Every second that passed without finding Callie intensified his anxiety.The worry weighed on Elias like a heavy burden, and he couldn’t help but imagine the worst possible scenarios.Thoughts of her injured or trapped preyed on his mind, and he couldn’t shake off the feeling of helplessness.But he refused to give up.Elias knew he had to keep searching, keep calling her name, keep pushing through the brush.He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her, not after everything they had been through together.As he called out her name once more, his voice wavered with exhaustion. ‘Callie... Please, answer me!’His feet felt like lead, and the terrain seemed to grow more treacherous with each step.But he pushed forward, determination overriding the fatigue in his body.He couldn’t stop now; he had to find her.With every passing moment, Elias’s worry escalated.His thoughts became a jumble of memories they had shared, their laughter, their dreams for the future.The fear of losing her thre
Angelia headed upstairs into a lab to process the herb with the help of Craig.She worked swiftly and skilfully, extracting the precious antivenom from the Qilin Spiderbane.She then prepared the antidote and carefully administered it to the patient’s bloodstream.She monitored his vital signs closely, and her heart soared with relief as she saw his condition gradually improving.The patient’s breathing became steadier, and his previously erratic pulse started to stabilize.He would survive, thanks to the lifesaving antivenom.As she tended to the soldier, Wendy hurried into the examination room, her eyes filled with concern. ‘Angelia, you have to come see Callie. She’s in the other ward. She passed out after she came back.’Angelia rose reluctantly.Following Wendy to the other ward, Angelia approached Callie’s sleeping form.She examined her carefully, noting the scrapes and superficial injuries on her hands and legs.‘She’s just exhausted,’ Angelia said. ‘The injuries are mostly mi
Wendy’s body stiffened, and she avoided making direct eye contact with Callie.She busied herself with collecting the empty tray, trying to evade the question. ‘It’s very late, Callie. You should get more rest,’ she said, her voice slightly uneasy.Callie’s suspicions were aroused by Wendy’s evasiveness. ‘Wendy, what’s wrong? Please, tell me the truth,’ she pleaded, her heart beginning to race.Wendy hesitated for a moment, torn between her desire to protect Callie and the need to be honest.‘Well... maybe you should wait until you’re back on your feet,’ Wendy suggested, trying to buy some time.An ominous feeling washed over Callie, and she could no longer contain her anxiety.With a trembling voice, she asked, ‘Did something happen to Elias?’Wendy let out a sigh, knowing that she couldn’t keep the truth hidden any longer. ‘Yes, he’s unconscious. He’s lying in a ward next door,’ she finally admitted.Callie’s heart constricted. ‘What happened to him?’Wendy shook her head, her eyes
‘You’re no innocent bunny,’ Lemuel seethed. ‘You’re a burden whose wilful acts drag others into danger while you remain blissfully unaware!’Callie was taken aback by the sudden onslaught of accusations. ‘I don’t understand,’ she protested, her voice shaking. ‘How am I responsible for what happened?’Lemuel’s rage surged, and he fought the urge to lash out physically at the woman before him.He took several deep breaths, trying to control his emotions.‘Both Elias and Private First Class Travis Campeau were injured because of you!’ he shouted, his voice sharp and filled with bitterness. ‘Every soldier who ventured out into that minefield this morning and risked their lives was because of you!’Callie’s mind raced, trying to make sense of Lemuel’s words. ‘I didn’t ask anyone to come looking for me,’ she defended herself. ‘I didn’t even know they were coming!’Lemuel’s frustration boiled over. ‘Drop the act!’ he snapped. ‘If you hadn’t rushed out into the minefield without protective ge
Callie was drenched from head to toe, strands of her hair sticking to her forehead.She was still wearing the same white lab coat she had on that morning, now smudged with dirt and bits of grass, and thoroughly soaked by the rain.Concerned, Wendy hurriedly made her way outside. ‘Callie, what are you doing out here? You’ll catch a cold!’ she called out, but Callie seemed oblivious to her surroundings.Her face was ghostly pale, her eyes open but distant, as if lost in a world of her own.Ignoring the rain pouring down on her, Wendy rushed towards Callie. ‘Callie, it’s me, Wendy! Snap out of it!’ she exclaimed, grabbing Callie’s shoulders and shaking her gently.But Callie’s eyes remained glazed over, and she didn’t respond.With growing worry, Wendy noticed a cut on the sole of Callie’s right foot, but she seemed completely unaffected by the pain.Barefoot and disoriented, Callie continued to wander aimlessly in the rain.‘Callie, please, come back to us,’ Wendy pleaded, her voice tin
The two women exchanged glances, and Angelia couldn’t help but smirk.‘Good morning, Callie,’ Angelia said mockingly. ‘What are you doing here?’Callie, dressed in her white lab coat, held her head high. ‘I work here,’ she replied evenly.Angelia raised an eyebrow. ‘You look like hell,’ she taunted.Callie’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t let Angelia’s words get to her. ‘Thanks for your concern,’ she said coldly, ‘but the health centre is short-staffed, and I want to help.’With that, Callie walked past Angelia, who couldn’t resist adding another jab. ‘Do you want to see Major General Westwood?’ she asked, a wicked gleam in her eyes.Callie stopped in her tracks, her heart pounding.Her nails dug into her thigh as she fought to maintain her composure. ‘I don’t need to see him,’ she managed to say, her voice strained. ‘You are Elias’s attending physician. It’s your responsibility to watch over him, just make sure he’s... he’s doing well.’Angelia smirked triumphantly. ‘Captain Santana g
In his heart, Lemuel understood that it was the duty of the soldiers to keep civilians safe, not the other way around.Callie was a civilian, and she couldn’t have known about the minefield.Still, the image of Elias and Travis injured haunted him, and he couldn’t bring himself to absolve Callie entirely.With Elias unconscious and his condition uncertain, Lemuel’s emotions ran high.He was torn between worrying about Elias’s recovery and grappling with his own conflicted feelings.He knew he needed to apologise to Callie once Elias woke up, but deep down, he feared he might never forgive her if anything happened to Elias.***Lemuel washed his face in the men’s room and made his way up to the break room on the third floor, desperately in need of a cup of coffee to keep himself awake.The stress and worry of the past few days had taken a toll on him, and his nerves were jittery from the countless cups of coffee he’d consumed.As he walked back to Elias’s room, he was almost too afraid
Lemuel scrunched up his nose as if smelling something foul.‘You mean Callista Hawthorne? She’s not here,’ he replied dismissively.Elias’s eyes narrowed, picking up on the disdain in Lemuel’s voice. ‘I know she’s not here, I’m asking you why.’‘She’s taking care of the other patients,’ Lemuel replied, trying to brush off the question.Elias could sense that something was off.Callie’s absence didn’t sit right with him.He knew her well enough to understand that she wouldn’t abandon him while he was injured.‘Why would Callie tend to other patients but not me?’ Elias thought to himself, his mind working overtime.It was hard to believe she would prioritise others over him.The more he pondered, the more suspicious he became.He couldn’t shake the feeling that something must have happened while he was unconscious.Maybe Lemuel or Angelia had something to do with it.‘I need to speak with Callie,’ Elias declared.Angelia’s smile wavered slightly, and she exchanged a quick glance with Le