Chapter 109 One More Time
Ethan took the bottle back to his room. This time, he didn't plan on getting drunk—just a few sips to take the edge off. Alcohol really did help. After a few swigs, clarity hit.
That kid's life today... it wasn't something he could've saved just by wanting to. The rural conditions, the parents' financial situation, the circumstances—all of it had sealed the child's fate. One person's power was just too limited.
Once he'd made peace with that, he decided to wash up and call it a night. But as he was putting his toothbrush away, he accidentally knocked the bottle off the table. It hit the concrete floor with a loud crash.
Carol had just gotten back from the diner and was crossing the courtyard when she heard glass shattering. Thinking something was wrong, she rushed to Ethan's room.
"What happened?"
Ethan was crouched on the floor picking up pieces of glass. He looked up and saw genuine concern in Carol's eyes. It was the first time since arriving in Stoneford Town that anyone had looked at him like that. In that moment, something inside him cracked. Tears spilled down his cheeks before he could stop them.
Since coming to Stoneford Town, Matilda had frozen him out, Wentworth actively avoided him, the townspeople stared at him like some curiosity, and the villagers on his house calls just wanted him to cure their sick without paying for medicine.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Carol thought he was drunk again.
He shook his head and turned away, not wanting her to see him cry.
Carol grabbed a broom and mop, making quick work of the mess. But the alcohol smell still hung thick in the air, so she picked up a fan and started waving it around. Watching her fuss over him, Ethan reached for the fan.
"Let me do it."
"I got it." She didn't think he was in any shape to help.
But he didn't want to trouble her and reached again. "Really, I should..."
"I said I got it!"
They both grabbed for the fan at the same time. Their bodies collided. The second they realized what happened, they froze. Their eyes locked. The longer they stared, the shallower their breathing became. Every moment from last night flooded back.
She pulled away and turned to leave, but he grabbed her, pulling her back.
"You're drunk," Carol reminded him.
"I'm not drunk!" He leaned down and kissed her.
She smelled like the diner—faint cooking oil mixed with something softer, almost vanilla. It was earthy and sweet at the same time.
"Do you even know who I am?" She pushed him back.
"I know!" He kissed her again.
Carol tried pushing him away at first, but her resistance melted pretty quickly. She could admit it now—last night had been wild, and she couldn't get enough of him. He was gorgeous, with delicate features that carried a hint of melancholy. In his white button-downs he looked pristine, but in bed he was tender, almost refined.
They tumbled toward the bed. Last night had been drunken instinct, but tonight they were both clear-headed. They knew what they wanted—each other. Finding warmth in each other. Soft cries built and crescendoed.
...
Morning. Lily spotted the boss lady emerging from Ethan's room again. Sure, Carol was dressed, but her hair was a mess and her dress was wrinkled all to hell. Lily's mouth dropped open again.
Something was definitely going on. Definitely.
...
That morning, Matilda got word that officials from the health department were coming, along with construction crew leaders. They were here to scout locations and plan where to build the new hospital. Matilda and Ethan tagged along briefly.
Stoneford Town had plenty of land—as long as you had money, permits were easy to get. By that afternoon, they'd settled on a location five miles out from town—a seven-acre plot where an abandoned factory used to be.
With the site chosen, the next step was blueprints. Of course, that wasn't Matilda's department. She was just here as support staff. Building the hospital wasn't something she could advise on. Since Charles was funding it, it wouldn't be shabby.
A week later, Matilda passed by on a house call and saw they'd already started laying the foundation. Forklifts, cranes, cement mixers—the whole operation was in full swing, with locals and kids gathered around to watch.
Curious, Matilda wandered over and spotted a foreman-looking guy holding blueprints. "I'm the town doctor. Mind if I take a look at those?"
Seeing her work badge, the foreman handed them over. "Once this place is finished, you guys are gonna be living pretty sweet. Look—this is the main hospital building, this is the inpatient wing, and there's staff housing, a basketball court, a gym..."
The main building and inpatient wing were only two stories, but the recreational facilities took up serious space. Just from the blueprints, it looked more like a retirement resort than a hospital. Matilda handed the plans back to the foreman with a smile.
...
"Did you check out that hospital your brother's building?"
That evening, Matilda asked Wentworth. He was sitting on a bench in the courtyard peeling potatoes for her, his long legs stretched out awkwardly in front of him because the bench was too small. The whole picture was both cramped and hilarious. She'd gotten it in her head to make mashed potatoes today. The second he showed up, she'd put him on potato duty while she fiddled with seasonings.
"I saw the blueprints."
Matilda laughed. "Honestly, Briarford County doesn't have that many patients. Even when they're sick, most of them won't come see a doctor. Building such a nice hospital—I'm afraid it'll go to waste."
Wentworth disagreed. "What if once the hospital's built, patients think it's so comfortable they actually want to come?"
"But they're still worried about money. Hardly anyone's willing to pay for insurance."
Wentworth kept peeling as he asked, "Is there a way to get them to sign up for insurance?"
"That's exactly what I've been thinking about lately. I want to go door-to-door promoting it. I know it's not really a doctor's job, but raising insurance awareness would actually help them."
Before Wentworth could weigh in, Matilda was already rattling off her ideas. He watched her animated expression and couldn't help smiling.
...
By Matilda's count, she'd been in Briarford County exactly one year now. On the festival day, the locals were hosting a bonfire celebration that everyone could attend. Matilda and Wentworth had made plans to go together.
As she headed out all dressed up, she spotted Ethan and Carol coming out of the diner, walking one behind the other, looking slightly awkward.
"Boss lady," Matilda called out.
Carol's face lit up seeing Matilda. She hurried over to walk alongside her.
"Where's Wentworth?"
"He's waiting for me at the festival site."
"That's good. I thought you were going alone."
"Well, I'd still have you, right?" Matilda laughed.
"True enough."
The two women walked together while Ethan trailed behind by himself. Matilda glanced back and caught him staring at Carol. These two definitely had something going on.