Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
Quiet sobs could be heard through Yelena’s voice. She obviously just cried. “I know it’s a bad look, but I just can’t help it.” Yelena was a little embarrassed. “How is he doing?”
Elspeth sighed. “No idea, but judging from the news, he’s been infected for a while now.”
“I heard there’s no cure for this just yet. Will he…” Yelena couldn’t bear to imagine the outcome. She was shocked when she found out about the news. Someone like Hank got infected? How? She couldn’t believe a clean freak and an introvert like Hank could be infected.
Yet when she called Elspeth and got the confirmation, she realized Hank must be in trouble. Still, she had no right to be concerned about him. He had even blocked her number. The situation just felt really odd. She should hate Hank’s guts or even feel happy he was infected, but for some reason, she was worried. It felt like she would lose him soon.
Elspeth couldn’t believe her friend was worried. At that, she sighed. “You’re still worried about him after what he did to you?”
“I know I must look stupid, but I am worried. I’ve been feeling uneasy since I found out about the news this afternoon.” Yelena pleaded, “You have to help me out. I know you can find out more about his situation.”
Elspeth didn’t want to do this. If the news was fake, then her effort would be for nothing, but if it was real, then Yelena would totally lose sleep over it. “Do you really want to know?”
“Yes.” Yelena gritted her teeth. “I have to know how he’s doing.”
Elspeth mocked, “But he has a girlfriend. If she’s not even worried, why should you be?”
Yelena said nothing. A long silence later, she said, “I see. Thank you, Elsie.” Subsequently, she hung up.
Elspeth couldn’t see her friend being so glum, so she accepted the request. The plan was to go out, but since everyone was forced to stay at home, she couldn’t do that. Hence, she called the Damazio Residence. I’ll try something else if I can’t get through.
“Who is this?” a young lady asked.
Elspeth cut to the chase, “How’s Hank doing?”
“And why do you ask?” The girl got on guard, seeing that another girl was worried about Hank.
“None of your business. I’m not his friend. I just want to know his situation.”
The girl harrumphed. “If you’re not even his friend, then why do you care about him?”
“Just answer the question.” Elspeth was getting annoyed by the mocking tone. “If you’re not answering, then give the phone to someone who will.”
Elspeth’s behavior annoyed that woman. “Hey, watch your tongue. He’s my boyfriend. Of course, I need to be careful.”
“You’re his girlfriend?” Camilla? Elspeth frowned. “Camilla Summers?”
“Yes. You know me too?” She continued arrogantly, “Now that you know me, you should know that what happens to him is none of your business.”
“I don’t really care about your boyfriend, Summers.” How the hell did this woman become his true love? How did she even manage to live on in his mind for years? She’s not even worth his time.
“I don’t care. You’re being awfully suspicious. Tell me your name.”
“Elspeth.”
Immediately, the hair on Camilla’s neck bristled. “You’re Elspeth? The woman who asked my boyfriend out? If it weren’t for you, his condition wouldn’t have gotten so serious! You’d better not see him again, or I’ll kill you!” She then hung up.
The call didn’t give her any concrete clues, but it was obvious Hank was badly infected. But why did she say it was my fault? She was then reminded of the time she met up with Hank and pushed him into the fountain. Was it because of that?
Elspeth was deep in thought when Callum drew near. He just came out of the study, and he overheard the conversation. After he heard the conversation, his face fell. “You met up with him?”
Elspeth wondered what he was talking about, but she nodded.
“You might be infected too, you know.”
Elspeth just realized that she might have been infected as well, seeing that she met and chatted with him, and she looked solemn.
Noticing her response, Callum asked, “Feeling unwell? Or feverish?”
Elspeth shook her head. “I’m fine.” I should have noticed it if there were symptoms. Hank’s been infected for three days, but I feel fine.
“I heard there’s an incubation period for this.”
She gave him a smile of reassurance. “Don’t worry. It might not happen.”
“But if you do get infected, you might suffer a lot, seeing that there’s no cure for this.” Pain is one thing. If this thing can’t be cured, then she might… Callum didn’t finish that thought as it would make him worry even more.
Elspeth was a little nervous as well, but she had no choice. She must forge ahead. “I have an idea. It’s about the company.”
