Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Chapter 77: Does It Hurt?

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Corey’s only hope at the moment had just disappeared before Samantha’s very eyes...

If Corey eventually left her, she really could not imagine whether or not she would be able to live with herself.

She curled up unconsciously and wrapped her hands around herself. Her head was placed on her knees and her shoulders trembled slightly.

“Why is it that you’re always hurt whenever I see you?”

A man’s warm voice rang above Samantha’s head. She initially thought she was just hearing things, but she immediately became stunned for a moment.

Her drooping gaze caught a glimpse of a pair of shoes in front of her, and her black pupils contracted all of a sudden as she raised her head.

The sun was shining exceptionally brightly that day and the man was standing with his back against the light. His face was a little blurry due to the warm yellow glow radiating from him.

Samantha was a little dazed. She was afraid to blink or even speak because she was afraid that everything in front of her was not real.

The man chuckled and asked again. “Don’t you recognize me, Samantha?”

Samantha’s long eyelashes trembled fiercely.

‘It really is Dr. Sherwood...’

The excitement that she had earlier lost was instantly regained, coursing right through her entire body. Samantha propped herself on the ground and attempted to stand up.

However, she accidentally grazes against the wound on her knee and fell forward with a hiss.

“Be careful!” Alan stretched out his hand in time and grabbed her slender waist, just in time to save her from falling to the ground again.

After Samantha stood firm, she hurriedly said, “Thank you.”

Alan retracted his hand, looked at her miserable appearance, then shook his head and laughed. “Why did you injure yourself again?”

Hearing the word ‘again’ left Samantha feeling a stark disbelief.

She only got acquainted with Alan due to her frequent injuries.

When she was abroad, she had not yet acclimatized to the new place and fell sick very frequently. There was also the occasional injury during the course of her work, often necessitating a trip to the hospital.

However, living in difficult circumstances meant that she had to be very frugal with her money. Getting treated for her injuries and illnesses was something she could not afford. As a result, she often disregarded the doctors’ advice. All she would ask for was some of the cheaper medications, which she would eat or apply at home and just sleep it off.

She knew Alan after getting her leg injured. That was the time she called Timothy, who turned off his phone in addition to not answering. The entire ordeal saddened her so much that she could not help crying.

At that time, Alan walked over suddenly to her side and asked, “Does it hurt?”

After having suffered in the hands of others time and time again abroad, Samantha was always extremely wary of strangers. Even so, the combination of her sadness and her fragile state probably caused her to stare at him with teary eyes and answer in a hoarse voice, “It hurts. It hurts so bad.”

Alan looked at her leg carefully in a seemingly curious manner, then asked, “You’ve been injured countless times before but I’ve never heard you say a word. I thought you didn’t have any pain receptors. It seems you do feel hurt too.”

She was already at her worst, but that man teased her instead of showing any sympathy. She sniffled and asked in an unpleasant tone, “Who are you?”

Alan did not mind her attitude at all. He pulled the card on his chest and introduced himself. “I’m Dr. Sherwood. The ER doctor here.

“I’ll take the responsibility to treat your leg. Don’t worry, I’ll heal it for you.”

They became acquainted from then onward. When Samantha and Alan had the opportunity to chat, she finally found out that the nameplate bearing ‘Dr. Sherwood’ was always hung in the emergency room. She just never noticed who the doctor was, since she always emphasized that prescribing cheap medicine was good enough.

Alan went over to see her because he saw her crying that day.

Since that day, he was the one who treated her and helped her whenever she was injured. She regarded him as a noble person and a savior in her heart.

…

Samantha snapped back from her memories and could not help but joke with a smile, “I guess I was just reflecting on the importance of your role in treating illnesses and saving lives.”

Alan was amused.

The girl in front of him had clearly experienced so much suffering and difficulty in the past, yet she still maintained her strong vitality and did not let anything overwhelm her.

Such people were hard to come by and were a refreshing sight.

“Let’s find a place to treat your wound first,” Alan said. He glanced at Samantha and asked softly, “Shall I help you up?”

Samantha accepted the offer in order to prevent herself from getting hurt again. “Thank you for the trouble.”

Alan helped Samantha into one of the roadside cafes and asked one of the waitresses for a medical kit. He then skillfully treated Samantha’s wound.

As Alan was treating the graze on her knee, he knelt on one knee right in front of her for convenience’s sake and applied the ointment on her.

The waitresses watched everything from the sidelines. It was a pleasing sight to see a handsome young man kneeling on one knee to apply medicine to a beautifully charming girl. It seemed to come straight out of a television series!

A waitress sighed. “This guy is just too nice to his girlfriend. Gosh, it’s so romantic!”

Another waitress agreed. “Boyfriends who are handsome and gentle always belong to someone else!”

The conversation was not too loud nor too soft, but it was enough to reach Samantha’s ears. She felt awkward and wanted to explain, but Alan seemed wholly concentrated on dealing with the wound and did not seem to hear those remarks. She thought for a while and decided it was better to remain mum about it.

It would be even more embarrassing if Alan heard what she had to say.

She did not need to explain anything to outsiders...

After treating the wound, Alan advised her as he always did to his patients, “The wound shouldn’t be allowed to come into contact with water for the time being. Be careful when you’re bathing or doing other things. Eat lighter for the next couple of days.”

“Okay, I will. Thank you,” Samantha expressed her gratitude sincerely.

The waitress served their coffee.

Alan took a sip before raising his gaze and looking at her, asking, “Why were you chasing the bus earlier?”

Had he not vaguely heard that someone was calling him and recognized her when she looked back, he would not have gotten out of the bus and came to look for her.

It was time to get into the serious business.

Samantha’s expression became more earnest and she unconsciously held her hands. After gulping twice, she said clearly, “I’ll be frank with you, Dr. Sherwood. I’m looking for the doctor they call Little St. John.”

Alan raised his eyebrows slightly. “It turns out you’re here for the little saint too. Are you...”

He scrutinized her from head to toe and saw that her complexion was still reasonably well. He hesitated and asked, “Do you have a heart problem?”

“It’s not me. My brother is the one who has a very serious heart disease. He’s in a very risky state right now and could die at any time. His only hope is the little saint. I want to find him and beg him to treat my brother. ”

Samantha stared at Alan with a scorching gaze, as if she had been cast into the far sea and he was the only piece of driftwood floating around. “Dr. Sherwood, you and Little St.. John both participated in the conference. Can you tell me who he is?”