Forbidden Passion
Chapter 593 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

The ICU lights were blindingly white, the sheets and covers were blindingly white, and even Phoebe's face, lying there in the hospital bed, looked like a ghost. Phoebe looked so delicate, like she might shatter if you touched her.

Theodore stood by the bed for what felt like forever, just staring at Phoebe without blinking. His heart was a mess of regret and pain, wishing he could rewind time. He shut his eyes. If he could go back, he'd protect Phoebe from the start, making sure she never got hurt.

The nurse stood at the door, watching Theodore. He'd been standing there for ten minutes, lost in thought, his back radiating sadness.

"Mr. Reynolds, visiting hours are over. Please come back tomorrow," the nurse said, doing her job.

Theodore's back twitched. The nurse noticed his sleeves fluttering even though there was no breeze. She realized he was trembling.

Theodore slowly bent down, one hand on the bed's edge, the other gripping the rail. His lips brushed against Phoebe's cold forehead.

He whispered, "Sleep tight, I'll be back tomorrow."

Phoebe's eyelashes fluttered.

Theodore's breath hitched. He stared at her eyes, hoping she'd open them and look at him, but it seemed like a trick of the light. Phoebe didn't move again. The nurse reminded him, "Mr. Reynolds, time's up."

Theodore clenched his fists, using all his strength to keep his emotions in check. He stood up straight and walked out.

Leaving the ICU, it felt like an invisible hand around his throat finally let go. Theodore took a deep breath, his face even paler than Phoebe's.

Grace was waiting with food for Theodore. Seeing him come out, she rushed over. "Theodore, how's Phoebe? Is she getting better? Has she woken up?" Theodore rubbed his temples and sat down on a bench.

He was still in the clothes from the day he brought Phoebe to the hospital. Luckily, it was winter. He hadn't shaved, and he looked completely worn out.

He said, "She hasn't woken up. I can't see the injuries."

Grace glanced at the ICU, then back at the disheveled Theodore. She sat next to him and pushed a thermos towards him.

She suggested, "Theodore, you need to eat something. You've lost a lot of weight these past few days. Don't make yourself sick. If you get sick, you won't be able to see Phoebe when she gets out, and that would be even worse." Theodore had no appetite, but hearing Grace's words, he forced himself to eat.

Grace, watching him, opened the thermos. "Eat up. Riley made this soup early this morning. Have some more."

Theodore ate without tasting anything.

Grace couldn't stand seeing him like this and tried to comfort him. "Phoebe's seriously hurt. Being in the ICU lowers the risk of infection. Don't worry, she'll pull through." Theodore looked at the green light above the ICU door and said quietly, "I saw her eyelashes move. If the doctor hadn't kicked me out, I might've seen her open her eyes." "Really? Then Phoebe must be waking up soon. She's been in the ICU for so long." Grace was thrilled, hoping Phoebe would be out of the ICU soon.

Vanessa wasn't hurt too bad, but she lost a ton of blood. The bodyguards rushed her to the hospital, and she woke up not long after the doc patched her up. When she came to, Vanessa was acting all paranoid, not letting anyone near her. She curled up at the head of the bed, shaking. "Don't touch me, get away." James had just seen Sophia off, and now seeing Vanessa like this, he was a mess. "Vanessa, it's me, Dad. Don't you know your own father?" What the hell did those kidnappers do to her?

Vanessa looked at James with suspicion and slowly said, "Dad?"

"Yeah, it's me. Look at me. I won't hurt you. You've been hurt, don't move around." James tried to keep it together to comfort her.

Vanessa started to calm down, but when James tried to get closer, she freaked out, screaming, "Go away."

Her screams brought the doctors and nurses running. Vanessa's wild movements made her wounds start bleeding again.

"She is really agitated right now. You should leave to avoid making it worse."

The nurse pushed James out of the room. He stood outside, listening to Vanessa's screams. People in the hallway were peeking out, trying to see what was going on.

James rubbed his temples and slumped into a chair, feeling defeated.

Sophia was gone, and Vanessa didn't even recognize him. In one night, he lost everything, and his hair had turned mostly gray.

After a while, the screams stopped. The nurse had given Vanessa a sedative and re-bandaged her wounds before coming out.

James stood up as the doctor approached him. He looked at her, feeling lost. "Doctor, how's my daughter?"

The doctor looked at him with sympathy. "She's really emotionally unstable. We think she has PTSD. It usually happens after something really traumatic, like a kidnapping. It could last a few days or even years." "What can we do to treat it?" James asked, desperate.

The doctor sighed. "Let's get through these next few days first. If it doesn't get better, you'll need to see a psychologist. I can only treat her physical wounds, not her mind."

James suddenly looked much older. After talking to the doctor, he looked through the glass window on the door and saw Vanessa asleep again. He wiped his tears and headed downstairs.

Outside the ICU, James spotted Theodore sitting on a bench with his eyes closed, looking like he was resting. His hand, hanging by his side, tightened slightly.

When James found out Phoebe was critically injured and in the hospital, he knew that the day Sophia begged Theodore to save Vanessa first at the Reynolds Group had burned all the bridges between them. But for Vanessa's sake, James swallowed his pride and came down, hoping to ask Theodore to see Vanessa.

Theodore sensed someone standing in front of him but didn't open his eyes.

"Theodore, it's me." James licked his dry lips and hesitated. "Vanessa is really unstable. The doctor said she has PTSD. She doesn't even recognize me. I want to ask you to see her." Theodore still didn't open his eyes.

James clenched his fists. "I know I'm asking a lot, but if you see her, it might make her happy. Maybe it'll help her get over the kidnapping."