Third person's POV
Derek had barely dozed off when he heard a noise. His head snapped up just in time to see Tabitha falling toward the ground, and he swiftly caught her.
"Are you okay, Tabitha?"
Even with her in his arms, Derek couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
Tabitha's current condition couldn't be measured by ordinary standards. Even the slightest fall could cause irreversible harm to her fragile body.
Tabitha's face turned as pale as paper. "I..."
She had no strength to argue with Derek. Even speaking a single word was a struggle, leaving her nearly breathless.
"What's wrong? Are you thirsty or hungry? Just let me know if you need anything."
Tabitha managed to croak out, "Y-You went to find a female caregiver for me."
Derek understood immediately and swiftly carried Tabitha to the bathroom, but she awkwardly shooed him away.
Derek stood by the door, quickly called Jenny to come over, and prepared breakfast.
Tabitha quickly freshened up, expending almost all of her strength, and Derek helped her back to bed.
Derek walked over with a cup of freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juice and a serving of vegetable omelet.
"Tabitha, eat something."
Tabitha looked at the vegetable omelet. Normally, she would have had an appetite, but today the sight of food made her feel a bit nauseous. She frowned, "I have no appetite."
"Even if you have no appetite, you still have to eat a little, be good."
Derek coaxed softly, displaying immense patience.
He hadn't been sleeping well these days and stayed up late. There was a blue tint under his eyes. His handsome face was a bit haggard.
Last night, he slept on the cot, his clothes becoming slightly disheveled. However, he paid no attention to himself, his eyes filled with concern for her.
Tabitha found it strange. In her memory fragments, Derek was cold and indifferent toward her. But ever since she woke up, Derek had been completely focused on her.
It was a change that she couldn't comprehend.
She was alone, with nothing left to plan for.
While she was in a daze, Derek fed her a sip of fruit and vegetable juice, and Tabitha immediately vomited it out.
It happened to land right on Derek.
Tabitha felt a bit awkward. "I..."
"It's okay." Derek casually grabbed a tissue to wipe it clean and then poured her another glass of milk.
"If you can't eat anything else, then have some milk. This milk is nutritious, and I specially heated it for you. Also, have a little bit of this vegetable omelet. It's for replenishing nutrients."
Tabitha looked at him, puzzled. "Derek, what exactly do you want me to do?"
"Tabitha, you have to believe that I love you and everything I do is to make you better. Be good. Open your mouth."
Tabitha drank some milk under his patient coaxing and forced herself to eat a little vegetable omelet despite feeling nauseous.
She was basically like a disabled person. She didn't even have the strength to turn over while lying down.
She slept in a fog and woke up, from the first light of dawn to the fading dusk. The discomfort in her body not only failed to subside, but it grew increasingly painful.
Derek gazed at her restless form, his eyes brimming with as much empathy as they could hold, wishing with all his heart that he could shoulder her pain.
In the throes of her intense suffering, Tabitha lacked the energy to argue with Derek.
Three days slipped by, with Derek a constant presence by her side. On the fourth day, Tabitha began to regain her strength, bit by bit.
Derek also looked more haggard by the day. He had been sleeping very little and staying up through the night to keep watch over Tabitha. His eyes were rimmed with red, the veins beneath a map of strain.
After the rare spell of rainy weather had passed, Derek noticed a slight uplift in her spirits. He approached with a comb in hand and said, "Tabitha, the sun is shining brightly today. I'll wheel you outside to bask in its warmth."
Tabitha was too weary to protest. Besides, Derek's stubbornness was well-known. It was futile to refuse him.
She sat in silence as Derek gently ran the comb through her hair.
As the comb went through, Derek's smile froze on his face.
He hadn't pulled hard, yet a large clump of hair came away caught in the teeth of the comb.
He turned to glance at the pillow, only to be met with an even more alarming sight. There were a multitude of hair strands scattered across the stark white pillowcase.