CHAPTER 110: CHAPTER 110: NOT ALLOWED TO SAY "LIKE

Arriving at the kindergarten soon.

Iris Quill saw Declan Hawthorne coming and also clamored to leave, to go to the hospital to look after Florence Lynch together.

Declan Hawthorne said irritably, "If you go, I’ll have to divert attention to care for you too. Stay here and wait for your mom to pick you up after school."

Iris Quill pouted, but didn’t dare to speak.

After Poppy Hale signed the papers, Declan Hawthorne had already picked up the feverish, sleeping Florence Lynch and ushered the flustered Poppy Hale into the car.

On the way, Poppy Hale held Florence Lynch’s burning body, tears streaming down uncontrollably.

Declan Hawthorne drove, and during a stop at a traffic light, he called a few pediatricians.

"I’m on my way. Please, have Professor Chambers prepare."

Professor Chambers was a renowned pediatrician in Arvum, who usually didn’t take consultations. The Hawthorne family was an old acquaintance with Professor Chambers, so they quickly got in touch.

Professor Chambers agreed, "I’m nearby the hospital, heading over now."

Cold sweat dotted Declan Hawthorne’s palms.

But he drove steadily and quickly, running into Professor Chambers at the hospital entrance just in time.

Inside the consultation room, Professor Chambers conducted a thorough examination.

"Go and get an admission slip. She needs to stay a few days; it’s food poisoning. Has she vomited?"

Declan Hawthorne immediately got up to handle the admission paperwork.

Poppy Hale nodded, "The teacher said she vomited several times at kindergarten. Is it serious?"

Professor Chambers pressed on Florence Lynch’s stomach and shook his head.

"It’s fortunate there’s no need for gastric lavage. The child is too young; you parents need to be more mindful. She’s dehydrated, needs fluid drips for several days, and needs good care recently."

Declan Hawthorne returned with the prepared admission slip.

Seeing it was for a private room, Professor Chambers said nothing.

In the room, with the IV drip set, Florence Lynch’s temperature gradually subsided.

Poppy Hale let out a sigh of relief.

Professor Chambers felt Florence Lynch’s forehead, indicating that there was no major issue anymore.

Seeing Declan Hawthorne’s anxious expression, his eyes shifting among Declan, Poppy, and Florence, he jested, "So anxious, your daughter?"

It was meant to be a tease, but Declan Hawthorne nodded.

"She’s my daughter. Her health isn’t great; is there any way to improve it?"

Professor Chambers looked surprised.

"I haven’t heard that you got married! You sly one, making moves quietly."

After expressing his admiration, Professor Chambers also felt a little vexed about his own grandson.

He acted like a madcap, never bringing a girlfriend home.

Considering Declan Hawthorne’s status, his marriage was either a high-profile city-wide event or low-key and unnoticed, Professor Chambers conceded.

Seeing him so anxious, he was just an ordinary father.

"There’s room for improvement. Do you have the previous prescriptions? Let me see."

Poppy Hale took out a small notebook from her bag.

"It’s all recorded here."

The notebook, covered with My Little Pony stickers, detailed every medication Florence Lynch had taken since birth.

Details about hospitals, doctors, prescriptions, and the side effects on Florence were recorded meticulously.

Nothing was too trivial.

Even Professor Chambers, who had seen many parents’ notes on their children, was amazed by the level of detail in this notebook.

"You’ve done excellently. May I make a copy of this notebook?"

Poppy Hale’s record was so detailed it could serve as a quality sample.

Professor Chambers was even a bit excited.

"It might help other families with similar issues as your daughter."

Poppy Hale didn’t hesitate, "Sure, go ahead and make a copy. I have two more at home; once copied, I’ll send them all to you."

Professor Chambers expressed his gratitude profusely.

His face creased into a smile.

"I’ll write you a prescription, but the herbs are quite expensive. I remember one of them the Hawthorne family has."

Declan Hawthorne didn’t hesitate and nodded.

"Please write it anyway. No matter how expensive the medicine, if it’s no harm to Florence’s body, everything’s fine."

"They’re all mild herbs, but most importantly, ensure she exercises more and isn’t overprotected. Kids, just be careful of injuries, everything else, let them be."

While writing the prescription, Professor Chambers cheerfully remarked, "I remember when you were young, you weren’t raised this meticulously."

"You fell off a tree once, and your grandfather didn’t let you cry."

With tenderness in his eyes, Declan stroked Florence’s small hand.

He was reluctant to shave Florence’s hair, so he had the nurse put the IV in her hand, holding it to prevent her from disturbing the needle.

"I won’t let Florence be like I was."

Professor Chambers held the prescription, looking at Poppy Hale.

"Would you come with me to get the medicine?"

"Sure."

Half a step out, Poppy Hale looked back at the room.

The curtain lifted slightly with the breeze, and Declan Hawthorne’s tall figure bent down, looking at the sleeping Florence with a gentle, reverent gaze.

There was an indescribable tenderness in his expression.

Poppy Hale’s heart inexplicably missed a beat.

Following Professor Chambers out, she heard him say, "Is it you who mainly looks after the child?"

"Yes, it’s me."

Professor Chambers nodded.

"It’s normal. Declan is busy. When he was young, he wasn’t of this character. But his grandfather was old-fashioned, controlling everything. Declan once had a dog; old man Hawthorne felt that was a distraction and sent it away."

Poppy Hale lowered her eyes, not saying a word.

Professor Chambers assumed she was just quiet by nature, continuing, "A fine child, yet raised so old-fashioned, never daring to express what he really liked."

"Once at our house for dinner, my wife made sweet and sour ribs, seeing he liked it, asked if he wanted to eat, he insisted he didn’t like it. Old man Hawthorne believed that a child expressing preferences directly was bad character."

Poppy Hale was taken aback.

Then asked, "Why?"

"Well, he thought kids saying such things were impolite. If Declan had said it, my wife would have made sweet and sour ribs especially for him afterward. But it’s just a dish, is it necessary?"

Professor Chambers went on, sharing many things.

But they were all snippets of Declan Hawthorne’s childhood.

Poppy Hale helped him to the pharmacy, watching as Professor Chambers, despite his age, handled the medication with steady hands.

"Some herbs need to be fetched by Declan later; they still have some in their storage."

Poppy Hale acknowledged and thanked him, then asked, "Has Declan Hawthorne ever said what he likes?"

"I’ve never heard him. At first, it was old man Hawthorne’s ban, but later, he just didn’t like to say it anymore."

Professor Chambers folded the medicine packets, handing them to Poppy Hale.

"He not only doesn’t like to say it, but deliberately claims to dislike what he likes. Make sure your daughter doesn’t pick up this trait!"

Clearly, Professor Chambers didn’t understand old Mr. Hawthorne’s child-rearing methods either.

Poppy Hale took the medicine packet, nodded, and softly said, "Okay."

Thinking she was Declan Hawthorne’s wife, Professor Chambers said cheerfully, "You see, your personality is different from Declan’s; you complement each other well. I’ll be off now. I’ll return your notebook next time."

As she walked Professor Chambers to the door, several times Poppy Hale wanted to clarify her relationship with Declan Hawthorne but couldn’t quite voice it.

Oh well, she thought, Professor Chambers probably wouldn’t take it to heart.

On the way back to the ward, Poppy Hale’s mind kept replaying what Professor Chambers had just said.

Wasn’t he born with a silver spoon?

Forbidding expressions of preference, what kind of peculiar upbringing was that?