Tess had made up her mind to keep her distance from Dallas, but in the quiet of the night, she couldn't help but think: What if he's divorced? What if he doesn't like his wife… Being a military wife is tough, and that woman clearly isn't one to endure hardship. Maybe their marriage was a spur-of-the-moment decision? Maybe they only realized after marriage that they weren't right for each other?
Marriage is different from passion; compatibility matters more than anything.
Whenever she felt herself getting too caught up in these thoughts, her sense of morality would kick in and berate her for being shameless.
This constant inner turmoil was taking a toll on Tess.
Even someone as blunt as Quinn could tell Tess wasn't feeling well and suggested she take a couple of days off.
Tess refused. She couldn't afford to idle. The more free time she had, the more her mind wandered.
On Friday, Dallas was training undergraduates when one of the students accidentally fell, injuring his left leg so it couldn't straighten. Dallas quickly rushed the student to the school hospital.
Tess examined the leg and said, "It doesn't seem like there's any bone damage, but we should get an X-ray to be sure. If the meniscus is torn or there's a ligament issue, surgery will be needed. Our campus doesn't have an orthopedic department, so we'd have to transfer you to the affiliated hospital in the city for that."
Noticing the student's anxiety, Tess reassured him, "Don't worry, it's a minimally invasive surgery, the incision is no bigger than a fingernail. Your student insurance will cover the surgery and hospitalization fees."
The student sighed in relief, "Thank you, Dr. Arellano."
"You're welcome. Is it very painful? If it is, I can prescribe some painkillers."
"It's bearable. It doesn't hurt much unless I move."
Tess sat back at her desk to write, her pen trembling slightly.
She had started feeling unwell after lunch, thinking it was just her period approaching, so she didn't pay much attention to it. But now the pain was so intense it made her break into a cold sweat, her stomach was cramping, and she felt nauseous. She didn't want to seem strange in front of Dallas, so she forced herself to finish writing the form and handed it to him, all the while avoiding looking at him.
Dallas nodded in thanks before turning to the students. "Stay here, I'll take care of the payment first. Once it's done, I'll come back and take you to get your X-rays."
"Thank you, Dallas."
Tess said, "Dallas, they have wheelchairs available on the first floor. I'll check to see if there are any left."
The phone was on the other side of the desk. Tess got up to reach for it, but as soon as she stood, the pain intensified sharply, accompanied by a ringing in her ears. She stumbled, and suddenly vomited.
The sudden change startled the student, and with Tess unable to move quickly, they watched as she swayed dangerously but didn't react in time.
Dallas was quick on his feet, catching Tess before she fell. "Dr. Arellano, what happened?"
The air was filled with the unpleasant smell of vomit, and Tess clearly saw the student raise a hand to cover their nose, trying to hide their disgust but unable to fully mask it.
The pain and humiliation made tears well up in her eyes, spinning around her gaze. She fought hard to hold it in, but the person she liked had witnessed her in such a vulnerable moment… Tess's face drained of color.
Dallas, thinking she was crying from the pain, furrowed his brows and said to the student, "I'll take Dr. Arellano to the emergency room first."
"Don't worry about me. I'll ask one of my friends to come hang out with me."
Dallas nodded, asking Tess if she could walk. When she weakly shook her head, he apologized and immediately lifted her onto his back, rushing toward the emergency room.
The emergency room was on the first floor. Tess couldn't walk, so Dallas carrying her was faster than pushing a hospital bed.
The jostling only intensified the pain, and in just a couple of minutes, Tess was shaking from the pain. But then she thought about Dallas carrying her and felt a strange happiness: even though she reeked of vomit, he was still willing to carry her.
……
The doctor diagnosed Tess with acute appendicitis and immediately scheduled her for surgery.
It all happened so suddenly, and Dallas didn't know much about Tess's personal circumstances, so he waited outside the operating room, unsure whom to contact.
The surgery didn't take long, and a little over an hour later, Tess was wheeled out of the operating room.
