Forbidden Passion
Chapter 344 It Was My Fault

Phoebe reached out and took a sip, but she drank too quickly, causing water to go down the wrong pipe. She started coughing violently. Just as Lawton was about to reach out to pat her back, John moved faster, stood next to Phoebe, and gently patted her back. "Phoebe, drink slower," John said.

Her throat burned with pain, and as Phoebe coughed, she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, startling both John and Lawton.

Lawton quickly called for a nurse. Seeing Phoebe's poor complexion, the nurse felt it was serious and had other nurses bring a medical bed.

A few people helped Phoebe lie down on the bed. The nurse said, "We need to do a full-body examination. Pay the fee first."

John refused to leave and told Lawton to go pay.

With the situation pressing, Lawton dashed off to settle the payment without hesitation.

Meanwhile, John followed the medical bed, his eyes red with worry. "Phoebe, it's okay. Don't be afraid."

Phoebe lay on the bed, the incandescent light on the ceiling flashing past her eyes, making her dizzy. She closed her eyes.

Because she had vomited blood, her mouth was full of a metallic taste, making her very uncomfortable. She told John, "Don't worry. I'm fine. When the car rolled, he... he protected me."

Compared to Theodore, her injuries were relatively minor. Vomiting blood was probably due to anxiety or internal injuries from the car rolling.

'But if I was like this, Theodore must be in worse condition.'

Thinking of this, she became even more worried.

Phoebe had little strength left but still tried to comfort John. John felt very distressed. "Don't talk. Save your strength."

Phoebe didn't have the energy to say more. Listening to the sound of the medical bed's wheels against the floor, she slowly fell into darkness.

John called out, "Phoebe!"

Phoebe opened her eyes to a blurry scene. She didn't know where she was, feeling like she was walking on clouds, her whole body light and airy. Faintly, she heard the sounds of insects and birds. She followed the sounds, walking out of the haze, and a familiar scene appeared before her. Phoebe found the scene very familiar until she saw a little boy sitting by the roadside. She recognized his back immediately.

It was young Theodore.

He was still eagerly looking in the direction she had left, waiting for her to return with help.

Phoebe approached slowly. Theodore, the young boy, heard footsteps behind him. He turned, gazing at her until a flicker of recognition crossed his face.

"Mia, you finally came to find me." He smiled at her, but as he smiled, tears of blood started to flow. "I've been waiting for you for so long. Why did you only come now?" Phoebe woke up screaming. She opened her eyes and saw the blindingly white ceiling, her racing heart slowly calming down.

John was by her bedside. Hearing her scream, he immediately stood up. "Phoebe, you're finally awake."

Phoebe's eyes were swollen and sore. She blinked several times before she could see clearly that it was John. When she struggled to sit up, John pressed her shoulder down. "Phoebe, stay lying down. The doctor said you need to rest," John said.

Phoebe coughed twice, her throat parched. As she glanced at John before she could utter a word, he spoke up, "Mr. Reynolds is out of the emergency room. He's severely injured and is still under observation in the ICU, but the doctor said he's not in any life-threatening danger."

Phoebe closed her eyes, her tense heart slowly settling back into place. Her eyes burned. After a while, she slowly spoke, "Can I go see him?"

"The doctor has restricted visitations. Don't fret. Lawton is by his side," John paused and continued. "The doctor said you have a mild concussion. The blood you vomited was due to lung injury and exhaustion. Vomiting the blood actually made your body feel better."

Phoebe asked, "Is he seriously injured?"

John licked his lips and replied, "Mr. Reynolds is seriously injured, with multiple fractures. The doctor said he also has secondary injuries, which should be..."

He couldn't continue.

While Phoebe was unconscious, he had the pickup truck driver who brought them to the hospital take him back to the accident scene. The skid marks on the road were still there.

He found the wreckage of the car at least seven hundred feet from the road.

Phoebe must have exerted a lot of effort to carry an unconscious adult male from the desert to the road.

The desert terrain was difficult, but it also reduced the secondary injuries Theodore sustained while she moved him.

A tear slid down Phoebe's cheek. She took a deep breath. "Unable to locate my phone, I don't dare to leave him alone in the car. I was afraid..."

Phoebe thought, 'I'm afraid that if I go to find help, he would already be...'

Despite knowing that moving him would exacerbate his injuries, she had no choice. Letting him out of her sight for even a second was unthinkable.

John said, "Phoebe, I'm not blaming you. The doctor said if we had been any later getting him to the hospital, Mr. Reynolds might not have made it. You saved him."

"But it was because of me that he came to this terrible place." Phoebe was filled with remorse.

Had she not offended the masked man at the casino, argued with Donovan, or left the hotel, the accident could have been avoided.

It was Phoebe who got Theodore into this mess!

Seeing her cry silently, John felt a deep pain. She was still injured but already blaming herself.

John comforted, "Don't think like that. What's done is done. Heal first and then make plans. Whether we need to shut down their casino or beat someone up, I'll go with you." Without speaking, Phoebe stared at the IV bottle.

The room fell into silence. John sat back in his chair. Just as he sat down, he heard Phoebe say, "I still want to see Theodore."

John pressed his lips together, not letting her waste more energy. He stood up. "I'll go ask the doctor if you can get out of bed." Phoebe replied, "Okay."

John was gone only a short time. He came back with a wheelchair.

He helped Phoebe sit up. The nurse quickly grabbed the IV bottle, walked around the bed, and John helped Phoebe into the wheelchair. The nurse hung the IV bottle on the wheelchair's stand and reminded them, "Don't stay out too long. Phoebe's body is still very weak." John nodded in agreement and pushed Phoebe out.

The ICU wasn't on this floor. They took the elevator to the second floor, where the ICU was located. Lawton was standing outside the ICU. Hearing the sound of the wheelchair, he turned around. Seeing Phoebe in the wheelchair, he quickly stood up. "Ms. Ziegler."

Phoebe nodded at him. "Thank you for your hard work. How is he?"

Lawton glanced at the ICU and said, "I just visited. Mr. Reynolds woke up for a few minutes. Knowing you're okay, he fell asleep again."

Phoebe's eyes welled up once more. She lifted her hand to shield her eyes, her voice catching slightly.

Lawton had never seen her cry and was at a loss. He took out a pack of tissues, pulled one out, and handed it to Phoebe.

Phoebe took it and wiped her eyes. "When can I visit again? I want to see him."