Chapter 4 Something went wrong "Johnny, be obedient and give it a try." ...
"Johnny, be obedient and give it a try."
"But this thing looks so dirty!" Johnny rarely stood up to protest. He pointed at the green, sticky mass and said in a state of despair: "If I use this thing, I might die the next day!"
Two days had passed since they'd gone to that mysterious little house. Johnny didn't believe what Lilith had said and opted for treatment at a regular hospital. However, Mary insisted Johnny use the medicine prepared by an oriental woman, leading to an argument between the two.
"Johnny, why don't you trust Lilith?"
"Then why do you believe her? Do you know her? Understand her?"
"...I didn't know her before..." Mary said hesitantly, but her tone gradually became firm: "But didn't your injury get better because of her medicine? When you were in the clinic before..."
Before she could finish her words, Johnny interrupted her: "That's a black clinic, not a regular hospital!" Perhaps because he spoke too loudly and disturbed the wound, Johnny frowned: "Mary, I don't know much about your past, but I feel that you lack common sense. How..." Who is this person? And what is his past?
Johnny wanted to ask this, but then he realized he was getting off topic. Mary said, "Johnny, didn't you say that applying this ointment didn't hurt at all?"
"That's why it's so strange! I was in the hospital getting IV drips, injections, and anesthetics, but none of them could effectively relieve my pain. But she could just grind the grass into mud and it would stop the pain. This... this isn't normal!" Johnny argued, but he felt less and less confident under Mary's gaze.
Actually... he... well... under the influence of the general environment, he did look down on Orientals and could not believe that their medical skills were so advanced.
Maybe he is superficial.
Without arguing with Mary, Johnny silently took the medicine from her hand and applied it to his wound. If she could really heal his wound, he would never look at anyone with tinted glasses again.
The sticky medicine started to work as soon as it was applied to the wound, and Johnny swallowed the black pill. Fortunately, it tasted sweet and not unpleasant.
It was raining outside today, and the air was cold, but if you stayed inside, you would feel comfortable. Johnny made two cups of hot tea with his own efforts and excitedly handed one to Mary: "Try it and see how it tastes."
Mary took the tea, took a sip, and said softly, "Mmm, very delicious." But Johnny noticed that she was absent-minded. She looked out the window at the rain, as if lost in memories.
She must have many secrets.
Johnny thought this, but he lost his desire to explore. Some things, once started, have no room for ending. Everyone has their own secrets. If Mary didn't want to tell him, he wouldn't force her. He was just satisfying his curiosity.
Anyway...Mary wouldn't hurt him.
Johnny thought so, quietly looking at Mary who was looking out the window, and an indescribable silence emerged between the two of them.
This silence made him feel at a loss.
Never before had his surroundings been so quiet. There were no coquettish voices from beautiful girls, no high-flown speeches from politicians, no neighing of horses, and no excited roars from the crowds at the racecourse.
Now, beside him, only Mary, looking absentminded, was present. Looking at her, Johnny was reminded of clouds. They looked solid, but in reality, they were just water vapor. No matter how hard he squeezed his hands, he couldn't pull off the light clouds.
He had no leverage to ensure Mary wouldn't leave.
If Mary loved money, Johnny would be willing to give her his fortune to squander. If Mary loved food, Johnny would be willing to cook for her. If Mary had any hobbies, Johnny would be willing to delve into them. But... Mary seemed to have no interest in anything.
Johnny always thought that he could take care of himself and that he would be able to say goodbye to Mary peacefully after his injuries healed. But in these few short days, Johnny's only thought was to keep her by his side, the longer the better.
Wasn't this a bit mean of him? Johnny thought, but quickly dismissed the thought. Mary had taken the initiative to take care of him. If Mary got tired of caring for disabled people after a while, he could just smile and part ways amicably...right?
A hurried knock on the door brought Johnny back to his senses. Confused as to why someone suddenly came to visit on such a rainy day, he shouted, "Who? Who's outside?"
It was unclear whether the person had truly not heard Johnny's question or had simply ignored it. His persistent knocking on the door was somewhat disconcerting.
"Tsk, who is it?" Johnny muttered unhappily. He was about to open the door, but Mary blocked him and said, "I'll open the door."
"Hello, Mary."
