Sweet Subterfuge novel by Trina Duo
Chapter 421

Overwhelmed with heartache, Larissa bent down and held him tightly in her arms.

She rushed Aster out of the kindergarten and to the military hospital nearby, registering as an outpatient at the pediatrics department.

The military hospital was usually crowded with patients, especially the pediatrics department.

Aster had never had serious health issues before. He'd only had mild cases of colds and fevers that could be easily treated at home with over-the-counter medication. Larissa had hardly ever brought Aster to the hospital before, so they were unfamiliar with the anxiety of waiting in long queues to see the doctor at the hospital.

She didn't mind waiting if she were the one who was sick. However, Larissa couldn't bear to wait for even a second longer when it was Aster who was ill.

She feared that any delay would worsen Aster's condition.

Her heart pounding, Larissa paced up and down restlessly. She wished to rush into the outpatient clinic that instant, but she knew that all the parents waiting outside felt the same anxiety. In the end, Larissa suppressed her impatience and waited patiently.

She sat on a bench facing the elevator.

Her eyes stared mindlessly at the constant flow of patients as she listened intently for Aster's number to be called over the broadcasting speakers.

Suddenly, her gaze was drawn to a strange person.

Despite the hot weather in summer, that person was wrapped up tightly in a long-sleeved coat, long pants, a cap, and a mask.

What's more, that person had the collar of their coat pulled up to cover their neck from being exposed.

From the silhouette, it seemed to be a woman.

Without even looking up, that peculiar woman fixed her gaze on the ground and kept her profile hidden within the coat.

She was riding the escalator from the top floor to the bottom.

From the angle where Larissa sat, she could see that woman's face, even though only her eyes could be seen.

Larissa was taken aback. That suspicious woman was none other than Lana!

To avoid any possibility of being recognized by Lana, she quickly lowered her head and obscured Aster's profile with her hands.

However, her worries were proven unnecessary.

From the beginning to the end, Lana did not even make eye contact with anyone. She got off the escalator in a hurry, rushed to the other end of the hospital, and disappeared down the stairs. Not long after Lana left, Aster's number was called.

In the doctor's opinion, chickenpox in young children was considered just a minor illness.

After listening to Larissa's description of Aster's condition, he took less than two minutes to write a prescription for Larissa to get Aster's medication at the pharmacy.

With much difficulty, Larissa carried Aster all the way back home and prepared to give him a bath.

She took off his clothes and noticed that the number of spots on his body had increased, compared to when he was at kindergarten.

Tears welled up in Larissa's eyes as she could feel a lump in her throat.

Aster woke up in a daze when his body was placed into the bathtub.

His cheeks were burning up and there was no sparkle in his eyes.

"Mommy?" he croaked weakly.

When Larissa blinked, large drops of tears rolled down her cheeks and onto Aster's neck.

Panicked, Aster wanted to wipe her tears with his hands, but he stopped himself when he saw the blisters on his skin.

"Mommy, don't cry! I'm not feeling any pain! I'm fine!" Aster tried to comfort Larissa.

However, Larissa couldn't hold back her tears and cried even harder.