Chapter 274
The two of them returned to the room, and Jessica clearly hadn’t fully processed everything yet – until Chris pulled her into his arms and let out a breath of relief. Only then did Jessica reach out and hug him tightly.
Though Jessica had appeared calm these past few days, in truth, she had been just as anxious. She knew the situation in the mountains had been unclear to the outside world, and with no communication at all, Chris must have been worried sick.
“I’m sorry for making you worry,” Jessica said softly as she embraced him to comfort him.
This was probably the most terrified Chris had been since they got back together. And with a natural disaster like this, there was nothing Chris could do to fight it.
“I knew you’d come,” Jessica murmured while hugging him, “I just didn’t expect you to show up in the middle of the night.”
“I wanted to contact you too, but the power was out earlier and I had no way to reach the outside world.”
Chris just held her like that, silent the entire time. It wasn’t until a long moment later that he finally felt the tension drain from his body. He hadn’t closed his eyes or rested for 24 hours straight. As a doctor, in that kind of emergency, Chris had to prioritize the safety of the injured first. At the same time, his heart had been fixated on Jessica’s safety. Splitting his focus between two fronts had worn him down more than anyone else. On top of that, he hadn’t eaten. His entire body now felt weak–he couldn’t even stand up on his own.
So Jessica simply sat beside him, not caring how dirty he was, and wrapped her arms around him.
Once Chris’s nerves had slightly calmed, she finally said, “Let’s get you in a hot shower.”
He was helped to his feet and led into the bathroom. The conditions here weren’t luxurious–certainly not compared to a hotel in Impelia–but it was far better than being out in the wild. At least there was hot water for a proper shower.
After a thorough wash, he came out to find that Shannon had already brought over the reheated food. Jessica was sitting at the table, waiting for him. This was the first time Chris ever ate so ravenously, completely throwing away his usual image.
Normally, Chris ate with very refined manners. He was the type to always take care of others at the table – whether a lover or a friend – and would often end up eating very little himself. That was one reason why he’d always been so slim. Even at home, he usually cooked the dishes Jessica liked. He wasn’t picky and could eat just about anything. After they reconciled, Jessica had actually gained several pounds.
When Chris finally finished eating and had a glass of water, Jessica asked, “Are you heading back with our group tomorrow?”
The area was still dangerous, and even if there were more meetings to be had, they would have to return to the city center. Blake’s rescue team would escort them out in the morning.
Chris shook his head and glanced at the time. “I’ll go back with the medical team tomorrow. A few of the injured still need close monitoring. I need to follow up on their condition. Also, remember to call your mom tomorrow.”
There were bound to be many rumors at the Wilder Group about what had happened here. Before leaving, Chris had asked Maggie to keep things steady, and if needed, to bring Jessica’s mother in for support.
Jessica replied, “Don’t worry about the Wilder Group. I’ve been paying that senior executives team for years. Even if I died, the company would still keep running. As for my mom… Did you tell her?”
“No. I just told Maggie that if the board starts making trouble, she should call your mom over to keep things in tact.”
Jessica nodded. “Maggie won’t have to. The Wilder Group had weathered far worse–this was nothing in comparison."
After the meal, Chris, completely exhausted, lay down beside Jessica. The two of them held each other tightly. Jessica gently patted his back, helping to soothe the tension that still lingered in him.