Chapter 7

Just as the standoff dragged on, Wendy burst into the room and pressed her stethoscope to Ethan's chest. She'd arrived even faster than the attending physician. "There are signs of shock." Wendy's face paled. "Prep the equipment!" Then she turned and barked at the two people still staring at each other blankly, "All bystanders, get out immediately!" The room instantly quieted to nothing but the sound of footsteps; no one dared make a sound. In all the years they'd worked with Wendy, no one had ever seen her this furious. Even James was momentarily stunned by her attitude. Soon, only the doctors and nurses remained in the room. Wendy looked at the pale-faced Ethan on the bed, her heart caught in her throat. "Ethan, can you hear me? Open your eyes for me." As she administered emergency treatment, she spoke softly, trying to awaken the unconscious Ethan. Twenty minutes later, a nurse exclaimed, "Dr. Sanders, the patient's heart rate is stable! Vitals are normal!" Wendy's trembling hands went limp with relief. She watched over Ethan and didn't relax until he slowly opened his eyes. "Keep a close watch. If anything changes, move him to the ICU immediately." Wendy spoke shakily as she leaned against the side of the bed. "It's okay now, Dr. Sanders," a nurse reassured her. Wendy nodded, beads of sweat dripping from her forehead. Even though the room was full of relieved voices, a sense of dread still lingered in her heart. "Mommy…" Ethan murmured weakly from the bed. "It hurts…" Wendy bent down, softly comforting him. "I know you're hurting, Ethan. Just sleep for a while, and you'll feel better." As soon as the nurses left, James and Jenna hurried in. "How's Ethan?" James asked anxiously from behind Wendy. Wendy said nothing. She watched Ethan slowly fall asleep in her arms before she finally stood up. Without a word, she turned and slapped James hard across the face. The slap echoed in the quiet room. James stood frozen, staring at Wendy in disbelief. Jenna immediately pushed Wendy hard. "What's wrong with you? It's not James' fault that Ethan got sick! What right do you—" Before she could finish, Wendy slapped her too. She said, "I don't care what filthy things the two of you do behind my back, but if Ethan ends up like this again, I swear I'll drag both of you to hell with me!" Her teeth clenched as the fire in her eyes raged uncontrollably. Jenna staggered back a step in fright at her expression. She genuinely believed that if there were a knife within reach, Wendy would've already plunged it into her heart. James' face darkened. "You're a doctor, and his mother. If you can't even take proper care of him, who else is there to blame?" The same deflection as always. Wendy sneered. "Get out. My son needs rest. I don't need you two putting on a show here." James was on the verge of exploding. What infuriated him wasn't the slap, it was Wendy's defiance. "Auntie Jenna…" Suddenly, Ethan's soft voice interrupted the rising tension. Wendy turned around, concerned, only to see a frown on Ethan's face. "Mommy, don't scold Auntie Jenna. She didn't do anything wrong!" Even in such a weak state, he was still able to summon the strength to yell at her with a fierce expression. Wendy froze, but for his health's sake, she held back and simply asked, "Ethan, is there anywhere else that hurts? Tell me." Yet, Ethan turned his head away, refusing to even look at Wendy. He extended his trembling hand toward Jenna. "Auntie Jenna, my stomach hurts. Hold me." Jenna's slapped face lit up with a soft smile. She stepped forward and gently cradled Ethan. "I'm here, Ethan. Don't be afraid. You have to be brave." Watching the scene before her, Wendy felt another knife twist in her already battered heart. "Auntie Jenna is nice. Mommy is mean," Ethan muttered, choking with emotion. He seemed to be comforting Jenna. Jenna gently stroked his head. "Don't think about anything else, Ethan. As long as you get better, I'll do anything for you." Wendy could no longer stand this suffocating scene. She turned her gaze away, only then realizing tears had welled in her eyes. After she confirmed that Ethan's vitals on the monitor remained stable, she silently turned and left the room. It was broad daylight now, and with nurses keeping a close eye on Ethan, she wasn't worried about Jenna causing more trouble. James watched her retreating figure and silently followed her out. "Dr. Sanders, the vomit test results just came back." A nurse rushed over with a paper in hand as Wendy stepped out of the door. Wendy took the report and scanned it. Her brows immediately knitted into a frown. Shensaid, "High protein and sugar levels… He must have eaten some kind of milk candy. Gastroenteritis patients absolutely cannot have high-protein foods, especially those with no nutritional value. Didn't I specifically say not to let him eat junk food?" Still staring at the report, Wendy abruptly spun around, only to find James standing right there in the doorway, frowning, deep in thought. "Where's Zelda? Why would she give Ethan something like this?" Wendy asked. After a moment's silence, James replied, "Maybe she didn't know about the dietary restrictions." But he gave himself away. Whenever he lied, his left eyebrow twitched. Wendy knew him too well not to notice. Upon seeing his tiny change in expression, her heart sank. So, it wasn't Zelda who fed Ethan candy. "It was Jenna, wasn't it?" Wendy questioned coldly. "You knew about it?" "No," James denied flatly without a second thought. "You're overthinking it." She stared at him. If hatred could become a blade, James would've died a thousand times over. "James, are you even human?" Wendy's body was shaking with rage. "You two can have your filthy little affair, but why drag my son into it? He's just a child!" "I told you—it wasn't her. Are you deaf? And watch your mouth." James' reply was icy, but his eyes were clouded, as though hiding something he couldn't admit. Wendy's fist clenched, crumpling the lab report in her hand. "Fine. If you won't admit it, so be it." She drew in a deep breath, and her tone suddenly became calm. "Ethan's condition was critical. He nearly went into shock. Since you're still defending Jenna, I'm no longer comfortable letting Ethan stay with you." James perked up inexplicably at that. "So, you finally want to come back?"