Hamish carried the thermos lunchbox and went straight up to the fifth floor in the elevator. When he came out, everything seemed fine. But upon returning, he found the hallway crowded with doctors and nurses comforting patients in various rooms.
As he was about to pass through, Hamish overheard a discussion in the crowd.
“A mentally ill patient from upstairs ran down and bit someone. If the doctors hadn’t arrived in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable.”
“How severe are the injuries?”
“The person’s ear was bitten, bloodied and hard to see clearly. It looks like the ear might have been bitten off.”
Hamish was thunderstruck. His face suddenly turned panicked. He pushed aside the people in front of him and started running with long strides. In the process, his thermos lunchbox was accidentally knocked out of his hand, falling to the ground with a loud “bang.” The soup and food spilled all over, losing their appetizing appeal and becoming disgusting on the floor.
“Who is this person? Why are they running so fast? Are they in a hurry to be reborn? They didn’t even apologize after bumping into someone! And now they’ve made a mess everywhere!”
Hamish paid no attention and continued to run forward. He stumbled over a flowerpot along the way, nearly falling to the ground, but he steadied himself and didn’t look back. Elisa filled his mind and heart entirely.
He had closed the door before he left, but now it was wide open. His heart raced as he rushed in, shouting, “Elisa!”
Elisa, curled up on the bed, stiffened and lifted her head. It seemed like the first time she had ever seen him in such a disheveled state.
Hamish was panting heavily, his shirt and pants were dirty, and his leather shoes were covered in mud. His hair was a mess.
Elisa looked at him, momentarily forgetting his obsession with cleanliness.
“Are you alright?” Hamish walked in and carefully examined Elisa from head to toe. When he saw that she was unharmed, he let out a sigh of relief. He was terrified that the person they were talking about, the one who was bitten by the mentally ill patient, would be Elisa.
Elisa didn’t respond. She closed her eyes and continued to sleep.
Hamish forced a bitter smile. He had a feeling that he had messed up.
He stayed by her bedside. The food he had brought was scattered all over the corridor, so he had to order takeout.
After placing the order, Hamish looked at Elisa’s sleeping face. Unable to resist, he raised his hand to touch her eyelashes.
His hand was still covered in soup, making it sticky and uncomfortable. He got up and went to the bathroom to wash his hands before coming back to touch Elisa.
Elisa wasn’t asleep. She sensed Hamish approaching. She wanted to hide, but her body wouldn’t move.
Hamish touched Elisa’s forehead and then shifted his gaze to her clenched fist. There were traces of blood in the gaps between her fingers. Hamish’s gaze tightened, and he gently held Elisa’s hand, separating her fingers one by one. When he saw the scars on her palm caused by her own fingertips, he pursed his lips.
How long had he been away for her to hurt herself like this?
After this incident, Hamish dared not leave Elisa anymore. Even ordering takeout had to be done by someone delivering it to the hospital room.
Elisa made a complete recovery five days later, and the psychologist finished her treatment and went to call Hamish.
“Elisa wants to talk to you. Her emotions have been cleared up. Don’t rush her, just listen if you can. I’ve witnessed the power of your straightforward remarks, and sometimes they can infuriate people. I’m afraid it will trigger a relapse in Elisa.”
“I understand.” Hamish stood up and walked into the hospital room, with a slight smirk on one corner of his mouth. What did Elisa want to say to him?
Elisa’s eyes had regained clarity. She looked no different from before on the outside, but there was a sense of detachment in her emotions. Hamish could clearly feel that Elisa no longer had the same passion for him as before.
Elisa sat leaning against the head of the bed and didn’t look at Hamish when he entered. Instead, she stared at the floor.
Hamish stopped at a safe distance, not daring to get too close to Elisa, for fear of startling her.
Elisa still didn’t raise her eyes to look at Hamish. After a long while, her voice hoarse, she asked, “Was it me who pushed Lila?”
Hamish’s heart trembled with extreme unease.
Elisa continued, “I made a mistake, and you threw me down the stairs. Whathappened to her?”
“You didn’t do anything wrong. I wrongly accused you. I made Lila move out, and I warned her. She won’t dare to do such things to you again.”
Elisa smiled mockingly, finally raising her head to look at Hamish. “If I call the police, you’ll definitely defend her. And if I want a divorce, you’ll surely find ways to hinder it.”
Hamish’s heart skipped a beat. “I won’t divorce you.”
“I know.” Elisa shifted her gaze to the railing of the window. She felt trapped by it, both physically and spiritually.
“After all, you haven’t completely played me to death. How could you let me go so easily?”
Hamish opened his mouth several times, but couldn’t find the right words to explain.
Elisa’s lips trembled. “Hamish, how many times do you want me dead before you’re satisfied?”