Episode 5: Becoming the Enemy’s Nurse (5)
Ashley smirked, his lips twitching as he said with a teasing tone,
“Your face is funny.”
“Huh?”
Agatha didn’t understand and followed his gaze down to her own mouth. She had dozed off while wiping his body with the wet towel, and now she realized her mouth had gotten a little wet from drooling. Blushing, she wiped her mouth quickly with her sleeve.
“Are you feeling okay?” she asked.
“Yes, as you can see, I’m fine,” Ashley replied casually, as if nothing had happened.
“I’m glad you’re awake, Captain,” she added.
“…”
“I need to tell Hout, so I’ll be back soon,” she said, bowing slightly and opening the door before anyone could stop her. She almost felt like she’d imagined the joy in her own voice—had she really sounded happy that he woke up?
Ashley just thought vaguely that he must feel better after a good sleep. He had no idea that the nurse had stayed by his side the entire three days he was unconscious.
He finished the hospital soup for lunch without leaving a single drop, eating like he hadn’t been unconscious for three days.
He eats well. That’s nice to see, Agatha thought, watching him.
Suddenly, Ashley met her gaze and suggested,
“Next time, you should eat with me, Nurse Natalie.”
“I’ll eat after you finish, Captain,” she replied.
“I’m worried. Do you dislike eating with me?” he asked.
Agatha hesitated. Even as his personal nurse, it wasn’t proper to eat with a patient.
“If it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll wait,” he said, noticing her hesitation.
Agatha lowered her gaze. She couldn’t deny that she found him unpleasant, but she also didn’t need to show her feelings to a patient who had just regained consciousness after three days.
“It’s hospital rules,” she said.
“I didn’t know there were rules like that,” he said.
“Once you finish eating, I’ll clear your tray,” she said, putting the tray with dishes and cutlery together and bowing slightly.
“I’m going to eat now,” she added.
“Okay. Enjoy your meal, and we’ll meet a little later,” he replied.
The nurse calmly walked out of the room, and Ashley’s eyes followed her, almost as if tracing the change in her behavior. He wondered why she suddenly seemed more friendly. Surely she hadn’t changed her mind overnight. No, she was just masking her emotions—friendlier on the outside, but deep down, there was still disdain and hostility.
Biting her lips and trying to swallow her bitterness, Agatha heard a knock on the door.
“It’s Nurse Adele,” a calm voice said.
“Come in,” Agatha answered.
The head nurse of the field hospital entered and bowed politely to Ashley.
“I heard you woke up. How are you feeling?” Adele asked.
“I slept well and feel much better,” Ashley replied thoughtfully.
“It’s a relief to see you recovering. You must have had a hard time—your fever didn’t go down for three days. I would have cared for you myself if there were fewer wounded, but I couldn’t. I apologize,” she said, bowing with a troubled expression.
“Hout will come by in the afternoon for your checkup,” Adele added.
During the three days Ashley was unconscious, Hout had never been able to visit because there were too many critical patients and casualties. Even though he had briefly checked, he didn’t know how to reduce Ashley’s fever. Nurse Natalie (Agatha) had been giving him medicine and applying wet towels to his forehead, so Adele just came to see if there was any progress, quietly worrying whether Ashley would be upset that she had known.
Ashley, in a low and cool voice, suddenly spoke,
“Was I lying down for three days?”
“Yes, Captain. Unfortunately, you were in a critical state for three days,” Adele replied.
“I see,” he said, thinking deeply.
“Nurse Natalie didn’t say anything, so I had no idea,” he added.
“She probably intended to tell you once you recovered,” Adele said.
Ashley’s expression was unreadable—was she praising him, or was he upset? His face was cold and firm.
“I’ll take my leave now. Please rest,” Adele said, and closed the door. Ashley calmed himself, taking a steady breath.
When Agatha returned to the room, Ashley was reading the newspaper. Sergeant Miller, standing nearby, greeted her with a smile.
“Nurse, you’re back.”
“Hello, Miller,” Agatha replied brightly, making his cheeks flush. He hadn’t expected such a beautiful woman to remember and greet him.
Before he could react further, the door opened, and Dr. Hout entered. He had barely had time to eat or rest while caring for all the wounded. He hurried over to Ashley’s bed.
“How are you feeling, Captain?” Hout asked.
“I’m fine,” Ashley replied calmly. He took the newspaper from her, folded it, and handed it to Miller, who stepped back politely.
Hout checked Ashley’s bandages carefully, making sure his wounds were healing well. Despite his injuries, Ashley looked strong and composed, as if he had overcome the bullet wounds with ease.
“You’ll be able to move to Noelle soon,” Hout said.
“The Noelle hospital?” Ashley asked.
“Yes. The military hospital in the western district. You can recover there steadily before returning to your unit,” Hout explained.
Since Hout had to care for other patients, he left the bandage changes to the nurse.
“I’ll go now. The transfer will be scheduled for the day after tomorrow,” Hout said, bowing lightly and leaving the room. He finished his work in less than ten minutes.
Agatha prepared to re-bandage Ashley’s wounds. Standing by the bed, she disinfected the area and wrapped it with fresh bandages, while silence filled the room.
Ashley watched her without expression. As she tied the last knot, she adjusted his T-shirt. Her slender fingers brushed against his skin, and Ashley thought she was tickling him like applying medicine.
“All done,” she said, stepping back with relief.
Ashley smirked lightly, though Agatha thought he looked irritated.
“They say Noelle military hospital has more doctors and better facilities,” he said.
“I was asking how you feel about me going there,” Ashley added, ignoring anyone else in the room.
Sergeant Miller, who had been quietly in the corner, swallowed nervously. Ashley continued the conversation, seemingly fixated.
“You’re not planning to send me alone, are you?” he asked Agatha.
“What do you mean…?” she replied.
Ashley smiled faintly, shrugging. Beneath that calm expression was a sharp, commanding glare. He was showing his true arrogant self, the side that wanted to treat his nurse like his personal assistant.
Agatha’s smile faded, and she stared at him coldly, erasing the “good nurse” persona she had shown earlier.
Miller, sensing the cold tension, bowed quickly and left as if attending to urgent matters.
Now, only Ashley and Agatha remained in the room. Agatha avoided his gaze and walked to the window, closing the curtains completely.
“Captain, it’s time for your nap,” she said in a firm voice, sounding as if she had returned to her usual composed self from three days ago.
“I don’t want to nap,” Ashley replied, leaning against the window frame and exhaling.
Ashley kept staring at her, relentless. Agatha turned her body away slightly, deciding to leave the curtains as they were.
“Leave the curtains,” he said in a low voice.
“But you said you didn’t want to nap,” she replied.
“I prefer the dark anyway,” he said.
Agatha let the curtains be, planning to open them later in the afternoon. As she moved away from the window, he grabbed her sleeve.
“Captain?” she asked.
“I heard Nurse Natalie saved me. Adele said you cared for me the whole three days,” he said.
“That’s just my job as your personal nurse,” Agatha replied. She didn’t want to make it sound like she had done anything special.
“I thought I just dreamed it,” Ashley murmured softly, recalling the scene in his mind.
“It must have been one of the days I was unconscious for three days. That’s when I saw Nurse Natalie,” he added.
Agatha, feeling a pang of recognition, avoided his gaze.
