with the burden in his arms toward his car. He pushed the seat back until Haisley could lie in the front seat. Nathan then circled around to the driver’s seat. He fastened Haisley’s seatbelt before securing his own.

Cold sweat now covered Haisley’s face. Her once-red face now turned pale instantly. Nathan reached for her hand, and her hand felt extremely cold. He pressed on the gas pedal harder. In less than ten minutes, he arrived at a hospital. Nathan pulled Haisley out of the car and quickly carried her to the Emergency Room. A nurse welcomed them and directed him to an empty bed.

“Where’s the doctor?” Nathan asked, panicking. A woman in her forties approached.

The nurse who had greeted him earlier was now fitting an oxygen tube under Haisley’s nose. She then took her blood pressure and inserted an IV line.

The female doctor examined Haisley carefully while asking Nathan a few questions. Nathan could only answer what he knew.

“How is she, Doc?” he asked after the doctor finished examining her.

“From her symptoms, I can conclude that the patient is experiencing Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Or in layman’s terms, irritation in the large intestine,” the doctor replied. “This could be caused by several factors, especially dietary mistakes, excessive stress, and fatigue. Perhaps one of these reasons caused the patient to experience this.”

“But she’ll be alright, won’t she, Doc?”

“At the moment, I’m prescribing pain relievers for the patient. Once she wakes up, we can conduct further observation to provide better treatment. Let me know when the patient wakes up.” The doctor and nurse then left Haisley and Nathan alone.

Nathan draped the bed with curtains and sat beside it, observing Haisley, who now looked much better than before. The furrow on her forehead had disappeared, and her breathing was more regular.

“Sorry,” he whispered softly. His hand gently reached for Haisley’s left hand. Nathan felt deeply guilty. He had hurt her too much. But could he muster the courage to apologize directly to her?

Nathan couldn’t ignore the fact that he had known Haisley liked him all this time, even when she was much younger. But instead of being grateful for her affection, Nathan turned against her. Haisley’s love for him had prevented Nathan from being with the girl he truly loved, her sister, Crystal.

Two hours later, Haisley opened her eyes. For a moment, she lost track of time. Then she glanced to the side and saw Nathan there.

“Thirsty?” he offered. Haisley nodded weakly. Nathan grabbed a bottle and lifted Haisley’s body slightly so she could drink from the straw without choking.

“What time is it?” she asked after her throat felt comfortable.

“Two o’clock.”

Haisley remembered the time when Nathan had arrived at her unit. “I’m sorry for troubling you,” she said regretfully. Nathan furrowed his brow upon hearing this. “Gilbert?” Haisley inquired again.

“Why? Are you already missing him?” Nathan asked sharply. Haisley was startled. “You spent the whole night together, and now you’re missing him?”

Haisley looked at him, confused. She didn’t understand where Nathan’s conversation was heading, but she let it be.

“Can I go home now?” she asked again. Nathan still regarded her with an angry glare. It made Haisley uncomfortable.

“The doctor said you can go home if you’re feeling better,” he said, still with a harsh tone.

Haisley tried to smile. “I’m feeling better,” she replied softly.