Chapter 61 You Have to be Responsible for Me
Philip’s gunshot wound was bad.
The shooter had used an old shotgun, and the damage was wide and messy, making it almost impossible to clean.
On top of that, Philip had been holding out since last night without treatment. The wound had gotten soaked in the rain, turned infected, and was full of pus. His fever wouldn’t break, and his face was burning red in a way that looked all wrong.
Performing surgery under these conditions made Evelyn’s hands shake, but waiting any longer would only make things worse.
Quade couldn’t stop crying when he saw Philip’s condition.
To keep the surgery from being interrupted, both Evelyn and Philip agreed he had to stay outside and guard the door.
That meant Philip would have to bear all the pain on his own. No matter how bad it hurt, he couldn’t move.
Philip nodded firmly. “Go ahead. I can take it. Don’t worry about me.”
Of course Evelyn worried.
If they didn’t operate now, things would only get worse. Evelyn bit down hard, steeling herself, and began.
Gritting her teeth, she got to work.
She sterilized the scalpel and tweezers, then wiped away the dried blood with hydrogen peroxide and cotton balls until the bullet was visible. That was just the start.
Now came the hard part.
Philip stayed silent, but the veins on the back of his hands bulged as he gripped the bedsheet so hard it looked ready to tear.
When the tweezers touched the bullet, his face went pale as paper.
Evelyn noticed his reaction. She forced herself to move quickly. When the bullet finally clinked into the stainless-steel tray, sweat broke across her back.
The whole thing had taken less than a minute, but it drained every bit of her strength.
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Chapter 61 You Have to be Responsible for Me
Then she cleaned out the infected tissue and stitched up the wound.
Through it all, Philip didn’t let out a single sound.
Finished
When Evelyn finally pulled off her surgery mask, her eyes stung red. It hurt her worse than if she had been shot herself.
Her eyes were burning red, the truth written all over her face.
“You’ll need Quade to wipe you down with rubbing alcohol to bring the fever down,” she said, her voice tight. “I’ll go see my professor and try to get a fever shot. That should be more efficient.”
Philip gave a tired nod and let out a soft sigh. “I’m sorry you had to do all this. It’s been tough on you.”
Even now, he was worried about her instead of himself.
Evelyn suddenly wanted to punch him hard.
He nearly died, and the first thing that crossed his mind was whether things were tough on her.
Couldn’t he care about his life for once?
“Philip, if you ever treat your body like it doesn’t matter again, then w-we’re done. I’ll never see you again.” Evelyn’s words shook with anger.
“Alright. No next time,” he said quickly, like it was the easiest promise in the world.
With that kind of attitude, she had nothing left to argue.
He was still a patient, and what he needed most now was rest.
She stood, opened the door, and stepped out.
Quade was pacing anxiously in the hall, waiting.
The moment Quade saw Evelyn, he rushed over, nearly tripping over himself. “Evelyn, how’s Boss? Is he …
alive?”
Evelyn just stared at him.
This
guy
had to be joking.
“Relax. He’s going to be fine. He still has a fever, though. Help him cool down with wet towels,
Chapter 61 You Have to be Responsible for Me
Finished
and make sure he drinks plenty of water. I’ll try to get some fever shots,” she instructed firmly.
“Got it, got it, I’ll do it right now.”
Quade bolted toward the room, tears brimming in his eyes.
As Evelyn turned to leave, she could still hear his loud howling echoing down the hall.
“Boss, you’re not dead! Thank God, you’re alive-I was worried sick about you.”
Evelyn shook her head, walking faster.
The first time might be fear. Twice? He had to did that on purpose. One day, she’d give Quade a good smack just to shut him up.
Grumbling inwardly, she quickened her steps toward her destination.
Even though it was summer break, Bethany probably still at the university working on research. Evelyn found her easily.
She kept her words brief, explaining that she needed medicine for a friend who had a bad fever.
After the last incident-when her thesis had been swapped out and she’d uncovered the culprit-Bethany admired Evelyn all the more.
Without hesitation, Bethany agreed to help.
But the fever medication was only stocked at Southville University Hospital. So she took Evelyn along to get it.
Evelyn waited outside in the hallway.
Anxiety pressed on her chest. She paced a little, and then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a figure.
It looked like Austin.
But when she turned her head for a clearer look, the figure had already vanished.
The wide, empty corridor stretched ahead of her, silent and still.
Maybe she had imagined it.
After all, pulling a bullet out of someone wasn’t exactly a small operation. She had poured
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Finished
every ounce of strength into it, and her body was still drained. Maybe her eyes were just playing tricks on her.
Still, one thought nagged at her-why would she mistake someone for Austin?
Surely he hadn’t left that deep an impression on her.
Evelyn stood up, ready to check again, when Bethany came out holding a vial of fever shot and handed it to her with all seriousness.
“If this shot doesn’t work, you’ll have to take him to the hospital. You can’t wait any longer, understand?”
Evelyn nodded, expressed her gratitude, and hurried off.
Clutching the vial, her mind was fixed on only one thing-getting back to Philip and giving him the injection.
When she returned to the room, Philip was lying alone on the bed.
“Where’s Quade?” She frowned. Philip was still burning with fever. “I told him to keep cooling you down with towels.”
Every minute wasted now could mean the difference between life and death.
Philip waved at her and said, “He wouldn’t stop crying. Gave me a headache. I sent him to the union hall restaurant in Southdale to pick up some food.”
“What?” Evelyn almost choked.
Quade actually went?
That brain of his is unbelievable.
His boss just being shot and burning up with fever, and he thought greasy, salty takeout from the union hall is suitable for him?
But then again, Quade always followed orders to the letter.
Loyal, simple-minded, and-strangely-endearing in his own way.
Shaking her head, Evelyn didn’t waste more time. She quickly gave Philip the injection, then soaked gauze with rubbing alcohol and reached to lift his shirt.
Philip caught on and instinctively caught her hand.
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Chapter 61 You Have to be Responsible for Me
inished
“Too late to get shy now,” Evelyn said firmly, slipping into her professional doctor’s tone. “I already saw enough during the surgery. Let go-what matters now is getting your fever down.”
She looked up-and met his gaze. Those eyes. Blue as the bluest sky, burning even through fever and pain. They stole the breath right out of her lungs. “I just wanted to remind you Philip murmured, his voice low and rough. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he spoke, “When you’ve seen this much, you’re responsible for me now.”
The depth in his eyes, the rumble in his voice, the heat of the moment-everything made Evelyn freeze, caught off guard by her own racing heartbeat.
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Reborn for Love and Revenge
