Take My Breath Away

Niles pursed his lips helplessly. "I know, but my brother gave me an order. I have to."

The nurse sighed, "Fine."

After the nurse left, Blair anxiously asked Niles, "Does your brother know about my accident? Did you tell him?"

Niles didn't want to admit he had a big mouth, so he lied, "Well...no, not me. My brother probably sent someone to keep tabs on you. He's done this kind of thing before..."

Blair believed him. It sounded reasonable. She looked around the place just in case. But she didn't see anyone suspicious-looking.

Niles got her a ward and then took her to the examination rooms. Since her leg was wounded, he gallantly offered to carry her on his back. It would save a lot of time and pain. But Blair turned him down. Niles got angry and complained, "Look, it only takes about 30 minutes for an exam. But with you limping all the way, it'll take 3 times as long."

"No way! I don't want a piggyback ride from you." That was Wesley's privilege, not anyone else's.

The young doctor rolled his eyes. Why care about such a minor thing at a time like this? "Fine. Whatever." He suddenly came up with a good idea. "Wait, let me get a wheelchair."

Blair flashed a sweet smile. "Thanks, Niles!"

He shook his head resignedly. He wondered what he'd done wrong in a previous life to deserve this. Did he owe these two anything?

After a moment, Niles came back with a wheelchair. He waited till she sat down, and then wheeled her to the different examination rooms as necessary. Once they reached the lab, she whispered to Niles, "Can I stop now? I don't like having my blood drawn. Your brother's not here anyway. I'm feeling a lot better, except my leg, of course."

Niles sighed, "My brother will double-check everything. I'm not really keen on lying to him, anyway. Just finish up quickly, okay?"

"Why do you fall in line so easy? Tell him to go to hell sometimes," Blair grumbled.

Niles wheeled her over and moved out of the way so the phlebotomist could do her work. "Come on," Niles said with an evil grin. "It's fun to see the look in your eyes, the sweat beading on your forehead..."

Blair was stunned. "Are you a psycho?"

"Maybe."

She was speechless, and just squeezed her eyes shut as the needle poked her.

Like Wesley ordered, Niles had to wheel Blair to different floors of the hospital to finish all the exams. When it was finally done, the poor doctor was sweating profusely, and sore.

Blair pitied him and offered, "Thanks for your help. Let's get some milk tea. It's on me."

"Good idea." Niles accepted her offer. He was pretty thirsty.

Sitting on the hospital bed, she took out her phone and opened a takeout app. She ordered two cups of milk tea. "On the rocks?"

"Of course an iced one, please. It's hot and I'm sweaty," Niles said without hesitation.

Blair said, "I'm ordering mine hot. The ice cubes melt and water it down."

Hearing her comment, Niles changed his mind at once. He was picky. "Well, this place is air conditioned. I'll cool down eventually. No ice, please."

"Okay, milk tea's taken care of. What about dinner?" Blair wanted to buy him a meal too. He was running himself ragged for her.

"Then just get some takeout too. I'm not going anywhere," he said as he leaned lazily on the sofa, playing games on his phone. He was so tired. Having to go to a restaurant would just be a pain.

Blair nodded and then reminded him, "Okay, we'll order in tonight. But I wouldn't do that too often. It's not good for you."

"I know," he said without raising his head.

After placing the orders, Blair leaned against the headboard to wait for the food.

She wanted to start a conversation with Niles, but the boy was lost in the world of mobile gaming. She had nothing else to do but play on her phone as well.

She took a picture of her bandaged leg and posted it in her WeChat Moments. She captioned, "Luckily it's not serious."

She set the post to be only accessible to Wesley. That meant only Wesley could see it.

Anyway, he had already known she had a car accident. This post would set his mind at ease.

But then she wondered why he didn't call her.

A few moments later, their food came. It was all barbecue. Niles' idea. He grabbed a table and arranged all the boxes of barbecue on it.

He helped Blair walk to the sofa and sat her down. Looking at the spread, which took up much of the table, Blair asked, "Niles, is that really necessary?"

She suddenly felt a little guilty. She was a patient and it wasn't cool to eat barbecued food at a hospital. Moreover, they had ordered way too much food.

Just then, there was a rumbling sound of a plane outside the window, but the two of them didn't pay any attention.

Niles walked to the bathroom and washed his hands. He brought a wet towel for her to wipe her hands too. "It's okay. I'm a doctor here. Doctors eat too. I ordered some less spicy barbecue for you. Don't worry. Let's dig in."

She protested, "Less spicy is less delicious."

Ignoring her protests, he picked up a skewer of spicy kebab sprinkled with chilies and took a bite. As he chewed his mouthful, he poked the straw through the lid of the cup of milk tea and handed it to her. "Come on, drink. You'll feel better."

Listless, she took the cup of milk tea. "Humph! Next time you get sick, I'll eat spicy barbecue in front of you too." She picked up a skewer of roasted mushrooms.

"I don't think you'll get the chance. Although I'm not as strong as my brother, I almost never get sick. My health is very good." He took his cup of milk tea. "Don't be mad. This is the first time we've had a meal together, just the two of us. Let's toast!" He raised his milk cup.

Blair was amused by him. "Ha-ha. A boy like you needs an older girlfriend. Someone to take care of you."

Niles disagreed with her. "No. I need someone to spoil. A man should take care of a woman. When I get a girlfriend, she'll have to be as hot as you, and... B-b-b-brother?" Niles almost choked on his food.

They both widened their eyes in shock when they saw a man standing in the doorway.

Blair dropped the skewer in her hand and rubbed her eyes. 'Oh crap!' she exclaimed in her mind. The sullen man approaching them was Wesley, but he was stationed at the border. Why was he here?

Wesley cast a glance at the table full of barbecue and then shifted his eyes to the milk tea in Blair's hand. Without warning, he grabbed Niles by his collar and snarled, "You have a death wish, don't you?"

Blair was a patient. How could he let her eat junk food? Wesley was seething in anger.

"No, no. I ordered vegetables for her. I made a special order with no spices. Hey, don't beat me. Let's talk... Ah!" Wesley's fist pounding his face interrupted him.

The young doctor's shriek snapped Blair back to reality. She quickly stood on one foot and grabbed the soldier's arm. "Cut it out. I ordered this stuff myself. The milk tea too. It wasn't his fault."

Niles nodded repeatedly. "I wheeled your wife around the whole hospital. It was exhausting. Don't I deserve a little credit? You're such a jerk!"

"What's the prognosis, doc?" Wesley loosened his grip and Niles instantly fell onto the ground.

The doctor heaved a sigh of relief. As he massaged his face, he said, "Don't know yet. It's late. We'll find out more tomorrow."

"Get lost!"

"I'm not done." Niles picked up another skewer of kebab, wearing a pathetic face, and took a few quick bites.

"Take your food and go!" Wesley glared at the food.

"Okay, okay." Niles quickly packed all the food into the boxes and got ready to leave.

"How about Blair? She hasn't eaten either," he asked before he left the ward.