Garrison Reeves sensed the subtle change in Winifred Dawson’s demeanor. He set the bowl of soup down and slowly backed away from the bedside.
As soon as he moved away, Winifred rushed forward, grabbed the bowl, and despite the heat, gulped down the entire contents, including the meat.
“Eat slowly, be careful,” Garrison said softly.
Winifred didn’t hear him. The warm soup spread through her body, bringing comfort.
While chewing on the meat, her body suddenly twitched. Her hand shook, and the bowl fell onto the bed.
Fortunately, she had finished the soup, so it didn’t spill.
“Winifred!”
Winifred clutched her head and rolled on the bed in pain. The bowl fell to the floor as she writhed in agony.
Garrison was terrified by her reaction. He rushed forward and held her tightly to prevent her from hurting herself. He shouted at a servant standing nearby, “Call the doctor! Get him here now!”
The servant snapped out of their daze and hurried out of the room.
Garrison continued to hold Winifred tightly as she cried out in pain, tears streaming down her face.
Winifred’s body reacted uncontrollably, and she vomited the soup onto Garrison.
He didn’t flinch and kept holding her. “Winifred, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me.”
Winifred was in too much pain to speak. Her face was pale, and even her lips lost color.
The pain was unbearable… Her head hurt so much…
Eventually, Winifred couldn’t take it anymore and passed out. This frightened Garrison even more. He couldn’t wait for the doctor any longer; he carried Winifred downstairs.
The medical equipment in the villa wasn’t ready yet. With Winifred in such severe pain and now unconscious, they needed a hospital for a proper diagnosis.
Garrison couldn’t afford to wait. His previous plans were irrelevant now. It was more important to get Winifred treated than to keep hiding her condition.
He preferred having a healthy Winifred over keeping her hidden from Leland Burns.
His assistant drove while Garrison held Winifred in the car and called Dr. Smith.
“Dr. Smith, something’s wrong with Winifred. She drank a bowl of soup and then started clutching her head before passing out. I’m taking her to the hospital for an examination. Do you have any private hospital contacts? I don’t want news of this getting out.”
Dr. Smith was momentarily confused about who Winifred was until Garrison explained further that she was the woman with multiple injuries.
With so many injuries, Dr. Smith wondered if she had enemies which was why Garrison wanted to keep her hidden.
“I do have a friend with a private hospital, but their equipment is outdated and the environment isn’t great. Are you sure you want to take her there?” Dr. Smith asked cautiously.
“Yes, send me the address.” The environment didn’t matter as long as they could diagnose Winifred’s condition.
Private hospitals offered more privacy, which was essential right now.
After hanging up, Garrison received the location from Dr. Smith and directed his assistant accordingly.
The hospital wasn’t far; they arrived in twenty minutes since there was no traffic at night.
Those twenty minutes felt like an eternity to Garrison. He constantly checked Winifred’s breathing, heartbeat, and temperature, fearing she wouldn’t wake up.
At the hospital entrance, several medical staff were waiting with a stretcher, having been notified by Dr. Smith.
As soon as they arrived, Garrison got out of the car with Winifred in his arms. The medical staff quickly brought over a stretcher and rushed her inside for various examinations once she was carefully placed on it.
The tests revealed a large blood clot in Winifred’s brain causing her pain earlier.
Additionally, she had multiple inflammations and stomach issues that required long-term treatment and care.
“Does she need surgery for the blood clot?” Garrison asked anxiously.
Dr. Smith shook his head. “We need to observe first. Brain surgery is risky because it involves many nerves. I recommend avoiding surgery unless absolutely necessary. If it comes to that, it should be done at top hospitals either domestically or abroad.”
But that would increase the risk of exposure for Winifred.
Just hearing this made Garrison break into a cold sweat.
“If we don’t operate, will the clot dissipate on its own?”
“It’s possible over time,” Dr. Smith replied. “But it might cause memory issues or amnesia due to nerve compression.”
“Amnesia?”
Dr. Smith nodded.
If Winifred lost her memory, they wouldn’t be able to learn what happened over the past five years. This might be good for her as it could help her forget past traumas and start anew.
For Garrison too, it could mean a fresh start with Winifred without past burdens.
“Is there a chance she could regain her memory?”
“It’s hard to say,” Dr. Smith admitted.
“Mr. Reeves, what are your plans? The equipment here isn’t great; a top-tier hospital would be safer.”
The hospital wasn’t ideal; even though they arranged for the best room available for Winifred, it still had unpleasant odors and unclean facilities.
“For now, we’ll stay here and monitor her condition.”
“Alright.”
Dr. Smith had given his advice; it was up to Garrison now who had his own considerations.
With other matters to attend to, Dr. Smith left shortly after checking on Winifred in her room.
Garrison stayed by Winifred’s side; he hadn’t rested properly for a long time and felt exhausted now that things had calmed down slightly. Holding Winifred’s hand tightly, he dozed off uneasily by her bedside.
When Winifred woke up again, she wasn’t as frantic as before; perhaps due to medication effects making her calmer but looking pale and weak without much energy.
She needed IV fluids and medication which made her drowsy most of the time; when awake she just stared quietly at one spot without speaking.