Episode 4: Becoming the Enemy’s Nurse (4)
Agatha stared at the thermometer with a confused expression. It had been an hour since Ashley took the fever medicine, but his temperature hadn’t dropped. In fact, it seemed like it had gone up a little more.
“It looks like there’s no improvement,” Agatha said softly.
Ashley spoke as if it wasn’t a big deal and climbed out of bed.
“Where are you going?” Agatha asked.
“I’m just going out for a bit,” Ashley replied casually.
“You can’t go out like this,” Agatha said, blocking his way. “You’re still a patient. You’ll make your fever worse if you go outside in the cold.”
“I’ll just be outside for a moment. Don’t worry about it,” Ashley said with a calm voice, stepping forward. He was walking closer to her, making her uncomfortable.
“Move, or we’ll end up touching,” he warned, but Agatha stood her ground, not budging.
“I can’t let you go. Get back in bed,” she said firmly.
Ashley gave her a pointed look, and without a word, he took a step forward, causing their bodies to almost touch. Agatha could feel her heartbeat quicken, and she tried to pull herself together.
“Come on, Natalie, it’s your job, after all,” Ashley said with a small smile.
Agatha flinched slightly as she felt the heat from his body press against hers. She held her ground, trying to stay calm.
“Please get back in bed, Captain,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
Ashley raised his hands as if giving up. “Fine, I give up,” he said with a slight grin, and then climbed back into bed.
Agatha quickly gathered a basin of water and two towels to put on his head. She had been a little too relaxed after finishing the bullet removal surgery earlier in the week, thinking everything was fine. But now, Ashley’s condition was worse than expected. He hadn’t complained about his injuries, never asked for painkillers, and had eaten all his meals without issue. Agatha couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Was he pretending to be fine? Agatha wondered. He must’ve been hiding how much he was hurting.
But then, she shook her head. No way. A man like him, proud and arrogant, wouldn’t try to hide his pain. He would never do that.
She firmly believed that. As someone born into a noble family, he was likely more strict about his own body than anyone else. Agatha dismissed the idea of him pretending to be well.
When she reached the door to his room, she took a deep breath and pulled the door open.
Ashley was lying still, with his eyes closed, as if he were asleep. Agatha placed the basin on the side table and wet the towels with the cool water. She walked toward him, gently brushing his hair aside to place the wet towel on his warm forehead. His face scrunched up at the cold sensation.
As she was wiping his face with another towel, she suddenly felt a strong grip on her wrist.
“What are you doing?” Ashley asked, his voice firm.
“I’m just trying to cool your fever with a wet towel,” Agatha replied, trying to sound calm.
Ashley’s hand slipped off her wrist, but he seemed uncomfortable with the way she was touching his face. “You can wipe my face with the towel, but not like this,” he said, his voice laced with irritation.
Agatha noticed how he avoided looking at her. She lowered her eyes in response, feeling awkward, but didn’t back down.
“Sorry,” she said quietly. “I just wanted to cool you down.”
“If you’re uncomfortable, I can just place the towel on your forehead,” she suggested, moving to back off a little.
Ashley gave a small sigh, almost like he was amused by the situation. “It’s fine. Just do it your way,” he said with a forced smile.
He closed his eyes again, seemingly done talking about it. Agatha hesitated before continuing, wiping his face with the second wet towel. She couldn’t help but notice how relaxed he was, even with a high fever, when just earlier, he had seemed tense and irritable.
“Thank you, Natalie,” he said softly, his voice calm. “I thought you were trying to kill me earlier with all this.”
Agatha was taken aback by his strange comment. “What are you talking about?” she asked, frowning.
He chuckled lightly. “Well, if my guess is right, this would be the best chance for you to do it.”
Agatha stared at him, confused. “What do you mean by that?”
“Well, I’m a patient. If I die, no one will suspect anything, right?” he said quietly, as though the thought didn’t bother him.
Agatha’s stomach twisted, and she snapped back, “Stop wasting your energy and keep quiet.”
She couldn’t believe how casually he was talking about death. The idea that he could talk about it so openly was disturbing, especially while being so close to her. But then again, maybe she had been too harsh, given that he was sick and suffering.
“Captain?” Agatha said, her voice softening.
There was no response. Ashley had closed his eyes and gone silent.
“Please rest. You’ll feel better if you sleep,” Agatha said, gently encouraging him as she stepped toward the door.
But suddenly, a feeling of unease hit her, and she turned back.
“Captain…?” she asked, walking over to him and shaking his shoulder. But he didn’t move. He was completely still, his body burning with fever.
“Come on, wake up,” she whispered, gently tapping his cheek, but there was no reaction.
Agatha’s heart skipped a beat. She grabbed his wrist to check his pulse. It was faint, almost impossible to tell if he was alive or not.
No, he’s still alive. His pulse is weak, but it’s there.
Her panic faded slightly, but she couldn’t let herself relax. She quickly grabbed another wet towel, wiped his forehead again, and gently cleaned his face and neck.
Minutes passed, and slowly, Ashley’s fever started to drop, just a little. Agatha grabbed a spoon and dipped it into some lukewarm water, carefully feeding him a little.
As she worked, the night passed, and dawn began to break. Agatha had no idea how much time had passed, but she was aware that the morning light was creeping in. She worked steadily, hoping to bring his temperature down even further.
By 5 a.m., she was back with fresh water and another wet towel for his forehead. The day was starting, but Agatha was completely exhausted, her body feeling numb.
Somehow, without realizing it, she had fallen asleep. Her head was resting on Ashley’s strong arm, and she had completely drifted off.
In her dream, everything was blurry, like a thick fog. She was in the middle of a village square, where birds were pecking at something on the ground. A little girl ran across the square, but her dress got stained with blood. The scene became more chaotic as the girl reached the center, where dozens of dead bodies lay scattered.
She heard the girl cry out, “Father!”
Agatha’s heart ached as the child collapsed on the ground, surrounded by blood. The flag of the Gloucester family was stuck in the middle of the square.
“No, no!” the child cried, shaking her head, unable to accept what she was seeing. She was desperately searching for her father among the bodies.
Just then, Agatha awoke with a start. She blinked, trying to shake off the vivid image. Looking around, she saw Ashley lying on the bed, his eyes slowly opening.
“Captain?” Agatha whispered.
She placed her hand on his forehead to check his temperature again. As she leaned down, she could feel his eyes on her.
“You’re awake,” she said softly, her heart still pounding from the dream.
