Free Web NovelChapter 91: No Forgiveness
The black car sped through the estate gates and came to a sudden, screeching halt right in front of the main entrance.
Salvatore stepped out of the vehicle first, his boots thudding heavily against the gravel. He kept Milo wrapped tightly in the damp towel, holding the trembling young man securely against his chest.
Milo’s breathing was shallow and uneven, his skin was icy cold to the touch, but his face was burning hot.
Dr. Andrew was already waiting in the driveway, just as the guard had instructed. He looked worried, as though the guard had rushed him over.
He took one look at Milo’s blotchy, blood-streaked face and the raw scratches covering his neck and jaw, and his professional composure kicked in immediately.
"Take him straight to his room, Salvatore," Dr. Andrew said, moving quickly to open the mansion’s double doors, like he was the owner of the house. "What the hell happened to him?"
"It’s really bad. Looks like they put itching powder on him. Check his ears," Salvatore said as he walked.
Salvatore strode quickly down the corridor, ignoring the servants scrambling out of his way. He entered Milo’s room, placing him gently in the center of the bed.
The moment his hands were free, Milo’s fingers twitched, instinctively reaching toward his head again. The deep chemical irritation inside his ear canals was fading because of the cold water, but the nerve endings were still misfiring, sending phantom signals of intense burning straight to his brain.
"Hold his hands. Let me check him," Dr. Andrew commanded, quickly kneeling on the edge of the mattress.
Salvatore grabbed Milo’s arms, pinning them flat against the sheets. Milo let out a weak, pathetic whimper, his eyes rolling back as he tried to turn his head against the pillow.
"Please... it’s so itchy... painful...," Milo mumbled, his voice completely hoarse from screaming earlier.
Dr. Andrew didn’t hesitate. He pulled the cap off the syringe and injected the sedative directly into the vein in Milo’s right arm.
"This will stop the panic reaction and allow his nervous system to rest," the doctor explained, watching the fluid drain.
Within less than a minute, Milo’s violent shivering began to slow. His muscles relaxed, his fingers going limp in Salvatore’s iron grip. His eyes closed fully, his head rolling gently to the side as a deep, medicated sleep finally took over.
Dr. Andrew immediately pulled an otoscope from his medical bag to examine the inside of Milo’s ears. He clicked on the small light and carefully inserted the tip into Milo’s left ear canal, peering inside for a long, silent moment before moving to the right.
"It’s good you cleaned his ears," Dr. Andrew stated, his voice clinical as he set the tool down. "A concentrated irritant like that works by aggravating the sensitive mucosal lining of the ear canal. If it had stayed inside, the chemical reaction would have caused severe inflammation, leading to a secondary infection, tissue necrosis, or permanent hearing loss due to swelling in the middle ear."
Salvatore stood by the bed, his knuckles white as he stared at the red lines on Milo’s face. "Is it all out?"
"Most of the powder has been washed away, but the residue has already penetrated deeper," Dr. Andrew said, pulling out a tube of medicated cream and some sterile gauze.
"The lining inside is raw and slightly bleeding from where he tried to scratch it. I’m going to apply topical corticosteroid drops into the ear canals to reduce the swelling, along with a soothing lipid balm on his face and chest. He must not be allowed to scratch his skin for the next forty-eight hours, or he risks permanent scarring and infection."
Salvatore nodded, his face a completely unreadable mask of steel. He stood by the bed, assisting the doctor as they meticulously cleaned the dried blood from Milo’s skin and wrapped his raw knuckles in soft bandages. freewebnoveℓ.com
"Should I take him to the hospital?" Salvatore asked, worried that something bad might happen.
"For now, it’s not necessary."
Salvatore looked at Milo, his heart aching at the sight of the young man’s condition.
"Will he lose his hearing?"
Dr. Andrew closed his medical bag and shook his head, his voice quiet but steady.
"No, he will not lose his hearing," Andrew said. "Because you cleaned the inside quickly, most of the powder was flushed out before it could mix with the moisture deep inside the canal. The eardrum itself is intact. It hasn’t ruptured."
The doctor looked down at Milo’s peaceful face.
"The danger right now is the swelling. The skin inside the ear canal is incredibly thin and sensitive, and the microscopic particles left behind are causing it to become thick and raw. If that inflammation goes untreated, the canal could close entirely, which would cause temporary deafness and create a trap for infection. But the drops I just put in will reduce that swelling over the next twelve hours. His hearing will be muffled for a few days because of the fluid and cream, but once the tissue heals, his ears will function perfectly normally. He just needs time."
Salvatore barely heard the explanation fully, as long as Milo would be fine, that was enough.
While the doctor was finishing his work, a soft, choked sob echoed from the doorway.
Salvatore turned his head slowly. Standing in the open doorway was Teo. The boy looked so small, his face pale as a sheet and his eyes swollen from crying.
He was clutching the doorframe, his entire body trembling as he looked at the bandages on Milo’s hands and the dark bruises forming on his cheeks.
He knew that his lie was the sole reason Milo had ended up like this. The guilt was etched into every line of his face.
Teo took half a step forward, his voice a tiny, broken whisper. "Salvatore... is he... is he going to die?"
Salvatore didn’t answer him. He didn’t even soften his expression. He simply turned his back on the boy, focusing entirely on helping Dr. Andrew secure the dressings on Milo’s arms.
The cold, complete indifference from the man he looked up to was worse than a physical blow to Teo. The boy let out another sharp cry, covered his face with his hands, and stayed curled up on the floor outside the room, weeping bitterly into his knees.
Salvatore ignored him completely, his focus entirely consumed by the medical treatment until the doctor finally packed his bags and left the room. And he stayed there until midnight.
He took care of everything for Milo and made sure the young man was still breathing.
Why was he so afraid that Milo might stop breathing?
He sat down on the edge of the bed. He felt guilty. It made his heart tighten and his stomach churn.
If only he could turn back time, he would never have let Milo out of his sight. He had underestimated his security. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
He had already asked Roderick to deal with Ramon and everyone else involved in this. Not only because of Milo, but because they had acted without his permission and caused irreparable harm.
