Take My Breath Away

Wesley wasn't in patient clothing. He was wearing a green army T-shirt, camouflage pants and black boots—military fatigues.

His sudden appearance reminded Blair of Garnet. She was so jealous she didn't want to talk to him. However, he saved her again, so she couldn't just ignore him. "Hi, Colonel Li," she said.

'Whenever she's mad at me, she calls me Colonel Li, ' Wesley thought.

He thought that she was acting really weird. 'She said she loved me, but she shared a hug with Orion. Now she's mad at me.

What did I do this time?'

Wesley stood beside her bed and stared at her bandage-wrapped feet and fingers. Seven digits total were covered with bandages, leaving only three fingers on her left hand free. 'So she typed those messages with only three fingers?' Wesley felt both amused and heartbroken.

"It was my fault you were kidnapped," he said apologetically. Blair was totally innocent. He felt bad that she was hurt because of him.

'Why's he being so formal?' Blair bit her lower lip and said in a low voice, "It was not your fault, but those thugs'."

"All of them are behind bars now." He made sure they paid for their crimes. They had gotten back double whatever they had done to Blair.

"Good to know." Then she remembered she wasn't talking to him, so she clammed up.

Although she was not a chatterbox like Niles, she could hold her own in conversation.

"Get some rest." Wesley guessed she was still weak and didn't have the strength to talk, so he prepared to leave.

"Wesley!" Blair called out and raised her head abruptly.

Wesley paused and turned to look at her. "Could you stay? At least for a little bit?" she pleaded.

Confusion was written in his eyes.

"Maybe till I fall asleep?" she asked with a hopeful expression. She was alone in the ward, and it got kind of frightening at night.

However, before Wesley could say yes, someone knocked on the door. "Hey, Blair, you up?" a voice asked.

It was Orion, flanked by two of his bodyguards with several shopping bags.

Orion didn't expect to see Wesley here. He knew Blair liked Wesley, so he wasn't as nice as he could be. Wesley was his romantic rival. But despite that, he really admired Wesley. Wesley, after all, was an honorable soldier. He extended his hand first. "Good evening, Mr. Li."

Wesley nodded at him and asked, "It's late. Why are you here?"

"A little bird told me girls were afraid to stay in the hospital alone at night. So I'm here to keep Blair company." His tone was straightforward. He saw no shame in it.

Wesley then cast a casual glance at Blair. 'So she asked me to stay because she's afraid to sleep here alone?' It was not until then that he realized that.

Just because he realized it, didn't mean he understood why. He just nodded at Orion and told Blair, "I'm leaving now. Get some rest."

'He left just like that?' Blair thought, her eyes wide in shock. 'He doesn't care that I'm here with another guy? This late?' When she thought about it, she pouted and really wanted to cry.

Orion noticed the expression on her face, and he did a double-take. He pretended he saw nothing, and told Blair cheerfully, "I really wanted to grab a folding bed. But I guess I can sleep on the couch. So I just brought an overnight bag. I also got some food. Hungry?"

Blair had a single room. Her bed was large enough for two people to sleep in, but she and Orion were not a couple.

Blair wasn't hungry and shook her head. "No, thanks. Orion, you need to work tomorrow. The couch is lumpy. You won't get any sleep. Please just go home and get some rest. I can stay here on my own."

Orion was a little disheartened. "Blair, please don't turn me down. Gimme a break, willya? I just want to keep you company."

Blair didn't know how to respond. His sorrowful expression reminded her of herself. 'He's so self-sacrificing around me. Like I am with Wesley.' She felt sorry for Orion and herself. She forced a smile. "I'm just afraid you won't get enough sleep."

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine with the couch," Orion assured Blair. He asked the bodyguards to put the shopping bags on the table and leave.

However, just as Orion was settling down to sleep, two nurses entered the ward. "Sir, I'm sorry, but you can't stay overnight here. It's a safety issue. We'll work in shifts. If Miss Jing needs help, she can call us at any time," one of them said politely.

"What? I can't stay?" Orion was utterly confused. Usually the patient's family could stay overnight. This was the first time he'd heard of it.

"No, you can't. This is a military hospital. We have strict rules. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

Though the two nurses wore a polite smile, they shooed Orion away without mercy.

Orion was reluctant, but he just couldn't throw a tantrum at those two polite nurses. He scratched the back of his head and complained, "This is truly frustrating. Blair, how about I transfer you to another hospital?"

Blair, however, wanted to stay as close to Wesley as she could. "Thank you for your kindness, Orion. But there's really no need for that. I don't need an IV injection at night, and I can take care of myself. Just go home and rest."

Orion shrugged and unwillingly left the ward.

Before leaving, one of the nurses turned off the light and told Blair she could press the nurse-call button at any time.

Quiet spread across the ward. As Blair stared at the moon through the window, the various horror movies she had watched came to mind. Her memories of "The Lift to Hell," "The House That Never Dies," and "The Sleep Curse" were freaking her out. She had to play on her phone to distract herself, though her fingers were killing her.

Before long, she had the urge to pee.

At first, she didn't want to bother the nurses. But then, she really couldn't hold it in anymore and pressed the nurse-call button.

Then she heard footsteps in the hall. Blair, who had been teetering between abject fear and an intense desire to pee, heaved a sigh of relief.

Someone opened the door and turned the light on.

Before Blair saw who it was, she said hurriedly, "Miss, I need to go to the bathroom. Will you please help me— Huh? Wesley?"

And yes, it was Wesley at the door.

'Why is he still here? I thought he left.'

Upon hearing that, Wesley walked over, lifted the covers and scooped her up in his arms. "Hey, hey, wait!" Blair panicked and tried to break free.

"What?" he asked.

"Um... Can you get a nurse in here?" She wanted to go to the bathroom. Her fingers were bandaged and she couldn't take off her pants.

Seeing her red face, he chuckled mischievously. "I'll help you with that."

"No! I mean, no, thank you. You need to recuperate. The nurses said I could always ask for their help."

However, Wesley didn't listen to what she said at all. He entered the bathroom with her in his arms. He didn't even let her use the wheelchair.

Then, they got to the most awkward part...