Chapter 17

When I exited the bathroom, I noticed many people walking toward the end of the corridor. This must be the place Susan mentioned, where people could buy to-go meals.

I subconsciously paused in my tracks, recalling Walter complaining about the food in the hospital that morning. Sighing in exasperation, I turned around and walked toward the hospital's entrance.

When I returned to the ward, I could sense Blake's passionate gaze on me. I knew that Blake's gaze only lingered for a moment on the lunch box in my hand before following me closely.

"Come on, Blake. Let's get you up for some food." I spoke in a distant tone. No matter what Blake was thinking, I only wanted to tell him our relationship had no chance of improving.

Of course Blake understood it right away. The sullen look in his eyes was as clear as day. Looking away, he closed his eyes and painstakingly spoke in a hoarse voice, "Alright."

As usual, it was quite a hassle to get Blake to sit up. I tried my best not to sway Blake too much, but he kept retching like always.

After all the fuss, when Blake looked up, I was surprised to see tears in his eyes.

I instantly panicked when I noticed it. This was all because of me. But when I thought about it, I didn't do anything wrong. I was doing my best to be a good teacher, so how could that be a crime?

Blake keenly sensed my low mood. "Nate, I'm hungry!"

"You are? I'll feed you something, then." I quickly recovered from my mixed emotions. Turning around, I opened the lunch box on the table.

As usual, the meal didn't progress smoothly. Blake threw up more than he had eaten, so of course, there was no point in feeding him further.

I observed Blake, who had his eyes closed as he rested. It had just been a night, but Blake's lively face was now filled with fatigue. There was also stubble on his chin. I even felt like Blake had lost a lot of weight.

I wasn't the type to cry easily, but when I saw Blake's appearance, I was instantly overwhelmed by the guilt in my heart. An unknown bitter feeling welled up in my chest, and like a flood, my raging emotions burst through the walls.

Without anyone noticing, I sobbed for a long time in a cubicle in the bathroom. When my numb legs finally gave way, I endured the pain as I staggered back on my feet.

After getting myself together, I headed toward the office of Blake's attending physician. I wanted to talk to Blake's doctor. Blake couldn't just keep throwing up and refusing food.

As I rounded a bend, I suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure. The person was in a hospital gown, and his head was wrapped in thick layers of bandages. Even the wound on the back of his head was a familiar sight.

But when I thought about it, I felt it wasn't possible. Blake had enough trouble sitting up, so he couldn't possibly be roaming around here. Even if he did, he would probably throw up with every step he took.

At that thought, the bizarre scene popped into my mind. I knew this was quite rude to Blake, but the scene was so funny that I had to suppress my laughter while walking.

I wasn't sure if I was seeing things, but when I returned to the ward, I noticed that Blake looked even weaker now. His face was pale, and his lips were also drained of color.

"Blake? What happened? How are you feeling?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired."

Blake tried his best to hold back his urge to throw up. Fortunately, the blanket hid his violently heaving chest.

Blake really was suffering. For the most part, he just lay sleepily in bed. Coupled with the slightly boring contents from Walter's radio, the peaceful atmosphere helped relax my tense nerves. After Blake had his IV drip in the afternoon, I began to doze off as well.

The sound of Blake scratching himself woke me up. Blake was trying his best to control his movements, but I heard the noises loud and clear since I had dozed off beside him. The noises were too loud, even.

Rubbing my bleary eyes, I looked at the man before me, who seemed frozen in time. Then, I asked, "What's the matter?"

"It's nothing. I just… feel a little itchy… You can go back to sleep."

"Come on, you've been scratching for quite a while now. You're probably not used to the hospital gown. You should get your caretaker to wipe your body," Susan suggested kindly.

"He'll catch a cold in this weather!" I couldn't understand it at all. Blake was just fine before this, so why was he suddenly itching so much?

"Ah, young people just don't know how to take care of others these days. Just use hotter water and wring the towel more diligently. Wipe him more often and do it quicker, and he won't catch a cold at all!"

Blake seemed to have noticed my troubled expression as he spoke up for me. "Nate, I'm not staying here for long, so it's okay!"

"How can that be okay? So many people have worn these hospital gowns before, and we don't even know if the gowns are washed properly or not. You should wipe him clean every day, or the itching will be unbearable!"

"Alright. Thank you, ma'am. I'll go buy a new towel right away."

"Yes, and remember to buy a new basin too. Use it exclusively for the wiping, got it?"

"Got it. Thank you so much!"

"Come on, there's no need for thanks. We're in the same ward, so it's only natural for us to look out for each other!"

I felt a little embarrassed to wipe Blake's body, but I was indeed the reason Blake got hurt. Susan was right, too. The hospital gowns were indeed made of coarse fabric. Since I was going to take care of Blake, I decided to do it properly.

With that in mind, I took out my phone and glanced at the time. Turning around, I said to Blake, "I'm going out for some shopping. It's dinnertime, and you haven't eaten anything today. Is there anything you'd like to eat? I'll buy some for you."

"I'm not craving anything in particular. Just buy something you like."

I was a little puzzled to see an avoidant look in Blake's eyes. Was he actually embarrassed?

Blake had always been so shameless, but now, he was embarrassed for once! The reason for Blake's sudden reaction didn't matter, though. If he felt embarrassed, then there was nothing for me to fear. After all, now that my enemy was weakened, I would be the one with the upper hand.

I instantly felt much more confident.

"I'll get some oatmeal porridge for you, then. The doctor said that you should eat easily digestible food these days."

"Sure. I'll leave it to you."

I seemed to be elated at Blake's expression. He must have been embarrassed because there were a lot of strangers in the ward. This was a wonderful surprise!

If that was the case, I decided to grab the opportunity to shame Blake. He was the one who always teased him, but today, I would strip him in public!

I even felt a little excited at the thought of Blake blushing when I wiped his body later. The mere thought of the scene lifted my spirits.