"Maia will be fine. Don't worry."
Nicole gestured.
"Fine? She's basically drenched in blood."
Tim sat on the bench, battered out of his senses.
He clutched his hair and kept pulling it.
How could he be drunk?
How could he leave Maia facing all this alone?
But it was too late now, no matter how much he regretted it.
Tim was so guilty, while Nicole didn't have a good time, either. She wanted to set Maia up with Tim, but
now that Maia was like this, she was so sorry, despite that she knew that it had nothing to do with her.
Gabrielle didn't know how to comfort them, so he could only wait there quietly.
As time passed, the lights in the emergency room finally went out.
Yet, Tim was somehow a little scared.
Neil looked at them as he came out, and whispered, "The patient's not very well now."
"How is she?"
Tim asked hurriedly.
He could feel that his hands were trembling, so was his heart.
Nicole also looked at Neil, nervous.
Neil sighed and said, "The patient suffers multiple fractures. Three ribs were broken, and serious
congestion is detected all over the body. Fortunately, she was delivered in time. Otherwise, it is very
likely that the blood may press her nerve and cause much worse effects. But, most importantly, the
patient's uterus is injured."
"What did you say?"
Tim and Nicole opened their eyes wide on hearing this.
"Neil, is that a confirmed diagnosis?"
Gabrielle was also at a loss.
Neil nodded and said regretfully, "Whoever did this was so ruthless. Uterus is the most vulnerable part
of a woman. From the looks of it, it may take a long time to recover, which of course, could only be
achieved by applying traditional Chinese massage and acupuncture. Western medicine, I assume, may
not work. As for how long it will take, I cannot be sure. Maybe a couple of months, or about a year, or
perhaps even longer. And it is possible that when her uterus finally recovers, she's already passed her
child-bearing age. That's why I need to see her immediate relatives. I need them to sign on some
papers."
Tim was completely dumbfounded.
He knew better than anyone how important uterus is to a woman.
Maia had not been married, and she didn't even have a boyfriend. The best of her life was still yet to
come; but now she ended up like this just because of him, a douchebag.
No matter how sorry and regretful he felt, he couldn't turn back time.
Tim's silence broke Nicole's heart.
She took out her phone to look for Maia's info, but found that Maia didn't leave any number of her
immediate family.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing that there was something wrong with Nicole's expression, Gabrielle hurriedly asked.
Nicole gestured, "Maia didn't write down any immediate relative."
Tim frowned.
"Let me check which village is Maia from."
Nicole gave Maia's information to Tim.
Before long, a report on Maia was sent over.
Tim looked at the report on his phone and was speechless.
"What's wrong?"
Nicole asked.
Tim gave his phone to Nicole.
The report revealed that Maia's parents were anti-drug police. They both died a few years ago, leaving
Maia with her 15-year-old brother, who was still in school. Maia didn't use a cent of her parents'
savings, saying that she would leave the money to her brother to get married in the future. Her current
income was perfectly enough to pay for her brother's education and their day-to-day spending.
Seeing all of this, Nicole's eyes were a little wet.
Such a girl should have been cared and protected from all harms, but now she ended up like this.
Tim was having a hard time holding back his tears. He looked at Neil and said, "I'm her immediate
family. I'll be responsible for everything."
"You?"
Neil looked at Gabrielle and Nicole, baffled.
Nicole was also stunned for a moment before she heard Tim say, "Yes, I am her fiancé! I will be
responsible to her for the rest of her life."
After that, he glanced at Nicole, then turned around and ran out.
Having noticed the glance, Nicole felt so sorry deep down.
She hoped that Tim and Maia could become a couple, but it shouldn't be like this.
"I'll go see him."
Nicole gestured to Gabrielle and ran after Tim.
Tim didn't run out far. He stopped in the backyard of the hospital.
There were few people in the backyard. Tim squatted among the flowers and covered his mouth as he
cried silently.
His shoulders trembled so violently that though he was 6-feet tall, from behind, he just looked like a
helpless child.
Nicole slowly walked over and sat down beside him.
She didn't know how to comfort him. After all, with what had happened, even she felt guilty to Maia,
too.
Tim stopped crying at the familiar aura.
He wept his tears and raised his head to look at the sky, as if this could help make the tears flow back.
Nicole stretched out her hand and patted his shoulder gently.
"I'm fine!"
Tim's voice was hoarse, but he whispered, "Nicole, I'm afraid I can't love you in the future."
Tim burst into tears again after saying these words.
He knew that he was like a child now, but he just couldn't control his emotions.
He had said that he would wait for Nicole for the rest of his life, that even if his hair went grey, he would
still wait for her.
