Oops, My Boyfriend

第28章

Visiting this comprehensive large hospital for the second time in two months, I'm not sure whether to call it fate or misfortune. Registration, diagnosis, blood tests, skin tests, injections. Suddenly, several holes were poked in me. What baffles me the most is that the doctor prescribed an IV drip, yet insisted on giving me a shot in the buttocks before starting the drip. The infamous characteristic of the buttock injection is its ability to deliver unparalleled pain in the shortest time—I'd rather have ten more IV needles than endure this.I pleaded pathetically in front of the doctor, "I don't want the buttock shot, please, no." The doctor said, "You're such a grown-up, how can you still be afraid of injections? You have a high fever; the shot we give before the drip is to reduce fever and pain." I tried to continue pleading, but Caleb sternly reprimanded me, "Are you really bargaining here? Do you think this is a game?"Being sick, how could he be so harsh on me? Ultimately, I miserably sat on the injection table, pulling down my trousers just a little, hanging off Caleb's neck with only a small part of my buttocks resting on the edge of the table—just like pork belly on a cutting board. The nurse, dabbing iodine with a hint of impatience, kept saying "relax, relax your buttocks," and then jabbed the needle fiercely into my flesh. The pain was brutal. After the injection, as she nonchalantly said, "All done," I tearfully pulled up my trousers, feeling as if half of my buttocks had stiffened.After that injection, I had to move to another room for the IV drip. Though the hospital nurses were fierce, the facilities were quite comforting; they even provided beds. As I lay there with four bottles of IV fluids hanging above, Caleb covered me with a thin blanket and suggested I rest a bit. I closed my eyes on the bed, pondering how to reconcile with Caleb. My brain, already mushy from the fever, turned even mushier, and I fell asleep without solving anything.When I woke up, it was already morning. The IV was finished, my head was no longer dizzy, and my body didn't feel hot anymore; the fever had come on fast and left just as quickly. Instinctively, I looked for Caleb. He was asleep, his head resting on his arms beside the bed. I felt a twinge of guilt. It was all because of me that Caleb had such a rough night, running around without rest. I reassured myself it was okay, I'd make it up to him once we reconciled.I tried to move closer to him, but he woke up just as I approached. His eyes were blurry, his face marked lightly from pressure. He almost leaned back when he saw how close my face was to his, but relaxed when he recognized me. He simply said, "You're awake." Then he got up and touched my forehead.I said, "The fever's gone." He responded indifferently with a nod, withdrew his hand, and mentioned, "It's normal for the fever to go down in the morning after an injection, but it might come back tonight, so you can't stop the medication or injections." His hand rested beside the bed; I tried to cover it with mine, playfully. He withdrew his hand, and I covered it again firmly. He freed his hand once more and sat back in the chair, suggesting distantly, "If you want to rest more, lie down for a while; otherwise, we can get ready to go."Mimicking his posture, I hugged my arms and shook my head, joking, "Just yesterday, you were anxiously running around with me on your back, and now you're playing it cool." He stared at me in silence for a long while before slowly saying, "It seems you were very alert last night." I knew he was referring to my antics in the taxi. Ignoring that, I looked at him and said, "Caleb, let's make up."I continued, playing with the adhesive bandage on my hand from the IV, "The other day, James told me everything. I know I misunderstood your accusations of him liking me. What I mean is, I understand the whole situation now." There was no point in beating around the bush anymore; it was time to be straightforward.Caleb's lips curved into a slight smile as he said, "So, he finally confessed to you?" Always missing the main point. I nodded vigorously, asserting, "Yes, but I firmly rejected him. There's absolutely no chance between him and me! My heart is only filled with you, not him!" I stated this with utter solemnity.Finally smiling warmly, Caleb responded, "Now do you understand why I was unfriendly towards him?Now do you understand why I was unfriendly towards him? Do you also see why I restricted your 'normal interactions' with him? And do you understand why I said it wasn't a misunderstanding but a boundary issue?"I nodded repeatedly, and Caleb continued, smiling gently, "Now do you finally admit you were wrong?"I nodded again.He asked, "Will you still disobey me in the future?"I shook my head.He said softly, "Good girl."Although I was happy to reconcile, I felt helpless thinking back. The whole ordeal of feigning sickness was devised to avoid exactly this kind of dominance. Yet, despite all the scheming, I ended up right back where I started. It's like how Monkey King couldn't escape Buddha's palm.Sigh, there's a poem that describes me perfectly — 'A heart loftier than the skies, yet a fate as thin as paper.'