Yours, Until Needed
Chapter 136: Mother Hen

Chapter 136: Mother Hen

LUCIAN

Lucian wasn’t pleased with any of this.

Eliana seems to be taking this too lightly, and it’s probably because she didn’t get to see her state when it happened.

On the other hand, Lucian found her like that and felt like fainting as well.

It all started with Lucian wondering why Eliana was taking so long to come out of the bath. Dinner had been ready for a while now, and he was sitting alone, waiting for the normally eager food bin to come.

But it had been more than twenty minutes since he hollered to say that dinner was ready, and there had been no response.

Counting from when she entered the bath earlier, she’s been there for more than an hour now.

Normally, Lucian would have muttered under his breath, complaining about the foodie who asked for food but didn’t show up once he called. But the lack of a condescending response since earlier got him walking towards the bathroom.

He knocked.

And knocked again.

Still nothing.

Then Lucian bolted for the spare keys so he could pry open the locked door.

His normally stoic and unshakable demeanor shattered as he entered the bathroom only to find his wife ’sleeping’ in the tub.

The problem was he soon realized she wasn’t just sleeping after several attempts to wake her up.

Lucian scooped her up while ordering the house’s AI to call their family doctor.

He practically barked at the AI as if it could understand the severe urgency in his tone.

Lucian wanted to call the ambulance as well, but he didn’t want anyone to touch her without being properly vetted. That might do her more harm, especially considering the increasing number of enemies.

So, all he could do was dry her up while calling Oliver to prepare for transport and fetch any or all of the family doctors on their payroll.

"Get me the closest one for now, then summon the one with Eliana’s records."

Oliver did as he was told, and Lucian opened the door to two doctors.

It was a flurry of movement as Lucian practically dragged the doctors into their room.

When she finally came around to waking up, a doctor was already in the middle of examining her.

"Huh?"

Lucian looked at the bleary-eyed woman, his arms crossed as he stared at her like she’d committed a grave crime.

"What happened?"

"Ma’am, it seems like you fainted earlier, so Mr. Sinclair called us over to check on you."

"Oh."

"Oh, my ass." Lucian clenched his jaw, not understanding why she looked too unbothered.

"I suppose everything’s alright?" Eliana had the audacity to ask, and Lucian felt like he was seeing red.

"Ma’am, please refrain from strenuous activities and rest more. Too much fatigue may cause you more fainting spells."

"Sorry, I didn’t think I’d be that tired."

Lucian snorted at her half-hearted apology, knowing that she was just saying that to get rid of the doctors.

"Was it really just fatigue?" He asked, not fully convinced without laboratory results.

"So far, she’s not showing any other signs and symptoms, but we’d be able to make a better analysis once she undergoes lab tests."

"I’m pretty sure it’s just because I’ve been staying up a little too late lately. I’ll try to rest more." Eliana smiled as if she was not a little demon.

Because of her insistence and reluctance to undergo more laboratory tests, the doctors could only prescribe rest and a few vitamins.

"You’re not allowed to do that again." Lucian was stern and extremely serious. "Ever."

"What? Faint?"

"Yes. Or bathe alone."

"Or anything remotely tiring without my supervision."

Her lips twitched. "I only fainted, Lucian. I’m not dying."

"Exactly," he sneered. "And I intend to keep it that way."

Eliana scowled at that, but Lucian paid no mind to it.

If she didn’t get tested, then she had better suffer the consequences.

From that moment on, Lucian hovered around Eliana. He was like a tall, overly prominent shadow who even held her pillows and slippers.

Eliana made it known that she found it maddening that he would even react to her holding her own mug like she hadn’t been doing the same thing for months now.

"What do you think you’re doing with my mug?" Eliana asked, frustration showing as her eyebrows kept on creasing.

"It’s too heavy."

"It’s the same mug I’ve been using since we lived here."

"Better to use a plastic cup." Lucian deadpanned, ignoring her bubbling anger.

"You’ve got to be shitting me. It’s been three days!"

"I’m clearly fine now. I’ve followed your regimen to a tea and barely even left the bed or the couch. I’m sure it’s all good now!"

"You don’t know that." And Lucian really felt that way because he felt like she wasn’t being vigilant enough.

The truth was, he also had no idea how to deal with this situation. He’s been unnecessarily anxious since it happened, and he’s not used to this weird feeling like something bad would happen if he blinked.

He’s never been one to think so deeply about things like this. When he’s sick, he should just follow the doctor’s advice and be done with it. And for someone like him, he wasn’t really aware of things like limits. Such things never really existed for someone who does as he pleases.

But now, he felt like even if 10 doctors told him the same thing, he wouldn’t be satisfied.

Just remembering how fragile she looked and how silent it was made his chest tighten as if on the verge of a heart attack.

"This isn’t going to work. You can’t just hang around like some mother hen in a three-piece suit who occasionally moonlights as a company Vice President."

"What about your work? Won’t Grandpa get mad at you for missing so many days?"

"I will explain it to them."

"No, never mind that! Just tone it down a little. I need to be able to handle things myself, you know? You can’t protect me from everything, you know that, right?"

No.

Try me.

Lucian couldn’t answer her because he was too tangled up with his own thoughts of wanting to keep her in some tower.