But now, all the vows had vanished into the air and didn't count anymore.
The thought of parting with Nicole and that his life would no longer be centered on her was wrenching
his heart.
"I don't believe in fate. I've always thought that as long as I work hard or persist, I will eventually
succeed. Even if our hair is already grey by then, I don't care. But now I know that fate really exists and
it has such a bearing on our life. I love you, but I let you slip."
After that, Tim covered his face in pain and lied down on the ground.
Nicole had always hoped that Tim would let go of his feelings for her, but she didn't want it in this way.
"Tim, you know, I've always hoped that you could live better than me."
Nicole gestured.
Tim smiled bitterly and said, "You are not me. How do you know that waiting for you is not my best way
of life? But what's the use of saying this now? I was destined to let you slip. If it weren't for Maia, I
might still be able to persevere. But now she has ended up like this; her future, her life shouldn't have
been like this. It was all because of me that she's like this now. I want to be responsible for her, but
Nicole, if I'm gonna do that, I will have to give up my love for you. I can't fail her. If I keep having you in
my heart, it will be the greatest insult and injustice to her. I want to try to take back my love for you, to
try to love Maia, and to try to give her everything that a girl should have. But my heart hurts. It really
hurts. Letting go isn't as easy as I thought, but it is inevitable. Nicole, please, let me hug you for the last
time."
He cried like a child. Then he got up from the ground and hugged Nicole, weeping silently.
The hot tears burned Nicole's shoulder and penetrated into her heart.
It shouldn't be like this!
Tim's happiness shouldn't be like this!
She wanted to comfort him and say something, but found that words were so pale and powerless. Her
comforts would only rub salt into his wound and make him even more anguished.
She always thought that Tim was joking when he said that he loved her. She thought that Tim would
forget about this "love" after a while, but at this moment, Nicole realized how cruel fate was.
She couldn't give Tim the love he wanted.
She wanted Tim to be happy, but now they got to this point.
Nicole stretched out her hand and hugged Tim tightly.
This was her buddy, her brother, a confidant with whom she had entrusted her life. She knew that from
today, Tim would hold back his feelings for her and lead a life that belonged to him and Maia.
She should have congratulated him, but she just couldn't say anything.
All the words just stuck in her throat and finally turned into a deep sigh.
Tim sniffed at Nicole's smell and felt even worse.
He had been so familiar with this smell for so long; so long that he thought that it had already fused into
his bones and blood. However, at this moment, he had to eliminate all of this.
He was suffocating from the pain, but he couldn't die because he still owed a lifetime to another
woman.
Tim's eyes hurt from crying.
Nicole was also sorry deep down and had a lump in her throat.
She wanted to push Tim away and say something to him, but was pushed away first.
As tears blurred her eyes, she saw Tim's miserable and bitter smile.
"Goodbye, Nicole," he said.
"Please let me meet you at the right time in my next life, Nicole," he said.
"Please give me your blessings, Nicole," he said.
Nicole, however, found herself unable to utter a single word.
She looked at Tim turning around with tears in eyes and a smile on his face.
She knew that the moment he turned around, there would be no turning back.
For the rest of their life, he would no longer be her admirer, or the stubborn man who shouted behind
her that he would wait for her for the rest of his life.
Nicole suddenly felt her heart wrenching.
They were not in love, yet they were better than families.
"Tim, I wish you happy."
Nicole shouted in her heart as she watched Tim walk out of her sight step by step and leave this place.
Tim went to the restroom and washed his face. Looking in the mirror, he smiled, his emotions a little
complicated.
"Tim, you have to pay the debt. You have to pay whatever you owe Maia with the rest of your life."
With that, he gestured "fighting" to the mirror and walked out.
When he got back to the ward, Gabrielle was taking care of Maia, who was still in a coma.
Her entire body was wrapped in gauze, looking extremely fragile.
"Allow me."
Tim took the towel from Gabrielle and went to the restroom to get some hot water.
Gabrielle looked at Tim and couldn't help but ask, "Tim, have you thought it through? Are you really
going to be with Maia?"
"Maia is quite good. She is kind-hearted and outgoing. We will get along very well."
"But do you love her? You want to marry her, but does she agree? When she saved you, she didn't ask
you to get married with her. You're being unfair to her."
Gabrielle looked at Tim and couldn't help but ask, "Tim, have you thought it through? Are you really
going to be with Maia?"
"Maia is quite good. She is kind-hearted and outgoing. We will get along very well."
"But do you love her? You want to marry her, but does she agree? When she saved you, she didn't ask
you to get married with her. You're being unfair to her."
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