Chapter 320: I Am Not
"You have to be careful. She’s still deeply traumatized-not just from the accident, but possibly from the way your people kidnapped her here. That whole experience would have added to her distress. So you need to tread lightly. Be very, very careful."
"But I was careful. I was only holding her hand...", the man said slowly as he looked down at the frail woman sleeping on the bed but the doctor cut him off slowly, "That may be, but you can’t risk doing anything that might unsettle her. Right now, her blood pressure is dangerously high, Cadance. It’s not safe- not for her body, and certainly not for her brain. There’s still some residual swelling, and if the pressure continues to rise, it could cause a blood vessel to rupture. A burst artery in the brain would be catastrophic."
Cadance’s jaw tensed, but he nodded. "I understand. I’ll be careful. I promise."
The doctor gave a short nod in return, his expression easing only slightly. "Good. That’s important—for both of you."
He glanced at the monitors once more before continuing, "Also, try to keep her as calm and relaxed as possible. No sudden stress, no surprises, no emotional triggers. And don’t let her talk, not yet. It might seem harmless, but even speaking could put strain on her system right now."
Cadance frowned. "Then how is she supposed to—"
"Keep a notepad and a pen nearby," the doctor interrupted, voice low but firm. "Let her write down whatever she wants to say. It’s the safest way for her to communicate until the swelling goes down and the pressure stabilizes."
Cadance’s eyes flicked to the small table beside the bed. He gave another slow nod. "Alright. I’ll make sure of it."
"Good." The doctor took one last look at the sleeping woman before turning away. "Call if anything changes."
The man nodded silently and walked the doctor to the door, murmuring a quiet thanks before closing it behind him. He returned to the chair beside Melody’s bed and sank into it with a heavy sigh, his eyes fixed on her pale, still face.