Julian Croft noticed Lillian Donovan was awake the moment he walked in. Overjoyed, he stepped forward to take her hand, but a fearful Lillian instinctively recoiled.
'This had never happened before!'
The smile on Julian Croft's face froze. He withdrew his outstretched hand, unconsciously clenching it into a fist, yet he still forced a patient and concerned tone.
"What's wrong? Are you still feeling unwell?"
Lillian Donovan realized her own loss of composure. She bit the tip of her tongue again, letting the pain ground her.
"For the past two days, I've felt this tightness in my chest, and it's been a little hard to breathe. I even fainted today. My sister-in-law is worried something unexpected might happen if I go home, so she wants me to stay in the hospital for a few more days of observation. I'll go back once we're sure I'm really okay."
