Poor health

Amber looked up at him, her emerald eyes meeting his cool gaze. Despite her exhaustion and feeble condition, she mustered up a small smile and said in a hoarse murmur, "Thank you. For saving me." She paused, catching her breath, the small effort of speaking leaving her feeling even more tired than before. Her head fell back against the pillow and she closed her eyes for a moment, catching her breath and fighting off the wave of pain and weakness that threatened to overwhelm her.

He watched her as she spoke, his expression betraying nothing of the turmoil of thoughts and emotions that raged beneath his cool exterior. He simply nodded in acknowledgement of her gratitude, his eyes never leaving her face. Part of him wanted to offer some kind of reassurance, to tell her that everything would be fine and she would recover soon. But he held back, keeping his demeanor impassive and dispassionate, refusing to let himself get any more involved than he already was.

He could see the exhaustion etched on her face, the paleness of her skin and the way her chest heaved with each breath. She looked fragile and vulnerable, and a pang of protectiveness shot through him despite his best efforts to keep his emotions in check. But he kept his expression neutral, his face a mask that hid the maelstrom of feelings that were stirred up by her thanks and her obvious weakness.

He stood there at the edge of her bed for a moment longer, his eyes tracing over her face, taking in every detail of her exhaustion and fragility. There was something about her that gnawed at his usual detachment, something about her vulnerability that made him want to reach out and offer some kind of comfort, some kind of reassurance. But he held back, keeping his thoughts and feelings hidden behind his cool facade. Instead, he simply nodded again, the action little more than a subtle gesture of acknowledgment.

The doctor entered the room with a clipboard in his hands, looking serious and focused. He carefully looked over Amber, checking her vitals and monitoring her condition before he spoke. "The blood tests confirmed that you were poisoned," he said bluntly. "However, the good news is that you are out of immediate danger." He looked at her intently, his expression grave as he continued, "But your overall health is not looking good. You're underweight, dehydrated, and your kidneys are struggling because you haven't been taking care of yourself.

Amber listened to the doctor's words, her expression a mixture of surprise and resignation. She had expected something like this, given how awful she had been feeling lately. She looked to the doctor, her eyes betraying a hint of shame and guilt at her own neglect of her health. The doctor continued speaking, listing off the specific issues that were impacting her kidneys and the other negative effects long-term neglect was having on her body.

He watched the doctor's words sink in, noting the mixture of surprise, resignation, and guilt on her face. As the doctor listed off all the problems that had arisen from her neglect of her health, he couldn't help but feel a pang of concern and irritation at her careless handling of her own welfare. His expression remained neutral, but his eyes lingered on her, studying her reaction and the way she seemed to shrink further into the bed as the doctor spoke.

She looked down, her gaze fixing on the thin hospital blanket that covered her legs. Her expression was one of shame and guilt, the realization of her own reckless behavior suddenly hitting her hard. She had known that she wasn't taking care of herself, but hearing the doctor lay out all the specific ways in which her health was being affected made it feel much more real. She swallowed, her throat feeling tight with emotion, and muttered a small, "I see."

He watched the doctor finished his explanation, his expression unchanged. He noticed the way her gaze fixed on the blanket, the way her expression shifted into one of shame and guilt at the doctor's words. As she muttered her response, he saw the emotion in her eyes, the way she seemed to shrink further into the bed in response to the doctor's words. He wasn't used to feeling such empathy and concern for someone he barely knew, and the feeling was both unfamiliar and unsettling.

There was a moment of awkward silence after the doctor finished his explanation, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air. Amber continued to stare down at the blanket, her mind no doubt trying to process the information and come to terms with the consequences of her own thoughtlessness. He watched her, his expression as impassive as ever, but his mind racing with a maelstrom of thoughts and feelings he wasn't accustomed to experiencing.

He didn't respond at first, his mind still sorting through the tumultuous thoughts and emotions that had emerged since the doctor's visit. Instead, he simply stood there, watching her, his expression unreadable. It wasn't until the silence became almost unbearable that he spoke, his voice low and calm.

"Is that everything?"

Amber looked up at him, her eyes widened slightly at his question. She had expected some kind of reaction from him, but his calm and composed demeanor was surprising. She nodded silently, swallowing the lump in her throat as her mind flashed back to the doctor's words and the reality of her poor health.

He saw her nod, her expression a mix of surprise and resignation at his cool demeanor. For a moment, he just continued to look at her, his eyes studying her face, taking in the evidence of her exhaustion and weakness. He knew he should say something, offer some kind of reassurance or comfort, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, he just cleared his throat and spoke, his voice low and quiet.

"Get some rest."

The doctor gave Amber one final stern look before taking his leave, leaving her alone with her thoughts and the weight of his words. She sat in silence for a moment, still trying to come to terms with the reality of her health problems and the fact that she had neglected her own wellbeing for too long. The room was quiet, the only sound being the beeping of the machines and her own shallow breathing.

…..