Chapter 66 The Fever

Chapter 66 The Fever

By the time Emily arrived at Crimson Leaf Villas, the family doctor had already put Morris on an IV drip, and Morris had fallen asleep.

Seeing Emily enter the room, the family doctor quickly stood up. "Ms. Green, I'm glad you're here. Mr. Anderson has a bacterial infection from some insect bites. Nothing serious to worry about."

"Thank you for your help. You can head home now," Emily said as she walked to the bedside, her gaze falling on Morris's pale face.

"I should stay a little longer," the doctor replied while organizing his medical bag. "I need to change the IV bag and make sure the needle is removed properly afterward."

"I can handle that," Emily said. The doctor looked up in surprise. "You know how to do that, Ms. Green?"

Emily smiled. "I've had first aid training. Simple procedures like changing IV bags and removing needles are things I can manage."

The doctor, seeing her confidence, nodded and gave her some instructions before leaving. The room fell silent with only Emily and the sleeping Morris remaining. She pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed, watching his sleeping face. This was the first time she had glimpsed his vulnerability.

As she watched him in his sickened state, guilt washed over her. If she hadn't insisted on taking him on that picnic today, he wouldn't be suffering like this.

After the IV drip was finished and she removed the needle, Emily reached out to touch his forehead. It was still warm. Just as she was about to get a cool cloth to bring down his temperature, he grabbed her hand.

"Morris?" Emily thought he had awakened, but looking down, she saw his eyes were still tightly closed.

"Feels nice... so cool," Morris murmured, turning his head slightly and nuzzling her palm with his face. The burning heat from his skin made Emily's heart race.

"I'm just going to get you some water. I'll be right back," Emily tried to gently pull her hand away, but Morris held on tighter. She sighed and sat back down in her chair, allowing him to use her hand as a makeshift cold compress.

As the night deepened, Emily began to feel drowsy. Her eyelids grew heavier, and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep with her head resting on the edge of the bed.

In the middle of the night, Morris awakened in a fog. As soon as he woke up, he saw Emily sleeping soundly with her head on the edge of his bed. His heart skipped a beat. He carefully released his grip on her wrist, afraid of disturbing her.

He remembered sending Emily a text when he started feeling feverish that afternoon. He hadn't expected her to actually come, let alone stay by his side for so long.

Reluctantly letting go of her hand, he gently started to rise, planning to carry her to the bed. But just as he was about to move, Emily suddenly opened her eyes.

"You're awake?" she asked.

"Yes, just now," Morris replied, his voice still hoarse.

Emily sat up and reached out to feel his forehead. "Your fever's gone down! Are you hungry? Let me cook for you."

Morris did feel hungry. Hearing her offer to cook for him warmed his heart. "If it's not too much trouble, anything simple would be fine."

"It's no trouble. Wait here, I'll be back soon." Emily went downstairs to the kitchen and prepared a bowl of steaming chicken noodle soup.

When she returned upstairs with the soup, she saw Morris leaning against the headboard, his face pale again, his brow furrowed. Her heart tightened. She quickly walked over and touched his forehead. His fever had returned, even higher than before.

"Why is your fever back?" Emily's voice carried a hint of anxiety. "Let me help you have some soup, and then you can take more fever medication."

Morris nodded. Emily picked up the bowl and used a spoon to scoop up some soup, blew on it gently to cool it, then brought it to his lips. He took it into his mouth, and the warm liquid slid down into his stomach, driving away some of his discomfort.

The bowl of soup was quickly finished. Emily handed him the fever medication from the bedside table and poured him a glass of lukewarm water. Morris took the medicine and swallowed it with the water.

"Get some more sleep. Maybe after another rest, your fever will break," Emily said softly as she took the glass. She gathered the bowl and was about to turn to go downstairs when Morris suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"Don't go," Morris's voice was thick with drowsiness and barely audible. Before Emily could react, he suddenly pulled hard, and she tumbled into his arms.

"Morris, let me go!" Emily was both embarrassed and annoyed. She struggled to stand up, but Morris's arms were wrapped tightly around her waist with a strength that made it impossible for her to break free.

"Emily, don't leave," Morris buried his head in the crook of her neck, his voice carrying a hint of pleading that instantly threw her heartbeat into disarray.

Feeling his warm breath on her neck, Emily gradually stopped struggling. She sighed softly and said in a gentle voice, "Alright, I won't leave. I'll stay here with you."

Morris seemed to hear her words. His arms around her waist loosened slightly but didn't let go completely. Emily rested against him, feeling the warmth of his body, and gradually began to feel drowsy herself. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

After some time, Morris slowly opened his eyes. Now that his fever had broken, his mind was much clearer. Looking down, he saw Emily asleep in his arms, her long eyelashes casting delicate shadows, and he flashed a faint smile.

He gazed at her lips, pink and slightly pursed, like an inviting cherry. Still believing he was dreaming, he looked at the woman he'd been thinking about day and night in his arms. He lowered his head and gently kissed her.

The warm sensation was soft as cotton candy. He carefully deepened the kiss, his movements as gentle as if he were handling a priceless treasure.

Emily, in her drowsy state, felt a warm sensation on her lips and strong arms holding her tight, making it impossible for her to move. As her consciousness gradually cleared, she opened her eyes to find Morris's face just inches from hers.

"Morris!" Emily stared at him in shock.

Morris suddenly came to his senses, realizing what he had done. He quickly released Emily from his embrace, saying in horror, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... I thought I was dreaming, so..."

Emily's cheeks burned red. She hastily sat up, moving away from Morris's embrace. The sensation of that kiss lingered on her lips, warm and soft, making her heart race uncontrollably.

The room fell silent except for the sound of their rapid breathing. Emily looked at him uncertainly and asked, "Did you... really think you were dreaming?"


Dear readers, I apologize for the somewhat disorganized content in the previous sections. I need to pause and revise it thoroughly. New updates will resume in ten days. Thank you for your patience and understanding！