---- Chapter 51

Jenna suddenly let out a small cry and leaned against James. "James, I think I twisted my ankle." She grasped his arm, drawing his attention back to her. James stopped and looked down, bracing her up. "Can you still walk?"

"I can," Jenna replied, limping as he supported her toward the hospital room. "Wendy is incredibly capable. If I hadn’t gone abroad back then and had chosen to study medicine instead, would I have been able to help Mr. Frank Senior today, too? Would that have given you peace of mind?"

Hearing this, James paused. In his mind, Jenna had left for her studies abroad burdened by regret and sorrow. If Wendy hadn't climbed into his bed that night inebriated, if she hadn’t become pregnant after just one encounter, and if Robert hadn't compelled him to take responsibility for Wendy, Jenna wouldn’t have had to leave with such pain and resentment. A wave of guilt washed over him.

Wendy's image faded from his thoughts as he focused on the tearful Jenna. "Don't say that. Even without Wendy, Dr. Carrington could have still saved Grandpa. You don’t need to study medicine. Just pursue what you love. That brings me peace of mind," he said gently, his tone calm and warm—something he rarely expressed.

Tears glistened in Jenna's eyes. "But I just want to help you, James. Sometimes, I really hate how useless I am." As she finished speaking, she bit her lip, looking so pitiful that it was hard not to feel compassion for her. James pursed his lips and continued walking while supporting her. "Of course not. You're wonderful, Jenna. Don’t speak of yourself like that."

"Really?" Jenna looked up at him, her eyes brimming with hope. "Do you truly think that?" James nodded. Her heart fluttered wildly, nearly prompting a smile, but she suppressed it, gripping her thigh tightly to steady herself.

After a while, they finally reached the door to the hospital room. Inside, after reconnecting all the monitors, Wendy carefully examined Robert again. Once she confirmed everything was under control, she let out a breath of relief and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Do you realize how dangerous your method of bloodletting was earlier? If you’d slipped even slightly, you could have hit an artery and caused irreversible damage!"

Raymond's sharp voice rang out as he launched into criticism. Wendy looked up, bit her lip, and nodded. "I'm sorry, Dr. Carrington. I was reckless. But the situation was extremely critical."

"I didn’t want to watch Grandpa slip away in front of me. I didn’t want him to wake up unable to move the upper half of his body. That’s not the outcome he would have wanted." Halfway through, Wendy's voice began to tremble. She forced herself to finish and couldn’t help but grasp Robert's slightly cold hand.

Raymond looked at her, moved despite himself. He hesitated and frowned. "My tone was a bit harsh. Don’t take it personally," he said with a sigh. "You know I’ve been Mr. Frank Senior's attending physician for many years."

Wendy nodded. "Back then, Mr. Frank Senior funded my college education and even supported my studies abroad. He never asked for anything in return. He never expected me to repay him. I can never fully repay his kindness. Like you, I fear anything happening to him. I’m afraid he’ll endure something he never wanted."

Raymond's face was full of emotion as he spoke. Wendy looked at Robert lying in bed, her eyes welling up with tears. "Mr. Frank Senior has always been good. He has been very good to me. He has a deep attachment to the medical profession because his wife passed away while on duty. Wendy, you're his granddaughter-in-law. He cares about you, and you understand his condition better than anyone else. Going forward..."