Chapter 45 Rose Admits She Cannot Practice Medicine?
Cressida's eyes swept over coldly.
That glance was full of warning, carrying the killing intent forged on the battlefield.
It shocked Michael into letting go and instinctively stepping back two paces.
Only then did Cressida look at Clio, her voice very calm: "Strange, Mrs. Hamilton's courtyard caught fire, yet why does Mother immediately blame me? I just arrived, same as all of you."
Besides, the fire had already been put out.
Clio stiffened at Cressida's words and let go roughly.
Sable's courtyard was severely damaged, with broken walls dripping water.
Sable had just been dragged out by the servants and collapsed weakly against the wall corner, her body and face covered in soot, her eyes extremely vacant—probably scared out of her wits.
Michael dropped to his knees with a thud, crying loudly toward the charred house: "Father! I came too late."
Rose gradually slid to the ground too, sobbing.
Just then, a dignified yet somewhat weary voice came through.
"What are you crying for? I'm not dead yet!"
Everyone turned to look. Patrick was being supported by Della, limping in.
Clio's tears still hung in her eyes: "Mr. Hamilton, you're alright?"
Patrick glanced at her: "When the fire started, Della rushed in and helped me out."
Della's clothes were burned through, her face in a sorry state.
"I was bringing tonic soup to Mrs. Sable Hamilton when I saw the courtyard on fire, so I went in and rescued Mr. Patrick Hamilton first. I wanted to go back for Mrs. Sable Hamilton, but the fire was too big."
Michael asked: "How did a fire start out of nowhere?"
Clio looked at Sable, who was scared silly, and thinking of something, she quickly walked over and viciously slapped Sable twice.
"Slut! You must have seduced Mr. Hamilton into drinking and carelessly knocked over the candle stand, nearly destroying our whole family!"
Sable came to her senses and quickly shook her head: "Mrs. Hamilton, I didn't, Mrs. Hamilton!"
Clio wouldn't listen to her explanation: "Someone, drag this slut out and give her thirty hard lashes! Then send her to the estate."
Sable was scared pale. As she was dragged out, she cried repeatedly: "Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Hamilton save me, I've been wronged! Mr. Hamilton!"
Patrick had his own troubles and no time to deal with her.
Because his left leg hurt terribly. At first he thought he'd just tripped while escaping and fell.
But the pain grew stronger and stronger, as if his bone was broken, with large beads of cold sweat appearing on his forehead.
Della was the first to notice something wrong.
"Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Hamilton, what's wrong?"
Patrick couldn't hold on and slid down along her body.
Everyone quickly gathered around. Clio asked urgently, and heard Patrick say: "My leg, my leg hurts so much!"
Clio quickly had Tatum take the token to fetch a doctor.
But it was already past eleven at night—doctors would be hard to get.
Cressida spoke at the right moment: "Father, could it be your old leg injury acting up again?"
Her words were like thunder on flat ground—everyone present changed expression.
Clio reacted first: "Cressida, shut your mouth! How can you curse your own father? It definitely won't be that serious. Someone, quickly help Mr. Hamilton back to the main courtyard."
Cressida gave a look, and Verity, who had been standing among the servants, stepped forward and took advantage of the chaos to support Patrick.
Back in the main courtyard, lying on the bed, Patrick's face looked terrible from pain, cold sweat pouring out.
"No, it hurts more!" he said in alarm. "It must be when I tripped on the threshold just now, I broke my leg. Clio, quick, get my waist token and go to the palace to request the imperial physician!"
Clio panicked for a moment and pressed his hand: "Mr. Hamilton, don't worry, it won't be that serious. Tatum will bring back a doctor soon."
Cressida pretended to worry: "It's already past eleven at night. By the time a doctor gets here, who knows when that'll be? Father's injury can't wait."
"Father's left leg already has an old injury. If the new and old injuries compound, won't that be worse? I once saw someone like this—delayed just two hours and became paralyzed."
Hearing this, Patrick immediately shook off Clio's hand.
"Poisonous woman! My leg is in this state and you still want me to wait? When I'm paralyzed, will you be satisfied?"
Clio couldn't defend herself: "Mr. Hamilton, how could I mean that!"
Patrick looked at Cressida, eyes wide: "Cressida, you can ride. Quick! Take my token and enter the palace to beg His Majesty to grant an imperial physician. My injury can't be delayed."
Seeing his panicked appearance, Cressida remembered ten years ago when Patrick broke his leg—he was just as frantic and distressed.
He feared he would become a cripple for life, and even more feared that with such a broken body, even fleeing on the battlefield would become a luxury.
It was precisely because she felt Patrick's helplessness and Clio's grief at that time that Cressida resolutely chose to join the army in Patrick's place.
"Father, don't panic. Why look far when help is near?" Cressida looked at Rose. "Doesn't Rose know how to treat legs? Your leg was healed by her back then."
Rose had already retreated to the back, not expecting Cressida to call her name.
Rose's expression turned slightly unpleasant. When she met Patrick's pleading gaze, her lips moved but she didn't know what to say.
Cressida urged: "Rose, what are you waiting for? Quickly examine Father with needles, just like you saved him before!"
Patrick breathed a sigh of relief: "Right, right, right, I was confused. Rose can treat it. Rose, quickly look at me."
Several gazes fell on Rose. Her feet felt like lead, moving slowly.
Rose looked at Clio, but saw Clio sitting by the bed, covering her face and sobbing silently.
Cressida pressed again: "Rose, what are you still waiting for? Have you also been scared silly and forgotten how to treat?"
"No," Rose immediately refuted, "I'll check Father's pulse right now."
She walked to the bedside and pulled up Patrick's sleeve.
Cressida questioned: "Shouldn't you look at his leg first?"
Michael chimed in from the side: "Rose's medical skills are excellent. Stop butting in when you don't know anything!"
Cressida's lips curved into a cold smile, meaningfully: "Yes, with Rose here, Father's leg injury naturally needn't be worried about."
However, Rose's movement to pull up the pant leg was very stiff.
From the outside, Patrick's leg showed no visible injury.
Cressida: "Probably an internal injury. The leg is broken."
Patrick was in so much pain he could barely lie still, urging Rose constantly.
"Rose, what are you waiting for? Quickly use the needles, just like before. I really can't stand the pain anymore!"
Cold sweat slid down Rose's temples, her face completely bloodless.
Seeing Rose's reaction, Cressida didn't need confirmation to guess.
Rose didn't know medical skills at all.
Patrick also began to suspect: "Rose, are you going to treat it or not?"
Rose's whole body shook, and she dropped to her knees by the bed with a thud.
"Father." She cried in remorse.