Chapter 36: Scared to the Point of Vomiting

When William and Zephyr showed up, they spilled the beans to Olivia about everything that went down at the station. Olivia was floored to hear Mason was hitting the casino.

She blurted out, "Is Mason nuts? He's a cop. He knows that place is bad news, so why the heck would he gamble there?"

Zephyr shrugged. "Wishful thinking, I guess. He probably thought being a cop would scare people off. But in the end, he got played!"

Olivia shook her head, wincing as a sharp pain shot through it.

Zephyr asked, worried, "Olivia, you okay?"

Olivia waved him off. "I'm fine. Just a concussion, no big deal. I'll be good in a few days. By the way, any updates from Starlight Town?"

William jumped in. "We've got a few suspects. They're under watch now. Once you're better, we should have some answers!"

Olivia sighed in relief. Thank goodness it didn't mess up their work; that would've been a nightmare.

Later that afternoon, Henry swung by after work with food. He'd made soup and a bunch of other dishes.

Olivia looked at the spread and pouted. "Anyone would think I eat like a horse!"

Henry, now out of his police uniform, brought the food over. He didn't mind her fussiness, and Olivia appreciated his patience.

While they were eating, Olivia's phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and immediately tossed the phone on the bed.

Henry, startled, rushed over to steady her. "What's wrong?"

Olivia pointed at the phone. "It's... it's my mom's video call."

Olivia knew if Autumn saw her in the hospital, she'd flip out. Henry picked up the phone, thought for a second, and answered. "Hello, Autumn. It's Henry!"

Before he could explain, Autumn's voice boomed from the phone. "Olivia, how dare you have someone lie to me? Do you want me to come over and kill you?"

Olivia quickly grabbed the phone, trying to hide her injuries.

"Mom, I'm really fine. No need to come."

Autumn snorted. "I was gonna bring you some clothes, but guess who I ran into on the train?"

Another face popped up on the screen—it was Benjamin's wife, Haven Jones.

Olivia said, "Haven, long time no see!"

Haven smiled awkwardly, clearly not expecting to bump into Autumn.

"Olivia, it's been a while. I'm here to see Benjamin and just happened to meet your mom. Once we get there, I'll come see you!"

Olivia forced a smile, while Autumn glared at her. Olivia was so nervous she almost dropped the phone. Henry took it from her.

"Autumn, Olivia has a mild concussion and can't be stressed out. If you come, please take it out on me, not her!"

Autumn was so mad she laughed. She shot Henry a fierce look. How dare he tell her not to stress her daughter out?

After Autumn hung up, Olivia lost her appetite, worried about her mom's impending fury.

Seeing her so stressed, Henry frowned. "Don't worry. I'm here. Autumn won't give you a hard time!"

Olivia rolled her eyes at Henry, about to say something, but then she suddenly felt dizzy and threw up over the side of the bed.

Henry freaked out. He held Olivia up and saw she had puked up everything she just ate. Panicking, he called for the doctor.

The doctor came in and said, "She's got a concussion and needs to stay calm. This is just a stress reaction. We'll set up an IV drip."

Henry nodded and helped Olivia lie back down. Without waiting for the nurse, he grabbed some cleaning supplies and cleaned up the mess himself. The nurses were impressed.

One nurse asked, "Are Mr. Phillips and Ms. Smith a couple? Look at how well he takes care of her. When she threw up, he didn't let anyone else help. He cleaned everything up and even washed her gown himself!"

Another nurse replied, "It's always the good ones that are taken!"

They were chatting when Autumn and Haven walked in. Haven looked surprised, but Autumn was fuming.

They saw Henry coming out of the bathroom with Olivia's hospital gown. Autumn looked like she was about to explode.

Henry greeted them, "Autumn, Haven, you're here!"

Autumn ignored him and rushed to Olivia, who was lying on the bed with her eyes closed, looking pale. She was so mad she wanted to hit Olivia but couldn't bring herself to do it.

Autumn demanded, "What happened? Tell me everything!"

Henry explained how Olivia had fought with Mason and ended up in the hospital, and how Mason was detained for misconduct. Autumn was furious that this happened at the police station.

But seeing Olivia had just thrown up, Autumn felt heartbroken.

Autumn said coldly, "I'll handle this. You go back to work. Thanks for taking care of Olivia, Mr. Phillips."

Henry handed over the washed clothes to Autumn, packed up his things, and left.

Haven watched him go and sighed. "Why do you have to be like this? Henry's a good guy. Even though he's Holden's son, he's lived like an orphan all these years. Even Benjamin feels sorry for him. Autumn, we should respect the kids' wishes!"

Autumn didn't say anything. She got a warm towel and wiped Olivia down, her eyes red. It hadn't been long, and Olivia had already been hospitalized several times. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.

Autumn cried, "Haven, I regret it. I shouldn't have stayed in Silverlight City. I shouldn't have let Olivia become a cop. I knew... If anything happens to Olivia, how can I face Austin?"

Haven hugged her shoulders to comfort her, her own eyes red. As the wife of a cop, she understood the hardships all too well.

Haven said, "Alright, don't worry too much. Olivia's fine. I'll go home and make some food for you. Olivia needs to be well-nourished, and you need to take care of yourself too!"

Not long after Haven left, Olivia woke up. Her eyes turned red when she saw Autumn. "Mom, I missed you so much!"

Autumn replied, "Who are you trying to fool? If you missed me, why didn't you say anything? Olivia, you're getting too bold. No need to wait a year. As soon as you're better, I'm arranging your transfer, and you're coming straight back to Silverlight City!"