After Surviving the Apocalypse, I Built a City in Another World - Chapter 142

Chapter 142: Recovery
Aberdeen City, 2 years ago.

“That BASTARD!” The beautiful Althea uncharacteristically cursed out loud, voice cracking from crying, talking to no one in particular.

That JERK ran out during their honeymoon and he came back all broken?

And she couldn’t even hit him!!

All kinds of violent thoughts ran through Althea’s brain, all while both of her hands were busy wiping her tears and snot.

The middle-aged woman beside her smiled and patted her head, not calling her out for her duplicity. “Dear child, he’s going to be alright…”

Althea’s red eyes stared at the older woman, filled with sadness. “Mother… he—”

Not knowing what to say, she just buried her head to the older woman’s shoulder.

“Why… why does he do this to himself? Isn’t it nice to just play peacefully here? With me?”

“Dear child, you know very well what kind of person Garan is.” She said, continuing to comfort the young woman.

She gently patted the girl’s head, not minding how wet her shirt was becoming. “However, I know for certain that you mean the most to him,”  she told Althea, “And he wouldn’t want you to be so sad…”

Althea lifted hear head and looked at her bitterly. “He should stop getting himself killed, then!”

She swore: She wouldn’t talk to him until he swore never to get hurt again!

…

When they were called to the ICU because the patient was awake, only Alicia came in. Althea stepped back and just watched his damned pitiful self in the bed.

Mother and Garan exchanged a few words for a little while, and Althea whipped her head to look away when the two looked over the door in her direction. Soon, the older woman left the room to give space to the couple.

Seeing that Althea was not taking a step into the threshold, Alicia smiled and gently pushed her in, to the latter’s chagrin.

Althea did not meet the man’s smiling eyes. She refused to.

“Still angry?” He asked gently, a smile on his face.

Jerk. Still had the heart to smile, seeing me like this, eh? Jerk jerk jerk

“Don’t be angry, I’ll be in pain you see…ouch..” Then he flinched looking in pain.

Althea also flinched, but with clenched fists she did not turn her head to him, trying very hard not to budge.

Garan smiled, finding it cute. He watched with fond eyes as she just sat on the chair with arms crossed, not looking at him at all.

He could stare at her pout all day long.

However, he worried that the anger would affect her health, so he did not do so in the end.

“I’m sorry, wife.” He said, very sincerely. “You’ve been wronged.”

She whipped her head to glare at him. “You’re obviously the one in pain!”

Garan struggled to extend his hand. It looked laborious to do but he did not put it down until she took it.

Althea really couldn’t bear his struggle so she succumbed and did as he wanted.

He tightened his grip on her, at least as tight as his current strength allowed. “I know. But my pain saddens you so.”

“I had promised not to hurt you when I asked you to marry me. Now I’m making you cry…”  He whispered, his deep baritone voice now with a hint of coarseness. “I’m sorry.”

“Hmph! You’re indeed a liar.” She said, trying to keep the tears at bay. Her eyes ended up on his bandaged upper torso.

She didn’t see it herself because the initial treatments wasn’t in this hospital, but she heard it was so bad that his innards were exposed. “You were injured so badly, I—”

“Your husband has a very strong body. You should know.” Garan had wanted to soften the atmosphere with an innuendo. He even chuckled at the sight of her snot.

“Don’t laugh!” She scolded, “Why do you keep treating this as a joke?” She felt extremely annoyed, “See if I get injured like you instead—”

Unexpectedly, his eyes turned red as she uttered these words, looking absolutely livid. “STOP! Don’t say it!!” He bellowed, shocking her soul out.

Althea froze, not expecting such a strong reaction.

“Garan?” She choked, startled by his violent reaction.

She saw him struggling with something, as if shaking in fear. Althea was too young at the time and didn’t remember most of the events. How could she know the impact of those words?

Alarm from the machine blared and her eyes widened. She quickly pressed the emergency button. “Nurse! Nurse!”

A group of doctors and nurses rushed into the room, and she was led out of the room. She watched as they pulled him out of the ICU and to the operating room.

Althea shivered as she stood blankly in front of the operating room, showing signs of hyperventilation.

Alicia ran to her, embracing her as soon as she was in arm’s reach. “What happened?”

“I…I’m not sure…”

It was around this time that another person stepped next to them. It was Gill, and he had been moping around in silence all this time.

“Sister-in-law… It was my fault. I was careless and he saved me. Don’t get mad at him.”

“It’s… it’s not your fault, Gill.” She said weakly, still confused. “It was me who seemed to have said s-something…. something that stimulated him.”

At the memory, she soon entered another flurry of panic. Her breathing became irregular and the tears started to flow up even more.

Alicia held her tighter and patted her back, trying to calm her down. “What did you say?” Althea looked passively and just told her their last conversation.

Mother just patted her hand, unaware of the reason for the strong stimulation, but surprisingly it was Gill who spoke regarding it.

“I may know this.” He said, making the two women turn their heads to him. “When we were drinking, he told me about a terrorist group he’d been tracking for years.” He paused, looking at Althea.

“What is this group? What does it have to do with… this.”

Gill pursed his lips. “It seemed that you got into a life-threatening accident as a child because of them. It was an open scar and… I feel that one of his major motivations as a soldier was to get rid of this particular scum.”

Althea pursed her lips, her long eyelashes feathered over her green eyes, trying to hold back a new set of tears.

For hours after that, she only looked at the Operating room door with a blank face. Even with the turbulent emotions brewing inside her, none of it showed in her face anymore, and no one disturbed her thoughts.

Her deep emerald eyes looked at the red light of the operating room with deep determination.

That day, she swore… She swore that he would never see her hurt, ever.

________________________

[17 days of Protection Period]

Althea opened her eyes to see an unfamiliar wooden ceiling. Her body felt like it was hit by a log and proceeded to be rolled on by it.

“Uhhh…” she mumbled, her hand habitually creeping to her stomach to feel her babies. But she froze as she did so.

Why was it flat?!

Her eyes widened immediately, and sat up by instinct. But the movement was so sudden that she felt dizzy, her back falling on the bed again.

It took a moment of staring blankly into the wooden ceiling, but eventually the reality of everything that happened finally dawned on her.

It was about this time that the door slid open, revealing a young-looking woman with dark blonde hair entering with a wooden tray, likely containing her medicine.

The woman—whom she recognized as the newest NPC Betty—placed the tray on the table, before turning to look at her.

She blinked, startled, at seeing her awake, before she broke into a relieved smile. “You’re awake, my lord.” she said, turning to the medicine to hand it over to her.

“Betty.” Althea uttered weakly, looking around the room. Where were her babies?

Betty saw this and explained. “The others should be coming back soon.” She said, “They often stay here after working hours.” Betty said.

After so many days, Betty still couldn’t help but marvel at the concept of ‘working hours’ and she felt a bit amused when she used it herself.

“As for the children…” she paused, smiling, and stood up. She went out of the room without saying another word and a moment later, she and Lily came in carrying two children.

Even just seeing them from afar, Althea was filled with warmth and love.

The closer they got, it felt as she was swimming in hot springs.

They were tiny little balls of cuteness, wrapped in differing colors of silk cloth she managed to hoard back in Terran. So soft and adorable to look at, and she couldn’t wait but hold them in her arms.

The baby boy had her emerald orbs, and the little girl inherited her father’s cerulean eyes. Both were equally very beautiful.

The babies raised their heads at the same time and her green eyes met the largest and loveliest eyes in the universe.

They gave her simultaneous toothless grin and giggles and her heart felt like it melted into a puddle.

Just like that, she felt her whole body and her soul recovered.