On the day Elisa left, many people saw them. They stood at the door, observing them. Though Elisa’s mind was hazy, she could distinguish between the kind gazes and the malicious ones.
But the way those people looked at him made her uncomfortable, as if she were a monkey being observed in a zoo.
Suddenly, Elisa resisted and quickened her pace. Lately, her appetite had been poor, and she hadn’t been sleeping well. Both her mind and body were weak, and she soon found herself panting after only a few steps.
After getting off the elevator, Elisa leaned against the wall to catch her breath.
“Can’t go on?” Hamish asked.
Elisa didn’t answer; she just stood still.
Hamish thought for a moment and then walked in front of her, crouching down. “Come on, I’ll carry you.”
He had never tried carrying her before, so it was just an attempt. He hadn’t expected Elisa to obediently climb onto his back, considering how much she despised his touch now.
However, to his surprise, after a moment of hesitation, Elisa suddenly climbed onto his back, her slender arms wrapping tightly around his neck.
Hamish couldn’t help but feel his heart race. Elisa was so thin that when he carried her, he couldn’t feel the weight of an adult woman. There was none of the softness a woman should have; instead, she felt stiff, like carrying a skeleton.
Furrowing his brow, Hamish cautiously stood up and carried her to the next floor.
There were many people on the way, and Hamish sensed her trembling. He spoke softly, “Press your face against my back, and others won’t see you.”
Elisa obediently buried her face in Hamish’s back. Although she should have forgotten the past, she couldn’t help but remember it with a lack of restraint.
She greedily sniffed the scent on Hamish’s body, just like she used to sixteen years ago when she would nestle against his reassuring back.
Could Hamish still remember carrying her like this a long time ago and using crepes to calm her, this little whiner?
There was a warmth on his back, but Hamish felt it without paying much attention.
He had already taken care of the hospital admission procedures, so they could go straight in. The ward was on the fifth floor, and as the doctor had said, it was very quiet.
But this kind of quietness felt lifeless. At this time, the patients were resting. Hamish glanced into an open room as he passed by and saw a disheveled woman sitting on the floor with her head lowered.
Even with his strong composure, this scene startled him. He quickly suppressed the unrealistic imagination of Elisa ending up the same way one day.
Unlike other rooms, this ward had protective bars on the windows to prevent patients from jumping off. The room was very clean and tidy, with neatly folded sheets and the scent of air freshener in the air, unlike the rooms filled with disinfectant before. It was more suitable for patients with mental illnesses to recuperate.
On Elisa’s first day here, her mind was tightly wound, trying to adapt to the new environment. At night, she either had nightmares or stayed awake with her eyes open.
Hamish had also gotten used to her condition. He went to the restroom and came back to find Elisa sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Do you need to go to the restroom?” Hamish asked her.
Elisa shook her head. “No.”
“Do you want some water?”
“I don’t want any.”
“Are you hungry?”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Then go to sleep.” As soon as Hamish finished speaking, Elisa obediently crawled into bed and closed her eyes.
The next day, when Hamish mentioned these things, Elisa shook her head, indicating that she didn’t remember anything.
The psychiatrist came as usual to treat Elisa. Her condition had improved somewhat, with no signs of schizophrenia, but she was somewhat withdrawn.
“It’s difficult for her to fully recover. Spend more time with her, care for her, and give her a new focus,” the doctor advised.
“Okay.”
Two weeks passed in a blink of an eye, and Hamish increasingly felt powerless. He didn’t even know when Elisa’s illness would come to an end.
He couldn’t neglect his work, so he had Tobias bring the documents that needed to be signed to the hospital. He worked while taking care of Elisa.
Elisa had to take many medications every day. Besides the prescriptions from her psychiatrist, Hattie also prescribed some. Mixing the two medications resulted in a large handful, and stopping any part of it was not an option.
However, after taking so many medications, Elisa showed obvious improvement. She was no longer as fearful of his touch, and sometimes she even smiled athim. Her lips would curl up, revealing shallow dimples on both sides, giving her a cute and obedient appearance. However, her smile didn’t reach her eyes, which remained dull and lifeless, just staring at people indifferently.
At noon, Hamish ordered takeout. He knew what Elisa didn’t like, but he didn’t know what she liked. However, it was best for a sick person to eat something light, and a bone broth would be good.
Just as he was about to place the order, his phone rang. It was a call from Lila.
Hamish answered the call, “Hello?”
Elisa sat nearby and saw the contact name displayed on the phone as Hamish answered the call.
It was Lila who called, and she didn’t know what was said in the conversation. Hamish’s tense expression loosened up a bit.
“No need to come up. Wait for me downstairs, and I’ll come down to get it,” he said, ending the call. Then he stood up and said to Elisa, “Don’t wander around here. I’ll go downstairs to get the food.”