Female Novel
Chapter 697
Afraid of being too busy alone at the hospital, after notifying the hospital, Karen called her parents.
The ambulance arrived in no time.
Paramedics jumped out and swiftly loaded Kenneth onto a stretcher.
"Bro, you better not scare me like this!" Karen's voice quivered, her hands trembling uncontrollably.
To Karen, Kenneth was more than a cousin; he was her brother.
Once at the hospital, doctors whisked him away into the ER for a battery of tests.
Karen settled the bills but couldn't follow him in; she was left to wait on a hard plastic bench for herparents to arrive. In the tense interim, she shot a text to Jeffrey.
[Hey, you busy?]
Suddenly, she yearned for Jeffrey's comforting presence.
The image of Kenneth's pallid face had sent her into a panic, her heart still pounding in her chest.novelbin
Jeffrey texted back quickly: [Yeah, swamped at the office. Hang tight, babe. I'll try to head out soonand be there for you.]
Karen bit her lip, deciding against spilling her fears.
Jeffrey was buried in work, and she shouldn't always disrupt him, especially with the LopezCorporation's multi-million, sometimes billion-dollar deals on the line. She wouldn't let her crisishinder his career.
"Karen!"
It was her dad, Derek, who arrived first. He scanned the room and hurried over upon spotting hisdaughter.
"Dad."
"How's Kenneth? I just got off the phone with your aunt and uncle. They're on their way fromEldorria City, but it might take them a while to get here."
Karen looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, "They took him straight into the ER as soon as wegot here. I have no idea what's going on. But he looked so scary just now."
"There, there, it's gonna be okay. Dad's here." Derek soothed her, patting her back. "Kenneth'sgonna be fine, I promise."
She nodded vigorously, tears flowing freely once she was in her father's embrace.
"Where's Jeffrey? Didn't he come with you?"
"He's got a lot on his plate at work today, so I didn't tell him."
"Right. Don't make him skip work for every little thing. It's not easy working at a big corporation likethat; must be exhausting."
Karen nodded, "Don't worry, Dad. I'm grown up now."
"Stop crying, kiddo." Derek handed her a tissue. "I'm here now, and your mom will be here anyminute. She was picking up groceries at the market. I couldn't wait for her; I was afraid you'd behere all alone, so I took a cab."
"I'm gonna step outside for some air. I'll be right back."
Karen needed a break; her eyes were sore from crying, and she felt a tightness in her chest thatmade it hard to breathe.
Luckily, the ER was on the ground floor, just a few steps from the fresh air she craved.
"Go on, then. Wipe your eyes," Derek said, passing her the tissues.
Karen rose and walked out, the breeze bringing some relief.
She pulled out her phone, considering a quick reply to Jeffrey to avoid his usual complaints abouther slow responses.
Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Karen spotted a car that seemed oddly familiar.
She squinted for a closer look.
Truth be told, mistaking Jeffrey's car was a tall order. It was a limited edition sports model, the kindonly someone as flashy as Jeffrey would fancy.
But why would it be here at the hospital?
Shouldn't it be parked at the Lopez Corporation parking lot?
Karen paused, snapped a photo with her phone, and sent it to Jeffrey on WhatsApp.
[I see your car. Are you at the hospital?]
After nearly a minute, there was still no response from Jeffrey.