To the Love of My Life

He was as if turned to stone, staring blankly at Ruby Gregory’s delicate fair fingers which she pointed at him, his mind a blank, bereft of all thinking ability.

The male doctor glanced at Steve, then pointed to the bed behind him, saying, “Sit down and lift your pants. If you can’t lift them, then take them off.”

After speaking, the doctor got up and went over to the wash basin, washing his hands with disinfectant, then proceeded to take the antiseptic liquid, ointment, and bandage, and headed towards the bed. Seeing that Steve was still standing in place, he frowned, “Come over.”

Ruby turned her head, looking at Steve, and echoed the doctor’s words. “Steve, the doctor is calling you over.”

Steve did not respond.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Ruby smiled at the doctor and shouted again, “Steve, come on.”

Steve still didn’t react, his gaze still locked on Ruby.

Fearing the doctor would get impatient, Ruby instinctively reached out her hand, grabbed Steve’s arm, and pulled him towards the bed.

Steve was still not processing what was happening. When Ruby pulled him, he automatically moved forward with her momentum.

Ruby pulled Steve to the side of the bed, indicated for him to sit down, and seeing him still staring at her without moving, she twisted her brows, and slapped his shoulder hard. “Sit down!”

Steve seemed to come back to himself slightly, but his gaze never left Ruby’s face. He complied obediently, sitting on the bed, then resumed his previous state, showing no further reaction.

Inside, Ruby was getting anxious. The doctor was watching and he was behaving like a wooden doll!

Ruby apologized to the doctor with a smile, then she patted Steve’s shoulders even harder, “Hey, stop daydreaming! Hurry up and roll up your pants, the doctor is waiting to examine your injury!”

Steve came back slightly again, seemingly undeterred by her forceful slaps, only responding with a grunt to Ruby. Then, he lifted up his pants like an automaton, revealing the bandages around his calf that he’d haphazardly put on, from which some red was seeping through.

Ruby stood on the side as the doctor, after donning disposable gloves, began to remove the bandages on Steve’s leg, layer by layer.

When Madeleine was describing Steve’s wound, Ruby only felt a sense of unease, as she was unable to imagine the severity of the injury. Now, seeing it with her own eyes, with flesh exposed and blood seeping out, the shocking cruelty of the scene caused Ruby to close her eyes and turn away.

Her body began to ache sympathetically.

Although Ruby kept resisting the urge to look at the gruesome sight, she was unable to help herself from taking a sneaky peek. The doctor started Steve’s disinfection by using forceps to handle a large cotton ball soaked in alcohol, wiping the injured area. Ruby felt it was painful just looking at it. But Steve was as if he had lost all sensations, his gaze still fixed on her, even a faint smile appearing at the corner of his lips.