Chapter 995

Ul was momentarily stunned but quickly responded, “Mr. Martin, do you have a misunderstanding with Mr. Martin? There’s nothing between him and Ms. Ruell. Those rumors are untrue.”

Seeing Paul defend Joe, Skylar didn’t press further. Was there nothing between them? Then why did Joe rush to the hospital when Vera went there? Skylar wasn't naive.

Seeing Skylar just smile without saying anything, Paul felt uneasy. He sensed something was amiss. "Ms. Ruell's arrival in Fachington was purely coincidental. They also stayed at the same hotel by chance. I guarantee there’s absolutely nothing between Mr. Martin and Ms. Ruell.”

Paul’s assurance sounded forced. After all, Joe had met Vera yesterday morning and again earlier today. Paul was sure Joe had never been interested in Vera before, but his behavior these past two days was puzzling.

"Is that so?" Skylar replied, but she didn't ask further. Paul's demeanor had already revealed enough. "How high is his fever now?" she asked.

Paul answered quickly, "It was over 100 degrees when I last checked, but I haven't taken his temperature recently. I think it’s gotten worse.”

"Do you have any medicine for fever?"

"Yes, Dr. Grey told me to bring some just in case."

Skylar nodded. "Go get the medicine; I'll go check on him."

Entering the room, she saw Joe lying in bed, tightly wrapped in a blanket, with only his head exposed. The fever was likely making him feel cold. But despite that, he still refused to take any medicine. She knew about his aversion to medicine from his last hospitalization.

Approaching the bed, Skylar grabbed the nearby thermometer and took his temperature. It was 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

Skylar sighed. How could he not be in the hospital or taking any medicine with a fever like this? Did he think he was made of steel? The flu wasn't something to be taken lightly.

Suddenly, Joe opened his eyes and looked up at her. Seeing Skylar, he seemed surprised for a moment, then stared intently and asked, "Why did you come back?"

"Dr. Ziegler called, saying you have a fever. The flu is rampant here in Fachington. You and Natalie probably caught the same flu, but your fever has lasted too long without breaking. You need to go to the hospital immediately," Skylar replied directly.

Hearing "hospital," Joe frowned. "I'm not going."

As expected. Skylar wasn't surprised. "Fine. If you won't go to the hospital, at least take some medicine and see if it helps break your fever."

Joe frowned again. "Take medicine?"

He didn't flat-out refuse but seemed to question it. Skylar had never met someone so opposed to both hospitals and medicine. But having dealt with Joe before, she knew how to handle it.

"Natalie had a fever all morning. She thought it was nothing, but it left her feeling weak. After taking some medicine, she's much better now and will likely recover after a good night's rest. Do you really want to keep suffering through this fever for the next few days? I read on the way here that this flu causes recurrent fevers for two to three days. It's really tough. So, let's take the medicine and get your fever down."

As she spoke, Skylar’s tone softened, becoming gentler. When Joe heard her say, "Let's," the heaviness he’d felt all day lifted. He took the opportunity to make a request. "I'll take the medicine, but can you stay and sleep with me? It's too cold, and I can't fall asleep.”

Skylar looked down at him, feeling like he was being quite shameless. Just then, Paul entered the room with the medicine. "Mrs. Martin, I got the medicine."