Chapter 27

“Why call her? Just to hear her say ‘no need’ again?” Josiah thought. He wasn’t into masochism and definitely didn’t want to set himself up for disappointment.

Zach and the others exchanged glances. After Josiah’s comment, they figured it was best to remain silent.

After seven, Sienna quietly told the nurse, “I’ll step out for a bit. I’ll be in the outer room. Just call me if you need anything.”

“Alright,” the nurse nodded.

Sienna grabbed her backpack and headed outside. Meanwhile, Josiah and the others had finished eating. Chester and James were gone, leaving only Zach to discuss business matters with Josiah.

Sienna walked straight into the kitchen without looking their way. She pulled out a lunchbox from her backpack containing boiled corn and hard-boiled eggs. The eggs were ready to eat once peeled, but the cold corn was tough to bite into. So, she popped it in the microwave for three minutes. When she took it out, it felt scalding hot. “Ouch, that’s hot!” she exclaimed.

Just then, Josiah entered to grab some water. He pretended not to notice as he filled his cup and turned away, while Sienna was busy munching on her corn.

“This is all she’s having for dinner? Lunch was better; at least there was a sandwich and some carrot sticks,” Josiah thought, eyeing her coolly. “Sienna, you eat like a bird.”

“What?” Sienna looked up, puzzled, but he was already walking away. She went back to nibbling on her corn. He really dislikes me—even eating corn is a problem, she thought, feeling speechless.

Later that night, Sienna kept watch by the bed. Failing to argue with her, Josiah settled on the nearby couch. They both avoided deep sleep. Even when fatigue hit, they only allowed themselves shallow naps.

Suddenly, the monitor let out a piercing alarm.

Sienna jumped up from her chair and grabbed Miranda’s hand. “What’s wrong, Miranda?”

“What’s happening?” Josiah rushed over from the couch.

They both glanced at the monitor and realized something was wrong. The blood oxygen saturation line had turned red.

“Call a doctor!” Josiah shouted.

“Got it.” Sienna pressed the call button. At the same time, Josiah dashed out, yelling for help.

In less than a minute, the medical staff arrived.

“Family, please step outside for a moment,” the nurse said, pulling the curtain around the bed to shield the scene from them. They were about to start an emergency procedure, and it was not something the family should witness.

Even though they couldn’t see, neither Sienna nor Josiah moved. They stood just outside the curtain, listening intently.

“There’s mucus blocking the airway. Use the suction?”

“The mucus is too thick. It won’t come out.”

“Add saline solution to thin it.”

But soon, a voice shouted, “It’s no use. There’s too much mucus built up.”

Josiah’s fists clenched, his expression dark and intense as his mind raced with thoughts about what to do next.

“I’ll do it!” Sienna suddenly announced, yanking back the curtain and rushing to the bedside.

“Sienna!” Josiah reached out to grab her but missed.

“How did you get in here? Family members, please leave!” the doctor called out firmly.

“Let me give it a shot!” Sienna shouted, urgency in her voice. She didn’t wait for an explanation.

“You want to—” The doctor hesitated.

“Sienna, don’t cause trouble!” Josiah called after her. But it was already too late for him or the doctor to stop her.

Sienna moved quickly, leaning over Miranda’s body. In an instant, Josiah’s eyes widened in shock. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing—Sienna was actually using her mouth to clear Miranda’s airway. For a moment, even the medical staff were taken aback.

Sienna was completely focused. She cleared the phlegm and quickly looked up at the nurse.

“Spit it out here,” the nurse said, holding up a trash bin and moving it closer.

Sienna quickly obeyed. Still catching her breath, she asked, “Does it help?” She could tell she had removed some of the blockage but wasn’t sure if it was enough.

“It works!” the nurse exclaimed, pointing at the monitor. “The oxygen level is rising!”

The doctor relaxed a little. “The airway is clear. Let’s prepare the medication. Family members, please step outside.”

Sienna let out a big sigh of relief and nodded. “Alright.”

As she turned around, she felt a gentle pull on her hand. Glancing down, she saw Miranda. Although she wasn’t fully awake, her eyes were slightly open and her mind was clear.

“Everything’s alright now. It’s all good,” Sienna whispered, holding Miranda’s hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Miranda couldn’t speak. Her throat let out a muffled sound, and warm tears flowed from the corners of her eyes. Sienna’s eyes quickly reddened as she realized what that meant. “Don’t cry, Miranda. I’m your family, remember!”

Finally, Miranda slowly released her grip.

Sienna turned back, a wave of relief flooding through her. It hadn’t been long, but the stress had her sweating profusely. Oh, I need to freshen up, she thought, ready to pull back the bed curtain. Just then, an arm reached out to help her. She looked up and saw it was Josiah.

Josiah cleared his throat, his eyes flickering. “Aren’t you going to the bathroom? Let’s go.”

“Okay.” Sienna led the way into the bathroom, with Josiah following closely behind. She felt a bit scared after her reckless act. So, as she entered, she didn’t notice the threshold and tripped.

“Watch out!” Josiah reached out and steadied her arm.

Sienna quickly snapped back to attention, straightening up and pulling away from him. “I’m alright, thanks.”

Again! Does he really dislike my touch that much? Do I seem like some kind of monster? Josiah stared at her pale face, fuming. But he couldn’t scold her right now—she had just saved Miranda.

Stifling his frustration, Josiah grabbed a cup, filled it with water, and handed it to Sienna. “Here, rinse your mouth.”

He watched her rinse her mouth at the sink and struggled with his thoughts before finally speaking up. “You don’t need to thank me. I should be thanking you, Sienna.”

Sienna blinked in surprise, looking up at him. “What did you just say?”

“I said thank you.” Feeling grateful for her help, Josiah set everything else aside and repeated, “Thank you for saving Grandma.”

Sienna finally processed his words and managed a small smile. “No need. I didn’t do it for you. Grandma raised me for five years—it’s what I ought to do.”

Putting aside those four years overseas, if it weren’t for Miranda adopting her at the beginning, she might not have turned out so well.

Sienna’s words made sense, but Josiah read between the lines, picking up that she wanted to keep her distance. That was what he used to want too, but now, strangely, it felt like a letdown.

“It’s my grandma, after all. No matter what, I owe you gratitude.” He looked at Sienna, his chin slightly lifted. “Tell me, what do you want? I’ll give it to you as a thank-you gift.”

“No, it’s fine,” Sienna replied quickly.

“Hurry up!” Josiah was losing his patience. “I don’t like owing people. Just tell me what you want.”

Oh, he is probably worried I’ll use this as an excuse to latch onto him again. He wants to offer a gift to clearly cut ties, Sienna thought.