Page 180 of Punishing His Runaway Bride
Just then, the doorbell rang. Klause had arrived.
"I'll get him," I said. "Stay here with Leo."
I hurried downstairs and opened the door. Klause stood there with his medical bag, hair slightly disheveled but eyes clear and focused.
"Where's the child?" he asked.
"Second floor," I said. "Follow me."
We went upstairs and returned to the room. Klause immediately went to the small bed and began examining Leo. He took out a stethoscope, thermometer, his movements skilled and gentle.
"101.4 degrees Fahrenheit," he checked the thermometer. "It is a bit high. But don't worry too much—fevers over 101 are actually quite common in children."
"Then why is he burning up so badly?" Olivia asked urgently.
"From what you've described, it's likely a stress response," Klause said. "Going through something like that today is a huge psychological trauma for a five-year-old. The body releases stress through fever."
He took some medication from his medical bag. "I'll give him a fever-reducing injection, then prescribe some medicine. Keep up the physical cooling, plenty of fluids. He should break the fever by tomorrow."
"Will there be any lasting effects?" Olivia asked, voice still trembling.
"No," Klause said gently. "He just needs good rest. So do you, Miss Adrian. You look like you need rest more than he does."
After giving the injection, Klause gave some more instructions,then left.
The room was just the three of us again. Leo's temperature began to slowly drop, his breathing more stable.
Olivia sat by the bed, unwilling to leave for even a moment. Her eyes were red and swollen, face pale, looking like she might collapse any second.
"You need rest," I said.
"I can't," she said. "What if his fever comes back—"
"Then I'll watch him," I said. "You go lie down. If anything happens, I'll call you immediately."
She hesitated, looking at Leo, then at me.
"Trust me," I said. "I won't let anything happen."
Finally, she nodded. She was too exhausted to keep going. She walked to the large bed and practically collapsed onto it.
I pulled over a chair and sat by Leo's small bed. The little boy was still sleeping, but his face looked better, no longer so flushed.
Looking at his reddened face, an inexplicable emotion stirred in me. This emotion made me willing to use everything to protect him.
Behind me came even breathing. Olivia had fallen asleep. I turned to look at her, curled up on the bed, brow still furrowed, unable to completely relax even in sleep.
That night, I didn't close my eyes once. I stayed by Leo's bed, checking his temperature every ten minutes, ensuring his condition remained stable.
As dawn approached, Leo's fever broke completely. He slept peacefully, small hands releasing the blanket, his face returning to a healthy flush.
I let out a long breath, pinched the bridge of my nose. Some of the weight on my shoulders had finally lifted.
When Olivia woke, sunlight was already streaming through the curtain gaps. She sat up in panic, first looking at Leo's bed.
"The fever broke," I said. "Around five this morning."
She immediately rushed over, placing her hand on Leo's forehead. After confirming his temperature was normal, tears welled in her eyes.
