Tabitha was deeply focused on listening to Derek's heartbeat. Irritated by his question, she simply hushed him with a "Shh" and said, "Don't talk." Her attention was entirely on his heart rate. She had no intention of being distracted by others.
After finishing with his heartbeat, Tabitha gently pried open Derek's eyelids for a closer look.
His pupils were dull and lifeless, making it impossible to assess the internal damage with the naked eye.
It seemed that only after administering the antidote and conducting a professional examination outside could they determine the extent of the eye damage.
Tabitha silently resolved that if they could just detoxify him, there would be hope for the gradual recovery of his other organs.
At Tabitha's "Shh," Derek obediently fell silent.
Despite feeling as though he were in a dream, he cherished this fleeting moment, thinking that even an extra minute with Tabitha would give him more memories to hold onto in the future.
"Roll over," Tabitha instructed crisply.
Derek complied without question.
Tabitha meticulously examined the healing state of the wounds on his back, feeling a flicker of relief—her efforts over the past two days hadn't been in vain.
She knew, though, that much of his rapid recovery was due to his naturally robust constitution and strong self-healing abilities.
"Alright, roll back," Tabitha said, her earlier tension easing as she noted Derek's progress.
As she relaxed, she absentmindedly patted Derek's buttocks.
Little did she know this innocent gesture would act as the spark to a powder keg.
In an instant, Derek rolled over and pinned Tabitha beneath him. Startled, Tabitha pressed her hands against his chest, panic rising as she demanded, "What are you doing?"
Gazing at her with deep affection, Derek kissed her again, his voice laden with longing as he asked, "Tabitha, have you ever thought of me these past years? Even just once?"
Trapped beneath him, Tabitha's heart raced with a mix of urgency and anger. Recalling the resolve she had made on the day she left, she reminded herself that she would never look back.
Her decision to save him now was solely because he was the father of her children. It did not imply any reconciliation between them.
Having made up her mind to close the door on any possibility, she steeled herself to be cold.
"I've never thought of you once. After leaving you, I've been happy—truly happy every day," she lied through gritted teeth.
Derek's face darkened instantly. His eyes blazed with a mix of pain and fury as he accused, "So you've moved on to Lucian?"
The mere thought sent a rage through Derek like wildfire.
He bit down harshly on Tabitha's lips, growling, "You're heartless, Tabitha. You swore you'd love only me forever."
Tabitha managed to break free, gasping for breath as she retorted, "I also swore never to love you again. Derek, let it go—we're done."
She hoped her words would bring Derek to his senses, but instead, they fueled his turmoil.
In Derek's heart, Tabitha was his Achilles' heel, the person he cared about above all else.
He tightened his hold on her, and in her frustration, Tabitha raised her hand to strike him.
But as her hand swung back, her gaze fell on a wound on Derek's arm—a wound Alvin had mentioned was sustained when Derek saw a woman who looked like her.
Tabitha thought of the immense effort she had put into pulling him back from the brink of death. If she struck him now and injured him further, she would only have to treat him again.
Her hand dropped slowly, and her tone softened as she admitted, "Yes, I've thought of you."
"Really?" Hope flickered in Derek's previously furious eyes.
"Yes," Tabitha sighed, "Now will you let me go?"
But Derek's hands grew restless. Murmuring, "Let me see how much you've missed me," he swiftly reached for Tabitha.
Tabitha was taken aback by his boldness, her mind racing, "What is his logic? I can't follow his train of thought at all."
Though blind, Derek's hands moved with purpose and speed, quickly disheveling Tabitha's clothes.
He pressed close to her, calling her name over and over.
Tabitha was a mix of anger and desperation, wondering if she had given him the wrong medicine. "Why has this man become like this?" she thought.
"His other organs have all been damaged to some extent, yet here he is, full of these thoughts even in a dream."
Exasperated, she couldn't help but ask, "Do you usually have dreams like this?"
Derek leaned in, his breath warm against Tabitha's earlobe as he licked it. His voice, tinged with sensuality, murmured slowly, "Since you won't even let me hold your hand in waking life, I can only... in my dreams."