Callum couldn’t believe she was talking about work, and he sighed. “You might be infected. This isn’t something you should worry about.”
Elspeth shook her head. “No. I want to research the cure for this disease.”
Callum didn’t expect that, but he denied that suggestion given the circumstances and her health. “No. Researching this means you’ll have to be on-site, and I will worry.” If Elspeth did get infected, this research would hurt her even more. If she wasn’t infected, this research might kill her.
Elspeth held his hand. “Don’t worry about me. I’m not a kid anymore. I can take care of myself. Besides, if you stay with me, you’ll be infected if I’m infected too. If I become the source of so many infections, I have a duty to settle matters.”
She only saw this plan as a little ambitious dream at first, but now she must forge ahead. Hank was dying, which probably meant he would die if he didn’t get cured. Yelena would cry her heart out, and not to mention Callum might be infected because of her too. And Harper was coughing at a suspiciously dangerous rate.
A moment of silence later, Callum said, “I have one request. I want to go with you.”
“But this isn’t your forte. You don’t even know the first thing about medicine.”
“I can live with doing nothing, but I must stay with you.” Callum couldn’t let her go alone. “If you refuse, then I won’t let you go.”
Elspeth knew he just wanted to stay with her, and she couldn’t say no to those eyes. “Fine, but keep yourself safe no matter what.”
Callum pulled her into his embrace, smiling. “I won’t drag you down.”
Elspeth took Callum to get tested, and the results came out negative, much to their relief. At least they were safe at the moment. Elspeth set up a lab and started gathering some experts in medicine to research the cure. This was a big mission, but fortunately, everything else was under lockdown, so Elspeth had enough funds to inject into this sector.
She even called Sonny back. When Sonny came into the lab lugging his stuff, he looked a little purple. “I was in a good game of chess, girl. Why did you call me back?” The old man tossed his suitcase down and sighed. “Can’t you let me live my last years in peace?”
Elspeth was wearing a lab coat, and her hair was tied up neatly. She approached Sonny with a lab coat and handed it to him. “Just in time. I have a question about a particular herb. Tell me what I should do.”
Annoyed that his plan to gain sympathy failed, Sonny glared at Elspeth and got changed in the fitting room. When he came back out, he saw Elspeth staring at a test tube. “Honestly, can we cure this with alternative medicine?”
Sonny scoffed. “Hah. Alternative medicine can cure anything. Including stuff that modern medicine can’t. Did you forget what I told you?”
She didn’t. When Sonny first knew her, he kept trying to make her his student, but Elspeth was not interested in alternative medicine, so she kept hiding from him. One day, she fell unconscious because of her heart disease. No one in the hospital could save her, but Sonny showed up and cured her symptoms. When she woke up, the first thing she saw was Sonny smiling smugly at her.
“So, wanna learn some alternative medicine?”
For some reason, Elspeth actually said yes. She would never forget what he told her. “Alternative medicine is the greatest healing art in the world. It can heal anything.”
“It’s been three days, and I still found nothing?” Elspeth swirled the test tube around. It was filled with herbal concoction.
Sonny clicked his tongue. “Everything starts off hard. Don’t be in a hurry. Besides, I’ve looked into this virus. It spreads through the air and attacks the lungs. The lungs then start to rot, and there’s no way to save that.”
Elspeth’s face fell. “Yeah. They claim to have come up with vaccines, but that won’t stop the virus from spreading. All it does is increase a bit of immunity.”
Sonny spat. “Vaccines are hogwash. Only fools believe that.”
“And that’s why I called you. I know you look down on modern medicine, and I know you have better ways to solve this.” Elspeth smiled smugly. “You won’t let your countrymen die from this, will you?”
Sh*t, she got me. “So, that was all a trap? To lure me into this scheme of yours?”
“I’m not trying to provoke you.I’m doing all this to get you to join my plan,” Elspeth said.
Sonny silently stared at her upon hearing that.
“Have there been any signs of this abroad?” she asked.
In response, he rolled his eyes while putting on his gloves.
“No way.For now, we are the only ones infected with it.”
“Where do you think this disease could’ve come from?”
He shrugged and replied, “I don’t know.I just know I didn’t do it.”