Requiem of a Broken Heart

Chapter 40

Chapter 40:

Rachel held her silence, which prompted the nurse to reiterate her concern.

“Your condition is quite serious. You’ve had a high fever for the last two days, and it hasn’t let up. It would be safest if your boyfriend could be here with you consistently.”

Shaken from her reverie by the nurse’s words, Rachel muttered in agreement, “Okay, I’ll speak with him.”

“That’s wise. Please call him as soon as you can. I’m genuinely concerned about your wellbeing,” the nurse replied.

Once her IV was set and the nurse had exited, Rachel reached for her phone and dialed Brian.

He answered quickly, his tone revealing his fatigue. “Why are you up so late?” he asked, his voice rough with tiredness.

“Brian, are you still with Tracy Haynes?” she inquired.

“I am. She caught a nasty fever after getting caught in the rain. I’ll visit you tomorrow,” Brian responded.

Her hand clenched around the phone, loosening and then tightening again as she processed his words.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she struggled to find the right words to respond. The pause during their phone call was excruciating until he finally spoke up.

“If that’s all, try to rest.”

“Okay.” Her response was automatic, yet immediately she felt a pang of regret.

How could she just pretend everything was fine?

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She was about to end the call but stopped herself.

“Hold on, Brian. There’s something important,” she blurted out, her words rushing to escape. “I also developed a fever last night. The doctors were really concerned—they said I went into a deep stupor. It’s pretty serious, and I really need you here.”

Her pulse thundered in her ears as she finished speaking, waiting anxiously for his reaction.

She held her breath, awaiting his reply with a mixture of hope and dread. Unexpectedly, a soft chuckle came through from Brian’s end, leaving her startled.

His laugh, cold and tinged with skepticism, rang through the line. “Rachel, playful banter and little whims between us are one thing. I can indulge and even spoil you, but not under these circumstances. You know now isn’t the time to compete for my attention.”

At that moment, everything became painfully clear to Rachel.

What more was there to be confused about?

Brian believed she was fabricating her illness just to pull him away from Tracy. Was this how he saw her? As someone manipulative enough to fake a medical emergency?

sorry for bothering you,” Rachel quickly said,

visit her in the

constant presence, bringing her meals

as she asked Ronald,

excuses

she no longer

inquired, “Do you think

he has been

Busy?

bitter laugh

Yes, busy indeed.

Tracy, being by her

night fell, Rachel’s temperature spiked once again, refusing to

to rush to find Brian,

“Don’t bother, Ronald.”

“But this is serious.”

turning away, her face a

probably think she was just trying to get his

wasn’t worth it.

night, after a dangerous few hours, Rachel’s condition finally stabilized. It was

thought she glimpsed Brian’s form, a faint, ghostly presence in the dim

blinked again, the figure

expected, nothing

been in

she was

improved, she made

and Trey were there to

time Brian got to her hospital

patient who was here?”

be Rachel Marsh’s boyfriend, right? Where were you the last few days? Did you know she was suffering from high

the spot, struck

time, I urged her to contact

emptiness overwhelmed Brian

had misunderstood the entire

suffered; she had indeed fainted and been

His reaction? Utterly inadequate.

actions, he realized his

the hospital swiftly, dialing

it starkly empty; she wasn’t

been out with Jeffrey and

silence, with no lights illuminating