Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 198

Chapter 198 

Before he could finish, Shepard started coughing again, his whole body shaking with it 

Briana walked up to him. “For the next three days, you’re staying in the hospital. No leaving, and no working on your laptop all the time. If you don’t stick to it, Shepard, I’ll watch you myself.” 

“So, what you’re saying is, as long as I don’t take care of myself, you’ll show up?” Shepard replied, a teasing glint in his eyes. “Right, Briana?” 

Briana’s mouth fell open in surprise. 

‘What’s with this guy? Why is he like this?‘ she thought, exasperated. 

Shepard gave her a teasing grin. “Relax. I’m just kidding. Don’t take it so seriously.” 

Briana rolled her eyes. 

Just then, there was a knock at the door. “Mr. Carter, it’s time for your IV. Is it okay if I come in?” the nurse called out. 

“Come in!” Briana replied. 

Shepard got up, coughed a couple more times, and made his way over to the bed. 

The nurse walked in with a tray and started setting up the IV. 

Shepard propped himself up against the headboard and casually rolled up his sleeve. 

The air conditioner whirred quietly, its breeze a constant presence in the room. 

Every now and then, Shepard’s cough would break the silence. 

After hooking up the IV and adjusting the drip, the nurse grabbed a thermometer and checked Shepard’s temperature. 

When she saw the number, her eyes went wide. 

It was 100.4°F. 

“You’ve got a fever again,” the nurse said, surprise in her voice. “Mr. Carter, didn’t you notice?” 

Shepard shook his head. “I feel fine.” 

Briana froze for a second. ‘What?‘ she thought, totally thrown off. ‘His fever just went down, and now it’s back? What’s going 

on?‘ 

Still in disbelief, Briana reached out and pressed her hand to Shepard’s forehead. 

Yep, he was definitely running a bit hot. 

“Weren’t you fine when we were eating?” Briana asked, worry in her voice. “How did your temperature spike again so quickly?” 

She shot Shepard a suspicious look. “Did you do something?” 

Shepard just shrugged, looking completely calm. “What could I possibly do? You think I can control my own temperature at 

will?” 

‘He’s got a point, Briana thought. 

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Sull, Briana couldn’t help but feel something wasn’t right. 

Briana looked around the hospital room, but didn’t spot anything out of the ordinary. 

The windows were all shut tight. 

The floor was spotless. 

Everything was neat and tidy. 

Honestly, this place was as safe and cozy as a greenhouse. If Shepard just behaved himself and rested, he’d be back on his feet in no time. 

Why is he burning up again?‘ Briana wondered, totally baffled. 

Briana let out a silent sigh, feeling helpless. 

‘Maybe Shepard’s immune system is just shot right now, and the virus just sneaks right in,‘ she guessed. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Shepard said softly. “You can head home, Briana. It’s getting late.” 

‘Leave? Now?‘ Briana thought, a bit taken aback. ‘How am I supposed to just walk away now?‘ 

“You’re still burning up. Where else would I go?” Briana said, settling herself by his bedside. “If your fever gets worse in the middle of the night, I’d just have to come running back anyway.” 

Shepard’s voice was quiet. “You really don’t have to. Just having you here once that’s more than enough for me.” 

Briana just pursed her lips. 

“Let’s start the IV first,” the nurse said. “If the fever still doesn’t go down after that, we’ll get the doctor.” 

Briana nodded. “Okay, thanks.” 

Once the nurse left, the room fell quiet. 

“Briana,” Shepard called out, “bring me my laptop, will you?” 

Briana didn’t even glance his way. “Forget it.” 

“I’ve got work that can’t wait,” Shepard argued. 

“How important could it be?” Briana shot back. “Is it more important than your own health?” 

Shepard just nodded. 

Briana nearly choked on her own breath. 

She shot back, “Is it more important than me?” 

“Definitely not,” Shepard answered instantly. “You’re the most important person to me.” 

