Molly stood frozen, unable to do anything.
Already in great pain, Brian remained indifferent to Molly.
The air inside the room, which appeared so huge, was suddenly filled with tension so thick that you
could cut a knife through it.
Gripping the steering wheel so tight caused Molly's palms to turn red, and she began to feel the pain as
she held the medical kit. Her heart grieved over what happened. But she refused to let Brian see her
sad, so she lowered her head immediately.
A pause was necessary so she could overcome the weariness in her heart. Wordlessly, she forced
herself to control her feelings so she could help stop the bleeding. Brian's wound started to worry her. It
was her fault that he got hurt so she would endure his indifference and any words or deeds meant to
humiliate her.
"Don't touch me!" Brian's cold voice broke into her thoughts. His left shoulder had turned numb, but he
still felt the blood running through his veins like these were about to push out of his skin. Brian could
already imagine how terrible it would feel once he removed his clothes.
Pressing his lips as he endured another fresh bout of pain, Brian was feeling so many emotions inside
him. He refused Molly's attempts to take care of him because he did not want her to see his wound. He
knew it would be horrible, and he wanted to spare her from the gruesome sight. While he couldn't
understand why he felt this way, Brian resolved to be firm. Pain and confusion were weighing him
down. But it was Molly he was concerned about.
Motionless for several minutes, Molly could hardly move. She blinked then turned to look at Brian. She
clamped her lips to keep herself from crying. When she felt tears threatening to fall, she quickly
lowered her head and kept blinking to hide her sorrow and anxiety.
Casting a sidelong glance at Molly, Brian felt his temples throbbing. With voice devoid of emotion, he
started to speak. "You've already seen what happened today. You will be in danger if you go out. So,
don't cause me any more trouble," he said gruffly.
Her eyes were red when she raised her head to look at Brian. She pressed her lips tightly while staring
at him as if to say,"Let me go and I won't cause you any trouble."
Without looking at her, Brian grimly said,"I promised to help cure your throat so you can speak again.
No one is allowed to hurt you before you can talk."
His words triggered something in Molly that made her laugh all of a sudden. With a slight blink, she felt
like the silliest person in the world just then. She realized how dangerous their current situation was,
but even as she was frightened, a simple whisper comforted her. She trusted Brian with all her heart
and felt safe with him. As indifferent as he behaved, Molly felt his special treatment. Just as quickly,
she realized this was not the case. The man was only keeping his promise!
Taking a deep breath, Molly pressed her lips together to gather strength. Then she raised her head
resolving to hide her pain and sorrow. Admitting that she was not born to be strong was difficult. But
Molly felt it was her destiny to be humiliated by others throughout her life.
The already strange atmosphere seemed to grow colder. A tiny frown hardly detectable by most people
flitted on Brian's face. Somehow, he felt Molly's misery and had the urge to hold her in his arms. For
some inexplicable reason, the feeling annoyed him. Disregarding the thought, he declared coldly,"I
don't need you here anymore. Go and rest."
It was Molly's turn to frown as she stared at the man who had callously dismissed her. She clenched
the hand holding the medical kit and quickly turned to leave. As she rushed up the stairs, the tears fell
blurring her vision.
"Bang!" A muffled thud followed.
The sound of something falling broke the eerie silence.
She missed her footing because of the tears and ended up kneeling on one step. She could feel the
pain in her knees radiating to her legs. She braced herself by hanging on to the rail. Her face was
shining brightly because of the tears, which magnified her grief.
Clenching her fist, Molly was in turmoil. She was in such a mess and didn't know what to do. It was
situations like this that made her feel like her life was a total joke.
When he heard the loud thud as Molly fell, Brian sprang to his feet and took two steps towards the
stairs. But he held back and from where he stood just stared at the girl whose body was shaking with
anguish. It was one thing to shed tears in silence, and another to bawl out in misery. And it frustrated
Molly that she could not make a sound. Brian felt his heart pound and then stop for a second at the sad
thought.
Unaware that she had bitten her lips so hard, Molly tasted blood in her mouth. The rust-like smell of
blood was a bit revolting. She sniffed before wiping away the tears with the back of her hand. Trying to
compose herself, she sensed a teasing stare from behind. The corners of her mouth curved into a
smile, and she laughed through the tears. Molly decided to ignore the pain in her knees, picked up the
kit that clattered a few steps, gritted her teeth then limped up the stairs supporting herself with the
handrail.
As Molly walked to the room, Brian watched her from where he stood. Even when the door closed, he
kept a close watch. He felt his heart pounding heavily and was suddenly at a loss. The man tried to
figure out what was wrong with himself, but couldn't. Why was he worried and annoyed when Molly
was taking care of him? And why did it matter when she tried to hide her grief from him?
"Mr. Brian Long, the doctor has arrived," John announced, interrupting his thoughts.
He averted his gaze to conceal the conflicting emotions he was feeling. After several seconds, his
expression turned cold and indifferent like it usually was before acknowledging the doctor's arrival.
The doctor moved efficiently. He was all business and in greeting, he said,"Mr. Long, where shall we
perform the surgery?"
"In here!" Brian commanded.
He removed his bloodstained coat and white shirt, exposing his strong, tanned body. Blood had begun
to harden around the small hole where the bullet pierced his shoulder. The area was already swollen
and made worse by the blood which was now deep red. It was a ghastly sight.
After inspecting the wound, the doctor frowned deeply. He wondered why Brian did not immediately
deal with his injury and took time to summon him. He began taking out supplies and implements from
his professional medical kit and started working to treat the wound. As he began to cleanse the wound,
he asked,"Do you need anesthesia?"
"No!" was the clipped reply. The patient remained calm and was cooperative.
The doctor grinned secretly and kept quiet. He began to sterilize the scalpel and forceps in preparation
for the surgery.
The bullet clanged loudly as it landed on a surgical tray.
62fb1bb41dcb31934bd49bda