Oscar in Hospital
Hannah dressed quickly, rebuttoning her hastily fastened clothes. Then, she helped Oscar dress, her hands trembling with worry.
"Hannah," Oscar said, leaning against the bed, patiently waiting as she fumbled with his clothing.
"I'm here," she replied, silently reassuring herself that he would be alright. She remembered his robust health in her previous life before her rebirth, convinced he wouldn't die young. However, her rebirth had altered so much; she feared Oscar's fate might be changed as well. Tears welled in her eyes, and she bit her lip.
"I'll be okay," Oscar said firmly, attempting to comfort her despite his illness.
Hannah simply nodded, then opened the door and called Max and Jimmy. They arrived swiftly, noticing the blood on the bed. Max hesitated, then said, "You two have had a wild night, considering how long you've been apart."
Hannah explained, "It's his blood," clarifying his assumption.
Max and Jimmy were shocked. "Jimmy, help me get him to the hospital," Hannah directed.
Jimmy immediately assisted, and Oscar, seemingly too weak to resist, offered no protest. They rushed to Central Hospital, using the VIP passage to expedite a medical examination. The results revealed gastrointestinal bleeding due to gastric perforation caused by a gastric ulcer, explaining the vomiting blood. Was this good news or bad? It wasn't cancer, but Hannah would accept any outcome as long as Oscar lived.
In the doctor's office, they learned, "Mr. Wells has serious gastric perforation requiring immediate surgery."
"No other choice?" Hannah asked.
"No," the doctor replied.
Oscar looked pale, yet still tried to reassure Hannah, "I'm fine."
"No, you're not," the doctor countered.
Hannah stared at him, wide-eyed. "Even a strong man struggles with the pain of gastric perforation," the doctor explained. "Admission and surgery are necessary."
Hannah silenced Oscar's protest, covering his mouth. "Listen to the doctor."
"Let's get started," Hannah told the doctor.
"An examination before admission; we'll schedule surgery if he's a suitable candidate," the doctor responded.
While discussing further details, Hannah felt something warm on her palm. Oscar, despite his critical condition, was licking her hand. He wouldn't die from this, she thought, noticing his smiling eyes as she removed her hand.
She mentally scolded him for his disregard for his health. Only then did she fully grasp the severity of gastric perforation, imagining his pain during their recent intimacy. The doctor's further explanations increased her worry. Eventually, she and Jimmy helped Oscar to a private ward.
Once he was settled, Hannah burst out, "Oscar, why didn't you tell me?"
He'd noticed her worry earlier, but before he could speak, she interrupted.
"Stop," Hannah said, "I'll cry."
Oscar smiled, feeling fortunate to have her.
"No more secrets," Hannah pleaded, her eyes red-rimmed. "Whether you feel well or not, tell me. I'm here."
Oscar's heart melted, but he knew confessing his preoccupation with making love to her would incur her wrath. He smiled; the pain was familiar. He'd nearly died from gastric perforation in prison.
As Hannah continued speaking, Oscar pulled her into a hug. Despite her anger, her heart ached for him. The youngest Wells son should be enjoying his life, not suffering in a hospital bed. Despite his thinness, she leaned against him, whispering, "No more secrets!"
"Okay," he agreed, then suddenly twitched, seemingly vomiting.
Hannah pulled back to find his eyes closed, his throat convulsing. "No, Oscar! Don't swallow it!" she cried.
He managed to suppress the blood, comforting her, "I don't want to be seen like that."
Hannah wanted to punish him, but doctors and nurses arrived for further examinations, drawing copious amounts of blood. At 3 p.m., the results came back, and surgery was scheduled for half an hour later.
Seeing her distress, Oscar said, "Don't worry. It's not a big deal."
As they wheeled him toward the operating room, Hannah yelled, "If you die, I'll marry someone else immediately!"