Chapter 232 Scared You
Caroline didn't plan to stay in the hospital, but Leopold insisted she get a full checkup.
He rushed home to grab clothes for both of them, then hurried to the hospital.
Considering how late it was, Leopold didn't notify Elysia about Caroline's hospitalization, but he contacted Elijah.
The phone rang for a long time with no answer. Leopold knew he was also on the front lines of flood relief, so he left Elijah a WhatsApp message telling him not to worry.
North: [Dad, Caroline is fine. She's currently at Seaside City People's Hospital.]
North: [Dad, please stay safe too.]
The hospital room was extremely quiet. Caroline lay on the bed with her eyes closed. She felt a bit dizzy, wondering if she'd hit her head when she fell into the water. The brain CT results weren't out yet.
Leopold sat by the bed, staring at her without blinking.
Caroline opened her eyes. Her pale face made her look weak and tired.
"Are you uncomfortable anywhere else?" Leopold held her hand and kissed it against his lips.
Caroline shook her head slightly. "No. I'm sorry for scaring you."
Leopold's eyelashes trembled slightly. He didn't dare to think about what had just happened—what if he hadn't jumped into the water to save her immediately when he was on the shore, or hadn't caught her in the whirlpool, or if Erica hadn't thrown the lifebuoy over, or if the cardiopulmonary resuscitation hadn't worked.
If any of those things had happened, he didn't dare imagine the consequences.
"Honey, I'm sorry."
He wanted to say something critical, but felt it would be unfair to her. She was just doing her duty, fulfilling her mission.
Not everyone had the courage to give the chance of survival to others at the critical moment of life and death. She was selfless and great; he didn't even have the right to blame.
"You haven't wronged me, but honey," Leopold pressed her hand against his forehead, "I was really scared today."
His hands were cold, long and clean, with several bloody scratches on the back. Caroline asked, "How did you get hurt?"
Leopold looked up. "The rescue rope broke, and you fell into the water. I jumped in to save you. I don't know what scratched me."
Caroline had passed out when she fell into the water and had no idea what happened after.
"Are you crazy? The water is so fast. What if you can't get up?"
Leopold smiled bitterly. "You're the crazy one. If I didn't jump in, with such a strong current, if you couldn't get back up, what would I do?"
They looked at each other, emotions surging in their eyes. Surviving this disaster made them realize how important they were to each other.
At that time, the flood was fierce, and jumping in to save people in such a situation was equivalent to gambling with one's life.
Caroline's eyes gradually filled with tears, blurring his handsome face. Leopold wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, saying in a doting tone, "Why are you crying all of a sudden? This isn't like you. Where's the Caroline who stood on the electric tower?"
Caroline stopped crying and smiled, "The role is different. When I'm on the electric tower, I'm the leader and I have to be responsible for them. With you, I'm your wife, and I need to..."
Before she could finish, Leopold interrupted her. "I need you to be safe and sound for me."
Caroline nodded. "Okay."
"We've agreed on this."
Leopold said, "You must keep your word. In the future, you should do fewer dangerous things, and it's best not to do them at all."
Caroline didn't want to worry him. "It's work, it's unavoidable. But it won't be a regular thing. This kind of emergency is rare - you might only encounter it once in a lifetime. In that situation, I'm a party member and the team leader. When something happens, I have to be the first to step up."
He knew her sense of responsibility for work wouldn't be easily set aside. Even if she encountered the same situation next time, she would still put others' safety first.
"Alright, I support your work," Leopold compromised, "but let's agree, when you encounter danger, you must ensure your own safety first before charging forward."
Caroline said, "Okay."
Leopold took out his phone, deliberately teasing her. "Come on, let's keep some evidence. Say it again to the camera."
Caroline weakly swatted his hand away. "Stop it."
Leopold covered his scratched hand, saying, "I'm trying to reason with you, and you're getting violent with me."
Caroline stared at his hand and asked, "Did I hurt you?"
Leopold nodded emphatically. "Unless you kiss me, then it won't hurt."
Caroline smiled helplessly. "It's late. Let's sleep."
Leopold glanced at the time, it was already past 3 AM.
He said, "I want to hold you while sleeping."
She replied, "This is a hospital."
He said again, "This is a private room."
Caroline moved over to the edge of the bed. Leopold lay down next to her, slipping his arm under her head and pulling her into his embrace.
Only sleeping like this could give him peace of mind.
Leopold held her too tightly, as if afraid of losing her. After closing her eyes for a moment, Caroline said, "Leopold, any tighter and I won't be able to breathe."
The arm around her loosened a bit. Caroline shifted again, finding a more comfortable position, her hand gently stroking his back, soothing him. "It's all over now. Stop thinking about it."
Smelling her familiar scent, his highly tensed nerves finally completely relaxed in this moment.
Leopold brushed aside her bangs and kissed her forehead repeatedly, saying softly, "Honey, let's sleep."
Caroline hummed in response through her nose.
In this lifetime, had you ever met someone who gave you endless love? - I had.
The next day.
Elijah rushed to the hospital. When he pushed open the door to the room, Caroline was still asleep. Leopold was coming in with breakfast. Seeing him, he greeted, "Dad, you're here."
Looking at Elijah again, he had a tired look on his face, and his clothes were in a bit of a mess. His white shirt had its cuffs rolled up, looking crumpled. His trousers and shoes were wet, with mud sticking to the trouser legs and shoes.
He had just come directly from the front lines of the rescue efforts.
Elijah said, "Went to get breakfast?"
"Went downstairs to buy some millet porridge and side dishes for Caroline." Leopold set down the breakfast. "Dad, have you eaten?"
Elijah said, "Not yet. I'll eat at the office in a bit."
Leopold was about to go buy him some, but Elijah stopped him. "Don't bother, Leopold. I just came to check on Caroline, and then I have to leave. The provincial office is waiting for my disaster report."
Hearing this, Leopold didn't insist further.
Elijah looked guilty. "I heard from the fire department that Caroline almost... At that time, there were more than 300 households in the village where I was waiting for rescue. People were all standing on the rooftops to escape the flood, and I really couldn't spare any manpower. Moreover, my place is far from Elmwood Bend, and it would have been too late for the rescue team from my side to go there. It's not that I don't care about Caroline, I just..."
He didn't finish the rest, but Leopold knew he was also having a hard time.
How could parents not care about their own child?
"Dad, Caroline doesn't blame you. She's fine now." Leopold consoled him.
While they were talking, Elijah's phone rang again.