The Year I Stopped Being His novel Chapter 73

Click.

The ward door clicked shut, cutting off the light and noise from the hallway.

Garrison didn't say a word.

He walked over to the bed, picked up the half-empty IV bag of electrolyte solution, carefully inspected the label and drip rate, and silently adjusted it to a more appropriate speed.

He leaned over, pulled the blankets higher over Sloane, and meticulously tucked in the corners. The fabric rustled softly in the quiet room.

Once finished, Garrison straightened up, his gaze landing on the vital signs monitor by the bed. The screen displayed dancing waves and numbers for her heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate. He stared at it intently, his brow slightly furrowed.

Silence stretched through the room, broken only by the rhythmic beeping of the machine.

"When this bag is finished," Garrison finally spoke, his eyes still glued to the screen, "I'll arrange for a full checkup. Head CT, pulmonary function, and a comprehensive blood panel."

"I'm not sick."

Sloane leaned against the pillows, her face turned toward the gray sky outside the window. Her voice was perfectly calm. "I just inhaled too much smoke last night and lacked oxygen. Combined with exhaustion, I just passed out for a moment. There's no need to overreact."

"Whether it's an overreaction or not, we'll know after the tests." Garrison turned his head, his somber gaze landing on Sloane's pale profile.

"I don't have time to indulge your pointless exams." Sloane met his eyes, her tone resolute. "When I joined the Deep Ice Exploration project, I passed the strictest medical evaluations. All my metrics meet the standards for polar expeditions. The files are with Dean Quinton. If you don't believe me, go check them yourself."

Deep Ice Exploration...

Garrison silently repeated those words in his mind, recalling the conversation he had just overheard in the hallway—"I'm a member of the team heading to Antarctica to find The White Microbe... For everyone like you waiting for this to save their lives..."

A ridiculous thought flared up in Garrison's mind. He stepped closer to the bed.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify