Chapter 2 : Taking Care of Him

"Ahem!" The doctor beside them cleared his throat and spoke, "Auntie, Emerson is fine. Just make sure to take care of him regularly."

Emerson realized there was a doctor next to him and, thinking about his earlier behavior, felt his ears turn red.

Wait... Emerson?

Emerson looked up at the doctor changing his IV bottle. Even though he wasn''t wearing glasses, his low prescription didn''t prevent him from seeing clearly. He widened his eyes in surprise, "Emanuel?"

Emanuel Roosevelt lowered his head at the sound, the faint smell of disinfectant wafting over, not unpleasant.

Emerson met his deep eyes, "Why are you back?"

Emanuel''s slender fingers adjusted his pristine white cuff, "What? Emerson, are you not happy to see me?"

"Of course not!"

The phone rang, interrupting them. Mrs. Morgan apologized and stepped out to take the call.

In the hospital room, only Emerson and Emanuel remained.

Emanuel reached out to adjust the IV drip rate, "Bro, when did you get this stomach problem?"

Emerson, looking unconcerned, shifted to a more comfortable position, "It''s nothing, just got it from skipping meals."

"Okay." Emanuel''s hand slipped back into the pocket of his white coat, his gaze meaningful.

Emerson noticed the badge on Emanuel''s chest, indicating he was a chief surgeon. The photo showed a cold demeanor, different from the Emanuel he remembered.

"Bro, get some rest. I need to do my rounds." Emanuel glanced at the IV bottle again and reminded, "Don''t adjust the drip rate yourself."

Emerson waved dismissively with his free hand, "Got it, go on."

He muttered under his breath, "A chief surgeon doing rounds."

Hearing this, Emanuel paused for a moment before quickly leaving the room. If one looked closely, they might notice his steps were a bit unsteady.

Emerson drifted into memories. He and Emanuel had been close since childhood. Emanuel was six months younger, and as they grew up, they played together, often causing trouble in the police district courtyard.

Mostly, it was Emerson causing trouble, with Emanuel watching and sometimes keeping lookout.

The adults in the courtyard couldn''t do much about them; they were quite mischievous.

Later, when they started elementary school, it was strange that Emanuel always scored one point higher than Emerson in exams.

So, they were always the top two in their class.

Emerson secretly competed with him but could never surpass him, always one point behind.

And then...

Thinking about this, Emerson''s head tilted, and he fell asleep peacefully.

His face softened, as if bathed in light. Emanuel re-entered the room. He didn''t need to do rounds; he had been standing at the door for a while.

Mrs. Morgan had already gone home after taking a phone call, apologizing to Emanuel before she left. "Emanuel, please take care of Emerson."

Emanuel leaned against the wall, his right hand in his pocket, eyes downcast, lost in thought. "Auntie, don''t worry. I''ll take good care of Emerson."

After hanging up, he put his phone in his left pocket and glanced into the room, seeing Emerson asleep.

Emanuel walked to the bedside, leaning close to his face, his gaze affectionate, his voice low and pleasant, "Bro..." His breath brushed against Emerson''s face.

His long fingers gently brushed through Emerson''s soft hair. In his sleep, Emerson felt a slight discomfort and moved a bit.

Emanuel withdrew his hand and quietly watched him, this person he had longed for day and night...