Part 62

The nurse looked taken aback but then smiled politely and stepped back. He helped Antony lift Claire's IV and placed it on the side hook of the new bed while Antony transferred Claire from the stretcher to the bed the nurse had brought.

After Claire was moved, one of the nurses left, leaving Antony with the first nurse, and they both pushed Claire's bed out of the emergency department toward the elevator that would take Claire to her room. After positioning the bed, the nurse politely said goodbye and mentioned that he would return once the lab results were in.

Antony surveyed the room he had requested. The VVIP room provided by the hospital seemed quite decent to him. No matter how luxurious a hospital with hotel-like facilities might be, it could never be fully enjoyed by the patients. Still, Antony wanted Claire to feel at least somewhat comfortable. He wanted Claire to feel calm and undisturbed by the cries, whines, and screams of other patients. What disturbed him even more were the relatives of the patients, who often made more noise than the patients themselves.

His phone rang again, and once more, he saw his daughter's name on the screen. Antony instructed Flavia to come to Claire's room, and within ten minutes, the two teenagers appeared, accompanied by an adult man whom Antony recognized.

"How is she?" Gladwin asked as he walked closer and immediately checked Claire's condition.

"The doctor took her blood sample. They are still testing it in the lab to determine if Claire has dengue fever or typhoid," Antony replied honestly.

Gladwin simply nodded while gently stroking Claire's head. A pang of jealousy crept into Antony's heart at witnessing that tender treatment. Even though he knew Gladwin was Claire's twin brother, he couldn't help but feel envious.

A knock at the door made everyone turn their heads. "Gladwin?" greeted the female doctor who had examined Claire earlier. "What are you doing here?" she asked, looking surprised.

"Are you the one who examined Claire?" Gladwin asked in return.

"Claire?" The woman furrowed her brow, glancing back and forth between Antony, Gladwin, and Claire. Then it seemed the doctor realized something. "Hampton. Claire," she murmured in understanding. "Yes, I was the one who examined her. Who are you?" she asked again.

"I'm her twin," Gladwin replied flatly. The doctor nodded again. "What are the results?" Gladwin asked, concerned.

"I commend your twin," the doctor said. "The blood test results show she is negative for dengue fever. After the Widal test, she has been confirmed to have typhoid. From what I can see, it seems your sister has had symptoms for about a week. But she seems to have been holding back. You know what your sister needs regarding food and care, so I don't think I need to explain that again," the doctor continued.

Gladwin simply nodded. "Thank you," he said.

The female doctor smiled. "You're welcome. If anything comes up, just contact me directly," she said before taking her leave from the room.

Abigail walked over and nudged Gladwin's arm with her elbow. "Ooh, look at you..." she teased with a mischievous grin on her face. "Who is she? Your target?"

Gladwin playfully tapped his niece on the head with a little force. "You're such a know-it-all!" Abigail rubbed her head while Flavia chuckled. "She's my senior," Gladwin replied honestly.

"A real senior or a senior in another sense?" she teased again. "What if she's your crush? A beautiful doctor with a hint of Japanese looks. What was her name again? Harumi?"

Gladwin raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, Harumi. She's half Japanese. What do you think I am? There's no way I'd approach another man's wife, especially one who already has a child," he explained.

Abigail and Flavia stared at him in shock. "Really, Uncle?" Abigail asked, incredulous.

"Go check for yourselves. You can even ask for her marriage certificate if you don't believe me."

Abigail turned to Flavia, and they both shook their heads and shrugged. After that, they moved away from the bed and sat on the sofa in the room, leaving Gladwin and Antony standing on either side of the bed.

"Thank you," Gladwin said politely.

"For what?" Antony asked, confused.

"For bringing Claire here," Gladwin replied. "I just got back and saw your daughter and Abigail at Claire's house. They told me you brought her here. I appreciate that." His tone was a bit stiff.

Antony nodded. "Did you stay with her all night?" This time, there was a hint of emotion behind Gladwin's question. Antony noticed it but chose to be honest. He nodded in response. "I hope you didn't take advantage of the situation," Gladwin said again.

In his heart, Antony wanted to laugh, especially when he remembered what Claire had done to him earlier. If Gladwin knew what Claire had done, would the man believe it?

"Should I take an oath?" Antony challenged him back.

Gladwin chuckled and then shook his head. "I don't think that's necessary, Sir," he replied. "Actually, as long as my sister is okay with whatever you do, I'm fine with it too," he added.

Antony was taken aback. "We're both adults. Claire knows what boundaries she can and cannot cross. So whatever you two do, I really don't mind. Unless you make her uncomfortable, then I'll step in," he said.

Antony still didn't understand what Gladwin was getting at. He could only look at Claire's twin with a furrowed brow.

"I know you like my sister. And seeing how you're watching her right now, I won't oppose that, especially if Claire is starting to open up to you. I can only support it. But..." he trailed off.

"But?" Antony furrowed his brow again.

"But everything won't be easy for either you or Claire."

"What do you mean?"

"I just want to let you know. This isn't a threat," Gladwin continued before Antony could object. "But I want to inform you about a possibility that you might face. So before everything goes too far, before my sister falls too deeply in love, I want to assure myself, Claire, and you about how much you truly want Claire in your life. How far are you willing to fight for her?"

Antony's brow furrowed again.

"If you only like Claire, I hope you step back now. But if you love Claire and genuinely want her in your life, I will be the first in my family to support you," Gladwin continued. "Because I can assure you, winning Claire's heart isn't as easy as winning over other women." Gladwin's tone wasn't threatening but rather assertive.

Antony turned to glance at Claire, who was still fast asleep. He then looked at the two teenagers sitting on the sofa, who were now looking back at him. The hopeful expressions in their eyes seemed to remind him of something important.

He looked back at Gladwin, meeting his gaze before answering. "I want her. I want her to be my wife, to be the mother of my child and our future children. Is that enough?" he asked challengingly. Gladwin raised the corners of his mouth.