Chapter 463
“Ms. Pearson…”
“I’m alright.”
Hadley turned away, her teeth sinking into her lower lip to keep the flood of emotions at bay.
Pausing at the ward door, she inhaled deeply, willing the tears to retreat. She couldn’t let even a flicker of her turmoil show in front of Joy.
With a gentle push, she opened the door to the ward, the silence inside wrapping around her like a heavy cloak. The bed lay empty. Joy was nowhere to be seen.
Down in the first-floor lobby, Eric had just bid farewell to a business partner who had come to visit him and was making his way back to his ward. Out of the corner of his eye, a small, familiar figure caught his attention.
Huh?
He doubled back for a closer look.
Narrowing his eyes, he recognized the little girl he had met before, standing beside a vending machine.
Eric strolled over and knelt down to her level. “Joy?”
“Hmm?”
Joy turned, her puzzled expression melting into a bright smile as she recognized Eric. “It’s you!”
Eric said warmly, ruffling her hair gently. “What are you doing here, little one? It’s past bedtime. Where is your nurse?”
Instead of answering, the girl pointed at the vending machine. “Strawberry milk.” What did she mean by that? Eric arched a brow. Was she asking him to buy it for her?
With such an endearing child before him, he couldn’t possibly play the miser. Fishing out his wallet, he dropped a few coins into the slot and pressed the button. “There you go—strawberry milk.”
“Wow!”
Joy clapped her tiny hands in delight. “Thank you! You’re so kind.”
In a burst of affection, she flung herself into Eric’s arms, wrapping her little arms around his neck.
Then, in a hushed whisper against his ear, she asked, “Do you know what it means to die?”
“What?” Eric was startled. The innocence of such a young child asking about something as profound as death caught him off guard.
He watched Joy, dressed in a small hospital gown, and it struck him again that she was not just any child; she was a patient here. What could her condition be? The thought of explaining the concept of death to such a young child seemed daunting.
After a brief pause, Eric chose his words carefully. “It’s like traveling to a place that’s very, very far away.”
“Far away?” Joy furrowed her small brow in confusion. “Does that mean I can’t see my mom anymore?”
“Yes, that’s right,” Eric responded slowly, regretting having to confirm it.
He couldn’t help but think about how often Joy spoke about her mother, yet never mentioned her father. Her attachment to her mom was so evident.
“Oh,” Joy muttered, her expression growing somber. “Thanks, I get it now.”