CHAPTER 163: SELINA AND CHLOE

The hours passed quietly after the doctor left.

The nurses came in a few times to check Lily’s vitals. However, most of the time, the room was quiet.

The lights had been dimmed already to allow Lily to rest well. Surprisingly, both Chloe and Selina were still there. He asked them if the two don’t have any plans for the night. They answered that it was fine and they wanted to stay.

Both Chloe and Selina sat quietly in the corners of the room. Selina was by the window with her arms folded over a thin hospital blanket, and Chloe was at the foot of the bed, her legs crossed as she scrolled through her phone in silence.

Gray remained beside Lily the whole time. Sometimes he was sitting and sometimes standing. But he was always watching her.

"Gray, I think you should eat first. It’s already close to midnight."

Selina’s voice broke the quietness of the room. She hadn’t moved from her seat by the window, but her gaze lifted now, meeting his.

He blinked, as if realizing how long he’d been stuck in place. His eyes flicked toward the clock above the door.

It was already 11:42 PM.

"I’m fine," he said quietly, brushing Lily’s hair back from her forehead. She was still asleep, her breathing soft and steady. For him, that was all that mattered.

Chloe looked up from her phone. "Gray."

He glanced her way.

"There’s rice and pork tonkatsu in the bag." She tilted her chin toward the paper bag sitting on the small table by the wall.

"Selina bought it earlier. It’s still warm."

Selina nodded. "Yeah, and I got some soup too. It’s not much, but—"

"You guys really didn’t have to..." Gray exhaled through his nose and sat back in the chair, his voice low. "But thank you. Really."

He was grateful for the two but he really had no appetite.

"You know, Gray," Selina stood and stretched a little before walking toward the bag. "She wouldn’t want you starving beside her like this."

"I’m not starving—"

Chloe cut in without looking up,

"You’ve been running on nothing but anxiety and water all day."

"See?" That made Selina chuckle softly. "She’s not wrong."

Gray sighed, but the corner of his lip pulled slightly upward. He didn’t argue this time.

"I’ll eat," he murmured, finally standing up. His body protested a little, but he knew deep inside that they were right about it.

"I’ll eat but can you just... keep an eye on her for a bit?"

"Of course," Selina said as she gently took his seat beside the bed. She leaned over slightly to check Lily’s face, then smiled.

"I’ll check on her, don’t worry," she added.

Chloe got up as well and moved toward the table, pulling out the food containers. She opened the lid and handed him the boxed meal with its utensils.

"Here."

Gray took it from her. He feltf a sudden and unexpected wave of warmth in his chest. Not from the food, but from... this. From them. These two women, who barely got along earlier, was sitting in a quiet hospital room past midnight for the sake of his little sister.

He gave a small nod and smiled.

"Thanks."

"Just eat already," Chloe muttered, though her voice wasn’t sharp.

Gray chuckled at it. He sat down by the table and began to eat slowly, the savory flavor grounding him a little. Selina checked on Lily while Chloe sat back at the foot of the bed and scrolled her phone again

By the time midnight passed, the food containers had been cleared and Lily still hadn’t woken up.

Selina glanced at the time and turned to Gray.

"I should head back first," she said softly. "I promised I’d help with prep at my grandpa’s company tomorrow."

Gray stood and walked her to the door.

"Thanks again for coming," he said.

Selina met his gaze. "I meant what I said earlier. Don’t hesitate if you need anything."

He nodded, and she hesitated a moment before stepping out.

After Selina, Chloe was next. She slid her phone into her bag and stood.

"Let me know if there’s any change. If you need anything you can also call me, alright?" she said.

"I will."

She gave Lily a look, then turned back to him.

"You did good today, Gray."

That surprised him. He smiled and chuckled.

"...Thanks."

With that, Chloe left the room as well, her footsteps fading into the hallway.

Now it was just him and Lily again.

Gray returned to the chair and sat beside her, his fingers brushing lightly against her small hand under the blanket.

"You’ve got some pretty great people around you, huh?" he whispered. "I’ll be better too."

- - -

The Next Day, the sun was already up by the time Gray left the hospital. He hadn’t planned to leave for long, but there was something he had to take care of first.

Gray made his way to the administrative building of Lily’s school. He politely introduced himself to the woman at the front desk.

"Hi! I’m Lily Adam’s guardian. Can I talk to her adviser?"

"Please wait here, sir. I’ll call her." The woman smiled.

A few minutes later, the classroom door opened and a woman stepped out, holding a clipboard in one hand.

She looked to be in her early thirties, with dark shoulder-length hair tied into a low ponytail and neatly pressed slacks. Her expression was gentle but alert, the kind that made children trust her instinctively.

"You must be Gray Adams," she said, walking over and extending a hand. "I’m Ms. Reyes, Lily’s homeroom teacher."

Gray stood and shook her hand.

"Thank you for coming, Mr. Adams. Is everything alright?"

He nodded, though the tiredness around his eyes hadn’t gone away.

"She’s in the hospital. There was a foodborne illness from something she ate yesterday. The doctors say she’ll be fine, but she needs a few days to rest and recover."

Ms. Reyes’s eyes widened slightly. "Oh no. I’m so sorry to hear that."

"She’ll be okay. I just wanted to inform you directly in case there are any attendance requirements or things she’ll miss."

"That’s very responsible of you." Her voice softened. "Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to prepare notes for when she returns. Just focus on her recovery for now."

"Thank you," Gray nodded, grateful. "By the way, she really likes your class."

Ms. Reyes blinked, then smiled.

"That means a lot. She’s a sweet girl. Tell her we’re all wishing her a speedy recovery."