Briana finally met his gaze, her eyes steady. “So, Shepard, right now the person who matters most to you is telling you, rest up, stay in bed, and quit overworking yourself. Do you hear me?” 

Shepard rubbed his temples, looking a bit exasperated. 

“Briana,” Shepard tried to persuade her, “just let me use my laptop for ten minutes. I promise, it’ll only take ten minutes.” 

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Briana was firm. “Not even for a second.” 

“You really think ten minutes of work is going to affect my health that much?” Shepard protested. 

“Yeah, right.” Briana scoffed. “Do you think I don’t know you? Once that laptop’s in your hands, you won’t put it down for ten hours, let alone ten minutes.” 

She didn’t buy it for a second. 

‘Men are all liars!‘ she thought, rolling her eyes. 

Shepard mumbled under his breath, “If I’d known you’d be like this, I wouldn’t have let you come.” 

“What are you muttering about?” Briana asked, her tone firm. “Don’t even think about it. As long as I’m here, you’re not touching that laptop.” 

“But this is so boring. Are we just gonna sit here and stare at each other?” Shepard complained. 

“Then go to sleep if you’re bored,” Briana shot back. 

Shepard raised an eyebrow. “You gonna keep me company while I sleep?” 

Briana froze, totally caught off guard. 

“Briana, you really planning to spend the night here with me?” Shepard teased. “So, where are you gonna sleep?” 

“On the couch!” Briana stammered, awkwardly gesturing toward the bed. “Or, I—” 

“You wanna squeeze in with me?” Shepard teased. 

“I mean, I could just sleep by the side of the bed,” Briana blurted out, her cheeks flushing. 

‘Where did his mind even go?‘ Briana thought, totally thrown off. ‘Sleep together? Seriously? As if this cramped little hospital bed could fit two people. What a joke! 

“How could I bear to let you do that?” Shepard sighed, “Why don’t you just go home?” 

He was trying to shoo her away. 

But there was no way Briana was leaving. 

“You just want to kick me out so you can stay up all night working, huh?” Briana huffed. “Shepard, let me tell you, no way in hell!” 

She plopped down on the couch, leaned back lazily, and started idly flipping through a book. 

The only sound in the room was the soft rustle of pages as she turned them. 

Shepard’s lips curled into a sly grin, a glint of triumph in his eyes. 

The more he tried to shoo her away, the more she just wouldn’t budge. 

That was exactly what he wanted. 

‘Guess all that scheming wasn’t for nothing, he thought to himself. 

Even though he was burning up and feeling a bit rough. 

Honestly, the physical discomfort was nothing, he could deal with it, no problem. 

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Not seeing Briana? Now that was something he couldn’t stand. Being sick didn’t even matter in comparison. 

Briana was lost in her book. 

Shepard’s eyes never left Briana, quietly watching her from across the room. 

Even if they didn’t say a word or do a thing, just sharing this peaceful silence together was its own kind of happiness. 

Briana dozed off while reading, not even realizing when sleep took her. 

The book slipped from her hand and fell onto the couch. 

Her head lolled to the side, eyes shut, sleeping soundly like a baby. 

Briana only meant to take a quick nap, just a short rest. 

But when she opened her eyes again, it was already morning. 

Daylight was streaming in, bright and clear. 

This kind of brightness was nothing like the cold glow of hospital lights. 

She blinked, trying to shake off her sleepiness. 

‘Wait a second. Am I really curled up in someone’s arms?‘ she wondered. 

“Ah!” Briana screamed, jolted backward, and shoved the person away. 

Shepard glanced down at her. 

He raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?” 

Her head was still resting on his arm, and the two of them were still nestled close together. 

Briana was frozen for a long moment, unable to process what was happening. 

‘Wait, what the hell just happened?‘ she thought, her mind spinning. 

She’d been reading on the couch, got tired, and just wanted to take a quick nap. 

But in the blink of an eye, morning had come, and she found herself in Shepard’s arms. 

AD