CHAPTER 144: CHAPTER 144: LET’S GET MARRIED

The lights in the emergency room stayed on for a long time.

Jackie Barrett sat in a wheelchair, waving at Poppy Hale as she came up.

Poppy Hale wanted to ask about the current situation, but found herself unable to speak.

She quickly typed out a message for Jackie Barrett to see.

Jackie Barrett patted her hand reassuringly, "It’s the best medical team. Trust them, and trust Declan. Don’t worry; the doctor said your voice issue is due to emotional reasons."

Having witnessed such a scene, and with a heart condition similar to Truth Hale’s, Poppy Hale was affected.

People often develop physiological conditions under intense fear and stress.

Jackie Barrett held Poppy Hale’s hand tightly.

"He protected Florence, as he should. Child, don’t carry any psychological burden, alright? Be good."

As he spoke, his tears fell.

He thought, once Declan Hawthorne was rescued, he’d go to the temple and make offerings.

They’d find a few Buddha statues associated with their family and make offerings.

What was happening to their family lately?

One after another, from old to young, troubles kept coming.

Now, three generations of the family were in different floors of the hospital.

A family reunion had never happened in the hospital’s inpatient ward.

That afternoon, when they heard Florence had been kidnapped, Jackie Barrett’s heart almost stopped.

Before he could calm down, he heard Declan Hawthorne and Poppy Hale both entered the emergency room.

Florence and Anya Archer had been given a small dose of sleeping pills.

For now, there was nothing serious.

They arranged systematic checks, worried about any residual effects the drugs might have on the two children.

Fortunately, all the current news was positive.

Declan Hawthorne protected them well.

Poppy Hale was brought out first, and upon hearing her diagnosis of loss of voice, both Jackie Barrett and Truth Hale couldn’t hold back.

They cried on the spot.

The two elderly ladies cried together but didn’t dare to cry in front of Poppy Hale.

Accompanying Jackie Barrett waiting outside the operating room for what seemed like forever, they had no idea how much time had passed.

Finally, the light in the operating room went out.

The doctor came out and looked at Jackie Barrett.

"Mrs. Hawthorne, President Hawthorne has been rescued. The patient had a strong will to live. Fortunately, no organs were damaged; it was just a fraction away from the heart."

"Luckily, there’s not much of a problem; mainly it’s excessive blood loss and some external injuries, but with good care, he will recover."

Poppy Hale and Jackie Barrett both sighed in relief.

Poppy Hale pushed Jackie Barrett’s wheelchair into the private special care ward.

The man lying in the bed had countless tubes attached to him.

The racks were also hung with numerous IV fluids.

Jackie Barrett, seeing his son was no longer in life-threatening danger, felt relieved.

"You stay with him, I’ll return to my own room."

Jackie Barrett waved off Poppy Hale’s offer to push him, "The nurse can come; you don’t need to exert yourself."

Poppy Hale still had a needle in the back of her hand.

Her entire self in the hospital gown looked frail and pitiful.

There was no need for her to be running about taking care of him, an old man.

Now that Declan Hawthorne was alright, she could leave.

Leave the space for the young people.

She had more important things to do after leaving.

Someone dared to kidnap her granddaughter and injure her son.

This truly touched Hawthorne Family’s reverse scale.

-

The private room was very quiet.

Apart from the doctor coming in every half hour, there was only Poppy Hale quietly watching Declan Hawthorne lie there.

Midway, she went out once to check on Florence and Anya Archer; the two children had no idea what had happened.

They obediently sat on the bed eating the meal prepared by Chloe Archer.

Once reassured, Poppy Hale returned to Declan Hawthorne’s room.

The doctor came in, "The anesthesia is about to wear off, and he should wake soon. He can’t eat or drink until tomorrow morning, so he needs to endure a little longer."

Poppy Hale nodded.

Just as the doctor left, Declan Hawthorne slowly opened his eyes.

Seemingly dazzled by the overhead lights, he quickly closed them again.

Poppy Hale placed her hand over his eyelids, gradually letting go to allow him to adjust to the light.

Declan Hawthorne blinked; his lush lashes still bore traces of moisture.

Having closed his eyes for so long, he wasn’t used to it, and tears formed naturally at the corners of his eyes.

Poppy Hale used a cotton swab, cautiously wiping them clean.

Declan Hawthorne stared at Poppy Hale, his voice hoarse, "Are you and Florence both safe?"

Poppy Hale nodded.

Her gaze fell on Declan Hawthorne’s face.

Without speaking, Declan Hawthorne understood what she wanted to convey.

"Justin said you took a call and then rushed out without telling anyone where you were going. You forgot today’s your workday."

"I called, but I couldn’t understand what you were saying."

She had mentioned going to pick up Florence, so Declan Hawthorne knew it must have been something to do with her.

He checked the surveillance around the area.

He indeed saw someone taking Florence and Anya Archer into a hotel.

This hotel, where Declan Hawthorne had investments, allowed him to access surveillance and know which room Stella Hollis’s parents had taken the children to.

He wanted to hold Poppy Hale’s hand.

But there were so many devices on his fingers, there wasn’t any spare room.

Declan Hawthorne closed his eyes, smiling gently.

"Fortunately, I arrived just in time."

Poppy Hale remained silent, unable to speak.

Tears fell rapidly, and as Declan Hawthorne hadn’t opened his eyes, she hurriedly wiped them with the back of her hand.

But no matter how much she wiped, they wouldn’t dry.

Raising her hand again, she wiped several more times.

The doctor warned her that crying too much could lead to alkali poisoning.

It took much effort to control her tears.

Poppy Hale took out her phone and typed a message for Declan Hawthorne to see.

"Declan Hawthorne, I can’t speak."

Declan Hawthorne was initially surprised.

He thought Poppy Hale’s silence was due to distress, still mourning and upset.

Perhaps Poppy Hale felt guilty about the incident, unsure of how to start the conversation.

He assumed Poppy Hale wanted to draw a line between them.

To clear things up completely.

Originally, he considered initiating the conversation himself, to ease Poppy Hale’s heart.

He had saved Florence out of instinct.

Not as a way to win Poppy Hale’s heart through debt.

The concern in his eyes was undeniable, tinged with nervousness.

"What did the doctor say?"

Poppy Hale typed, "Let it be; it’s emotionally induced."

In other words, there was no current treatment.

Just wait to see when it might recover.

"Will there be any other aftereffects?"

"I don’t know."

Declan Hawthorne nodded slowly, "Emotions indeed affect a lot. Don’t worry, I’ll contact some professors abroad..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a cool finger was placed on his lips.

Poppy Hale stopped his endless chatter.

He had only just awakened, yet he spoke so much.

Always about her, about Florence, and never asking about his own state.

Poppy Hale typed on her phone, reviewed the content, and showed it to Declan Hawthorne.

Her fingers trembled slightly.

She was a bit nervous too.

On the phone, it said:

"Declan Hawthorne, let’s get married."