Another half hour later, Tess slowly opened her eyes and saw the man sitting at the edge of the bed. She couldn't help but smile.
The anesthesia was still in effect, and she wasn't fully awake, so her emotions poured out uncontrollably.
When their eyes met, Dallas froze for a moment before asking, "You're awake?"
His voice was calm, yet it carried a reassuring strength.
"Yeah."
"Dr. Arellano, do you have family in J City?"
Tess nodded first, then shook her head. Her parents were stationed at a military base out of town, and only her grandmother lived in J City. She didn't want to worry the old lady.
"Besides your family, is there anyone else who can take care of you?"
"Quinny... Quinn..."
Dallas knew who Quinn was, nodded, and stepped out of the room to make a call.
After the call was connected, Dallas briefly explained the situation. Quinn became anxious upon hearing it, but she was attending a training session off-campus and wouldn't be able to return anytime soon. She asked Dallas to watch over Tess a bit longer, and Dallas agreed.
While he was on the phone, Tess fell back asleep, and Dallas sat quietly by her side.
Around eight o'clock, Tess slowly woke up again. Seeing that Dallas was still there, she gave a weak smile.
"Dallas, you're still here." She was much more awake now, and her speech was clearer.
Dallas explained, "Quinn is at a training session and will be here later." He glanced at his watch and added, "She should be here soon. She called half an hour ago and said she was on her way back."
After a moment of silence, Tess cautiously asked, "Did I delay you from going home?"
"It's fine."
"Fine" meant it had delayed him?
Her heart fluttered. With a teasing tone, she asked, "Dallas, is your wife strict? Does she check up on you often?"
"She doesn't."
"She trusts you that much. You must have a great relationship, right?"
Dallas slowly returned a smile.
Tess suddenly found herself speechless.
A brief vibration broke the silence between them. Dallas glanced at his phone screen and said, "Dr. Arellano, she's here. I'll go out and meet her."
Tess immediately realized who "she" was and teased, "Dallas, you still say she's not strict?"
She only got delayed for a little while, and she's already here looking for you.
Tess knew she was being a bit bitter, but she couldn't control it. He had carried her to the emergency room and had stayed by her side all this time. Could it really mean nothing?
But Dallas said, "I asked her to come."
Tess's lashes fluttered. With a lighter, more playful tone, she asked, "Dallas, are you in a hurry to meet her?"
Dallas lowered his gaze, seeming slightly embarrassed, but he didn't deny it.
*
When Dallas returned with Averi, Quinn had also returned to the ward.
After a quick introduction, Dallas passed on the doctor's instructions, then turned to Tess and said, "Take it easy, Dr. Arellano," before taking Averi's hand and leading her out of the room.
As soon as they stepped out of the room, Quinn gasped in surprise, "Dallas is married? Tess, did you know about this?"
"…Quinny, I want some water."
"When did you have surgery? Has it been six hours? Did you toot?"
"No."
"Hey, look at you, you're not taking this seriously. Dallas just said, you can't eat or drink until six hours after you pass gas," Quinn rambled on. "Tess, your lifestyle is way too unhealthy. You're relying on your youth, thinking it's fine, but now look at you. You can't treat your body like this, even when you're young. Your health is your foundation for everything. Don't take it lightly, or you'll regret it later."
After a long silence, Tess closed her eyes and said tiredly, "I know."
She had given up.
If there had really been issues with their feelings, she could have let herself think about it, but... there was no chance for that.
*
As they stepped out of the university hospital building, Averi asked, "Why did you suddenly ask me to come pick you up?"
"Nothing, I just wanted to see you sooner."
Averi stopped in her tracks and stared at him.
What's wrong? "Averi asked.
"Dallas, you're not being honest."
He called just to talk to her, then made a point of bringing her to campus. After that, he just takes her for a quick stop at the school clinic and leaves?
The sky had darkened, and there were few people on the road. Dallas took her hand and gently rubbed it.
Averi wasn't going to let him off easy. She asked bluntly, "You brought me here to get them to back off, didn't you?"
