LOYAL FOLKS

William quickly sprang into action, scooping Minnie up in his arms and rushing her to the hospital.

At the hospital, the doctor examined Minnie and delivered the diagnosis.

"You have an inflamed appendix, and it needs to be removed through surgery."

William nodded, taking in the information. "Is that because she hasn't...ah...gone to the bathroom for a while?" he asked, trying to phrase it delicately.

Minnie's eyes widened in embarrassment as she stared away, her face burning with shame.

But William just gave her a charming smile, putting her at ease.

The doctor nodded. "Yes, that's correct. But don't worry, the surgery is routine, and she'll be back on her feet in no time."

Minnie let out a sigh of relief, feeling grateful for William's support.

As she lay there, waiting for the surgery, she couldn't help but notice the way William's eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled.

William walked over to Minnie's bedside, a mischievous glint in his eye. "So, I hear you've been having some trouble with your, ah, digestive system," he teased, chuckling.

Minnie's face burned with embarrassment. "William, stop," she pleaded, trying to hide under the blankets.

But William just laughed and continued to tease her. "I mean, seriously, Minnie, you should really work on your poop game."

Minnie's eyes widened in mortification, but before William could continue, Snow and Oliver walked into the room.

Snow's eyes scanned the room, taking in the scene. "What happened to her" she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

William grinned. "She has appendix."

Snow raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Well, in that case, let me just say that Minnie's poop game is definitely weak."

Oliver chuckled, but then quickly sobered up. "Hey, guys, come on. Minnie's probably already feeling embarrassed. Let's not make it worse."

William and Snow exchanged a look, and then William shrugged. "Sorry, Minnie. We'll stop teasing you."

Just then, Violet walked into the room, a look of concern on her face. "Hey, how are you doing, Minnie?" she asked.

William filled her in on the situation, and Violet's expression turned sympathetic. "Sorry, Minnie. That sounds really painful."

Minnie smiled weakly, feeling grateful for her friends' support. Despite the initial teasing, she knew they were all there for her.

Violet walked over to Minnie's bedside and sat down. "So, what did the doctor say?" she asked.

Minnie hesitated, still feeling a bit embarrassed. "Just that I need to have my appendix removed."

Snow nodded. "Yeah, that's a pretty standard procedure. You'll be back on your feet in no time."

Oliver smiled. "And we'll all be here to take care of you."

William grinned. "Yeah, and I'll even bring you some laxatives to help with your, ah, digestive issues."

Minnie rolled her eyes, laughing. "William, stop."

As they all chatted and joked, Minnie felt her embarrassment start to fade away.

"Could you not tell my mom about this, Violet and Snow?"

She was grateful for her friends' support and humor, and she knew that she was in good hands.

As the conversation continued, Minnie's embarrassment started to fade away, replaced by a sense of gratitude for her friends' support.

But then, she suddenly remembered something important. "Guys, can I ask you for a favor?" she said, looking at Snow and Violet.

Snow raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Minnie hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Please don't tell my mom about this. She doesn't need to know."

Violet's expression turned curious. "Why not? What's going on?"

Minnie shook her head. "Nothing's going on. I just don't want her to get worried unnecessarily."

Snow nodded understandingly. "Okay, but are you sure you are okay"

Minnie smiled reassuringly. "Yes, I'm fine. Really. I just don't want my mom to freak out over nothing."

Violet nodded. "Alright, we won't say anything. But if you need anything, you know we're here for you."

Minnie smiled, feeling grateful for her friends' understanding. "Thanks, guys. That means a lot to me."

Oliver turned to William and asked, "Have you settled the bill?"

William shook his head. "No, I haven't had a chance yet. You should go take care of it."

But Oliver hesitated. "Don't worry about it, William. You stay here with Minnie, and I'll go take care of the bill."

Minnie nodded in agreement, and Oliver took the necessary documents and headed to the counter.

As he was paying the bill, Oliver's mind wandered to his recent breakup with Violet. He couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions.

When he finished paying, Oliver headed back upstairs, but he ran into Violet on the stairs.

Violet looked at him with a hint of accusation in her eyes. "I guess you and Snow are getting closer, huh?"

Oliver didn't want to answer, so he tried to walk away. But Violet stopped him.

"Why?" she asked, her voice laced with pain. "Did you break up with me because of Snow?"

Oliver's expression turned defensive. "Don't you dare mention Snow's name like that," he said, his voice firm. "You broke us up, Violet. You and your manipulative attitude. Snow had nothing to do with it."

Violet's eyes widened in shock, but Oliver just turned and walked away, leaving her standing alone on the stairs.

Violet's face fell, and she nodded slowly. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Oliver walked back into the room where Minnie was still lying in bed. Snow was sitting next to her, chatting quietly.

Oliver smiled, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. He was glad to be away from Violet's drama.

But as he looked at Snow, he couldn't help but feel a spark of attraction.

He quickly pushed the feeling aside, reminding himself that he had just broken up with Violet.

But as he sat down next to Snow, he couldn't help but notice the way she smiled at him, the way her eyes sparkled in the light. He felt a flutter in his chest, and he knew that he was in trouble.

°°°°

Snow escorted William who insisted that he wanted to stay. William and Oliver prepared to leave the hospital.

William was reluctant to leave Minnie's side, but he knew he had to get some rest before the surgery tomorrow.

"I'll be back early tomorrow," William said, squeezing Minnie's hand.

Minnie smiled weakly. "I'll be fine, William. Go get some rest."

Oliver nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we'll both be back tomorrow to support you."

Snow, who had been quietly observing the exchange, spoke up. "I'll stay with Minnie tonight. You guys go get some rest."

William hesitated, but Snow reassured him. "Don't worry, I'll take care of her."

Oliver nodded. "Yeah, let's go. We can come back tomorrow and support Minnie through the surgery."

As William and Oliver left the hospital, William couldn't shake off the feeling of worry.

He was concerned about Minnie's surgery and wanted to be there for her.

That night, Violet pushed aside her differences with the group and visited Minnie's hospital room. She found Snow sitting beside Minnie's bed, watching over her.

Violet smiled softly and sat down on the other side of the bed. "Hey, Minnie. How are you feeling?"

Minnie smiled weakly. "I'm okay, Violet. Just a bit nervous about the surgery tomorrow."

Violet nodded understandingly. "That's completely normal. I'm sure you'll do fine."

Snow smiled. "Yeah, you're in good hands. The doctors here are great."

Violet started to chat with Minnie, asking her about her experiences with hospitals and surgeries.

Minnie shared a story about having her tonsils removed when she was a kid, and Violet laughed at her silly impressions of the hospital staff.

As they chatted, Snow quietly observed the exchange. She wasn't surprised to see Violet being so kind and caring towards Minnie, despite their differences.

But as the night wore on, Snow realized that Violet was genuinely concerned about Minnie's well-being. Maybe, just maybe, there was more to Violet than met the eye.

As the conversation continued, Minnie started to feel more at ease. She was grateful for Violet's company, and the distraction from her nerves about the surgery.

"Thanks for keeping me company, Violet," Minnie said, smiling. "It means a lot to me."

Violet smiled back. "Anytime, Minnie. That's just the right thing to do."