Chapter 296 I'll Stay Here With You
Caroline's wrist was caught by his burning hot fingertips. She turned her head and met Alexander's eyes.
"I... I'll go get some water to wipe the sweat off you." Caroline deliberately softened her voice. "You're soaked through. You'll catch a cold."
Alexander still stubbornly shook his head. "Don't... don't leave..."
Caroline's defenses crumbled in an instant.
She looked at his pale face, tear stains still not dry. She let out a soft sigh and covered his hand that was gripping hers with her other hand.
"Okay, I won't leave." Caroline's tone was gentle. "I'm right here."
She slowly guided him to relax his fingers, helped him lie back down, and pulled the thin blanket that had slipped down back up to his chest.
She stayed with him for a long time, until Alexander's emotions truly settled. Only then did she speak. "I'll go get water and a towel. I'll be right back. Just wait here for me, okay?"
Alexander's gaze followed her the whole time. Only when he saw Caroline turn left immediately after leaving the room, heading toward the bathroom, did he finally let out that breath.
Caroline grabbed what she needed and came right back.
She sat on the edge of the bed, her movements gentle, using the damp towel to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.
Alexander couldn't help but close his eyes, exhaling a long breath, as if he could finally breathe again.
"Does it hurt?" Caroline saw the teeth marks on his wrist still slightly bleeding, and her movements became even more careful.
Alexander first shook his head, then nodded. Finally, he said in a strained voice, "It itches. Inside my bones... it's like something's crawling."
"Just hang in there a bit longer." Caroline said softly. "It'll pass soon. Next time... next time if you feel this bad again, don't bite yourself. Bite this."
Caroline pulled out a neatly folded old towel from somewhere and stuffed it into his hand.
"Or just call me. Don't hurt yourself."
Alexander clutched the towel without making a sound.
Caroline continued helping him wipe, from his neck to his collarbone, then to his sweat-soaked chest.
She unbuttoned the top two buttons of his pajamas, wanting to wipe his chest clean too. Alexander's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and a faint blush appeared on his pale cheeks. He turned his face away, as if suddenly not knowing where to look.
She noticed that awkwardness too, her ears heating up slightly. Her hand was very close to his heart, close enough to feel his rapid heartbeat. She also saw clearly the marks on his chest and arms where old scars and new bruises intersected.
Those marks were like his past days written directly on his skin.
Caroline didn't say much, just continued wiping. Her touch was gentle, as if this small bit of care could take the edge off his pain.
After finishing his upper body, Caroline hesitated.
And Alexander seemed to have recovered somewhat. He was still weak, but his eyes were much clearer.
"The rest... can you do it yourself?" Caroline stood up, handed him the cloth, and pointed to the basin. "Or I can take the water out, and you can wash yourself and change into clean clothes?"
Alexander nodded. "I'll do it myself."
Caroline breathed a sigh of relief, picked up the basin with the cloth draped over the edge, and walked out of the room.
Alexander suddenly called out to her.
"Caroline..."
Caroline froze and turned around.
"You... you remember me?"
Alexander lowered his head, leaning forward to fiddle with the water in the basin with his fingers. After a long while, he finally responded quietly, "Yeah."
Caroline was both surprised and delighted, as if it took her a while to process it.
"You... you clean yourself up. I'll go out first!"
She closed the door behind her.
She didn't go far. She leaned against the wall outside, trying to steady her breathing.
Soon the sound of water came from inside.
Caroline raised her hand to cover her mouth, tears falling one by one.
He recognized her...
That's wonderful... that's wonderful!
After a while, Caroline heard Alexander's muffled voice, "I'm done."
Caroline quickly wiped away her tears and pushed the door open.
Alexander had already changed into a clean set of pajamas. Caroline had come in a hurry and wasn't sure of his size, so she'd bought them a bit large. The loose clothes hung on his thin frame, looking empty.
Alexander was leaning against the headboard, wet hair softly stuck to his forehead. Alexander's complexion was still poor, but most of the confusion and fear in his eyes had receded. Only there was still an emotion on his face that Caroline couldn't read.
Caroline walked over and poured him a glass of water, tested the temperature, and handed it to him. "Drink some water."
Alexander took the glass and silently drank a few sips.
"Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?" Caroline asked.
Alexander shook his head. He had no appetite at all; his stomach was still faintly nauseous.
He saw the faint shadows under Caroline's eyes, and a strong sense of guilt suddenly welled up in his chest.
"You... go rest." Alexander kept his voice very low. "I'm fine now."
Caroline looked at the already bright sky outside the window and shook her head. "It's already light out. I can't sleep anyway. You... get some more sleep. I'll be outside. Call me if you need anything."
Caroline paused, then added, "I'll go back to the doctor in town during the day and see if there's a better way to handle this. Or... if there's another option."
Alexander looked up at her, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something. In the end, Alexander just lowered his eyes and responded almost inaudibly, "Okay."
He knew exactly what Caroline meant by "another option." Rehab. A medically supervised detox—whether he wanted it or not.
But that required money, required identification, and also meant he'd have to leave here. Once he left, he might be exposed to the Hamilton family and Linus's sight. In his current condition, he simply couldn't handle those consequences.
Caroline seemed to see through his concerns. She softened her voice even more. "There will be a way. First get some good rest and get your body a bit stronger. We'll... figure it out slowly."
That "we" from Caroline made something that had been tightly wound in Alexander's chest loosen slightly.
Alexander watched Caroline turn and leave the room, watched Caroline gently close the door. He listened to her deliberately quiet movements in the outer room, and a warmth he hadn't felt in a long time slowly wrapped around him.
He didn't end up sleeping much longer.
Exhaustion and extreme tension dragged him into a daze for only a few hours. The increasingly bright daylight outside the window, and the occasional small sounds from the yard, still pulled him from his light sleep. That sleep wasn't restful.
Alexander opened his eyes and heard Caroline's deliberately quiet movements in the kitchen in the outer room. Alexander suddenly felt very calm inside, so calm it made him a bit uncomfortable.
That feeling was like the life he'd been chasing for so long had finally, briefly, landed in his hands.
Alexander wanted to get up and go see, but his body was still weak and powerless, his head still heavy.
What was worse was that an unfamiliar emotion made him afraid to face her.
Last night, his most pathetic, most wretched state had been laid bare before Caroline without any cover. Now that he was awake, shame and helplessness surged up together, almost drowning him.