Chapter 27
Mick couldn’t bear it any longer. He stepped forward and pressed his hands firmly on Ted’s shoulders. “Enough already! Ms. Poole will come after she finishes work. Now go to sleep!”
Ted finally understood why Mick had said the way he had. He wailed. “I don’t want Ms. Poole! I want Mom!”
He wailed while struggling to catch his breath. “I want Mom! I want my mom!”
Mick felt as if the cries could split his head open. “No!”
His voice was loud and commanding, overpowering the cries. “She divorced me, and she’s never coming back!”
Ted was stunned to a full stop. His face was filled with shock and fear as he stared at Mick, who let out a long exhale. The world seemed to have instantly calmed.
But by evening, Ted developed another fever. Mick was roused from his sleep to
assist the
doctor in administering fever medicine, but Ted continued crying and even knocked
medicine.
Mick was utterly exhausted. When he finally got Ted to take the medicine, the latter wet the bed as he’d drunk too much water.
Mick had never cared for a child so he was at a loss to change Ted’s clothes. Plus, Ted resisted so much that changing his bedsheets became a struggle.
Mick had no choice but to call in a temporary caregiver.
By the time the caregiver arrived, Ted had been lying in the wet bed for so long that his buttocks were red and irritated with signs of a diaper rash.
Mick’s expression darkened. “Why is this so troublesome?”
The caregiver seemed surprised and asked, “Have you never looked after a child?” All children were troublesome when they were ill.
Mick was caught off guard. It seemed that he’d never done so.
After taking his medicine, Ted’s fever began to subside. But even in his sleep, he murmured, “I want Mom. Gimme my mom.
“Mom, don’t go. Mom…”
The constant murmuring made it impossible for Mick to fall asleep.
By the time the first light of dawn crept through the window, it was past five in the morning.
He lost all the will to sleep and shrugged on his jacket to step out of the ward.
Chapter 27
22
He decided that no matter how unreasonable Nydia had been lately, she deserved to know Ted was sick. For Ted’s sake, he’d allow her to care for Ted for a few days.
With that thought in mind, he pulled out his phone and arrogantly dialed her number, but the call couldn’t go through.
Oh. He’d forgotten she’d blocked him.
He had no choice but to walk to the nurses‘ station and borrow a phone to dial that all–too- familiar number.
Meanwhile, Nydia had taken leave from work and was all absorbed in collecting herbs.
It wasn’t that she was slacking off, but she’d discovered a variety of rare herbs that were perfect for medicinal use.
Exploring a new field was invigorating for her. She didn’t feel tired or uncomfortable, and it only felt as if she’d found her comfort zone.
Norman trailed behind her with a basket and helped her gather the herbs. “Ms. Vega, just take whatever you like. If you want all of them, I’ll give you the whole lot.”
Nydia was delighted. She couldn’t help teasing him. “Can you even make such decisions?”
Norman puffed out his chest with pride. “Of course! I’m the best!”
“Got it. You’re the most amazing kid in the world.”
“Nope. I’m just your little kid.”