Sensing a tenseness rising from Mary, Johnny wondered if things might be more complicated than he'd imagined. He reached for her skirt, but found nothing. Mary had already left the house and closed the door. Johnny only caught a glimpse of his visitor, who was wearing good-quality men's leather shoes.
Male?
Johnny's heart rang with alarm bells
If the person coming was Mary's boyfriend, why was Mary so wary? But if he wasn't her boyfriend, what was his purpose? Could he be harming Mary?
Thinking of this, Johnny immediately went towards the door, but just when he was about to touch the door handle, the tightly closed door was suddenly pushed open. If he had not dodged quickly, his nose would have been broken.
"Oh, sorry, are you okay?" Mary noticed that Johnny was pale and hurriedly lowered her head to see if he was injured, but Johnny was busy looking at who was outside the house and forgot to answer.
The man outside the house had already ridden away on his horse. The hazy rain had formed a thick piece of cloth, and one could only vaguely see that the other person's horse was gray.
How did that person slip away so quickly? Johnny frowned and tried to support his upper body with his arms, wanting to see farther, but he lost his balance and fell hard into Mary's arms.
The other's embrace was very warm, and Johnny put his head against her chest and could hear her rapid heartbeat. He looked up and found that the tips of Mary's ears had turned red.
Mary... is she shy?
Johnny opened his blue eyes wide in disbelief. He was ashamed of himself for almost falling down when he even stood up. Now he scratched his cheek in embarrassment and tried to sit back in the wheelchair.
"Ah...that...uh...who's here?" Johnny deliberately changed the subject and felt his cheeks were burning strangely.
This light and unfamiliar feeling made him feel as if he had taken a bite of an unripe apple from the orchard, with a crisp taste and a very faint fragrance.
Mary's expression grew serious. "The man who just came to see me is a man who calls himself Manden Tim." Mary bit her lower lip and whispered, "He told me that Lilith, the Oriental woman who treated us, disappeared this morning. There were messy traces and bloodstains in the house. It's unknown whether she's alive or dead. We were the last people to see her, and he hopes we can help him solve the case."
"Huh?!" Johnny was completely surprised by the murder happening right next to him. He was shocked for a few seconds, but then he realized it was understandable. A foreign woman living alone in a remote area was truly courting death.
Looking at Mary's worried expression, Johnny didn't think twice before shaking her hand. Feeling the coolness of her fingertips, he said seriously, "Whatever happened to her, it's not your fault. You don't have to feel upset or sorry about it, and you don't have to help her."
Human memory is limited. He had forgotten Mary's skills, or perhaps he had deliberately forgotten this. "There's no need for you to get involved... What does this have to do with us? Besides, even if we find the murderer... you know, as long as the crime is committed by a white person, the law will find him not guilty." Johnny didn't dare let go of Mary's hand, for fear that she would rush out the next second to uphold justice. "Don't be too kind, Mary," he whispered. "Doing good deeds often doesn't bring good rewards..."
"But... Johnny," Mary said, something that was a little unexpected for him: "What about your injury?"
"ah?"
"I mean, Lilith is a very good doctor. If she can heal your wound within a week, then..."
Johnny subconsciously took over the conversation: "Maybe, it can help me... stand up again?"
No, that's not possible.
The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. Johnny didn't dare to imagine any further, but this tiny hope had already taken root in his heart.
Mary noticed the hesitation on Johnny's face and said, "So I want to help that man solve the case. Johnny, you might have to stay home alone for the next few days."
"No! I want to go too!" Johnny shouted. He could never let Mary take the risk alone. Moreover, Mary did this for him. If anything happened to her, Johnny would never forgive himself.
"No, Johnny, your injuries haven't healed yet. You need to take good care of yourself." Mary shook her head, obviously having decided what to do.
"but!"
“No buts!”
This was the first time Mary spoke so loudly to Johnny. Although her expression was firm throughout, for some reason, Johnny had an inexplicable sense of discomfiture.
If she was truly worried about him, Mary wouldn't have suddenly lost her temper and yelled at him. What was she so nervous about? Why didn't she allow him to get involved in this matter? What did she find when she went to the Oriental woman's house that day?
Johnny looked at Mary quietly and said as she wished: "Okay, Mary, I will stay at home and take good care of myself."
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