"What's he doing now?" Rachel asked curiously.
She could hear a muffled sigh on the other end of the line. Not knowing what to say, Austin stammered, before falling into silence.
It stayed like for a while and judging from the awkward silence, Rachel assumed that something was wrong.
Still waiting for an answer, she checked her watch. Was he in a social engagement?
"Ask Jack to answer the phone," she said coldly.
Austin could tell from her tone that she was angry. "Wait! Mrs. Fu, please. It's not what you think," he said hurriedly.
Rachel silently curved her lips in sympathy, curious about what he had to say.
"So will you tell me what's bothering you, Austin?"
It seemed that Austin had been struggling for a long time. Giving in to her persistence, he sighed helplessly. "I can't make a decision for Mr. Fu. I'd prefer if you come to see for yourself."
So Jack wasn't able to pick up the call. It wasn't because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't.
Rachel went to the hospital and stared at the man in the bed. She walked towards him, Jack was still asleep.
Austin explained that before Jack passed out, he had asked him to do a favor. It was to tell Rachel that he was too busy to pick up the phone. The stubborn man didn't want her to know that he was confined in the hospital.
After learning about this, she sighed expressionless.
She looked at Austin and asked, "What happened? I thought he had been taking meals on time these days."
After hesitating for a while, Austin decided to tell her the truth.
"For the last two days, he had been drinking wine for business reasons."
Rachel's face darkened. Why didn't Jack tell her that?
No wonder he was sent to the hospital.
Austin continued the story. "There was an important dinner this evening. A lot of people had attended, but Mr. Fu's body couldn't take in anymore alcohol.
Mrs. Fu, if it's convenient for you, please try to persuade Mr. Fu to stop drinking. It seems that he only listens to you."
Rachel kept silent. 'Listen to me? Bully shit!'
Fie told Rachel that he took his medicine and ate meals on time. Apparently, those were lies!
Stressed, she rubbed her forehead and said, "I'll ask the doctor about his condition."
A hint of hesitation flashed through Austin's
eyes. He gave her the attending doctor's name and asked a nurse nearby to take her there. She muttered her thanks before leaving.
When Jack woke up, he got surprised to see Rachel peeling an apple beside him. The apple skins gracefully fell into the trash can.
He sniffed the fruit's scent, his tummy grumbling. He licked his dry lips and heard Rachel's voice, "Are you awake?"
She placed the half peeled apple aside and wiped her fingers with a wet towel. Figuring that he was thirsty, she gave him a glass of warm water.
Without protesting, Jack allowed Rachel to help him drink. He felt more refreshed afterwards.
He had a terrific sleep last night, but now that he had woken up, he felt a little dizzy.
The previous burning pain he felt in his stomach suddenly dissipated. He looked at Rachel and smiled guiltily. She probably found out what had happened by now.
Even though he was scared, he pretended not to know anything. Tentatively he asked, "When did you get here?"
Blankly she replied, "I came here after I called you and Austin answered it."
"Did Austin tell you I was here?"
"Yes." Jack smiled embarrassedly,
his head flaming red.
He had promised Rachel that he would take the pills and eat his meals on time. But as for his social
activities, that was a different story.
He hid the emotion in his eyes and began to think of what to do. From a near distance, he heard her ask, "How are you now? Is your stomach still aching?"
He felt more comfortable now, since there wasn't any pain left.
However,
Jack pursed his lips slightly. He placed one hand on his abdomen and frowned.
"I feel a little bit uncomfortable..."
"It still hurts?" Rachel frowned. She turned around. "I'll call the doctor."
Jack quickly said, "No need to look for the doctor. It's useless to stop the pain."
Rachel disagreed. "It's gastritis."
Gastritis? What was that?
Jack didn't inform her that he didn't bother to get a thorough check-up. He just popped into the hospital and asked a doctor to prescribe him some medicine.
He had planned to see the doctor after work, but it seemed that his body got the better of him.
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