Upon being admitted to the emergency room, Carol received a thorough examination by the doctor. Fortunately, there were no bone injuries, her organs were normal, and external injuries were minor. After some essential treatment, she was found to be generally alright, just suffering from a mild concussion.

After the doctor finished, he informed Rick that Carol would wake up soon and they could check her condition.

Relieved that Carol was fine, Rick finally relaxed. He sat by the hospital bed, holding her cold hand, and gazed at her somewhat pale face with deep concern.

As the day turned to dusk, Rick sat there, never letting go of her hand, which gradually warmed in his palm.

Carol was frowning in her sleep, as if trapped in a nightmare, muttering, "Dad, Mom, don't leave me, don't leave me…"

Rick gently touched her cheek, his eyes full of tenderness, "Carol, don't be afraid; your brother Rick is here. Though I'm not your parents, I will love and care for you forever. I want you to get better and stay by my side. You don't know how much I've suffered not seeing you these days!"

He spoke emotionally, voicing the feelings he had held inside for so long. Still, he didn't notice Carol's eyelashes trembling slightly, a tear hanging on the corner of her eye, never falling.

"Brother!" A call broke Rick’s somber mood.

He released her hand and stood up, "Lacey, you're here!"

"Yes! How's Carol?" Lacey asked anxiously.

"She's okay; she just hasn't woken up yet. Did Jax's parents leave? I didn't see them off; I hope they don't mind!" Rick was still very concerned about leaving a good impression on Jax's parents.

"No, no! They understood you had important things to handle. They even praised you for being thoughtful and asked you to visit them when you have time!" Lacey replied somewhat proudly.

"Good!" Rick replied, serious as always.

At that moment, two traffic policemen entered, followed by the woman driver responsible for the accident and a man who looked like her husband.

"Who is the family member of the injured?" One of the police officers asked, looking at the people around Carol's bed.

"I am!" Rick quickly assumed responsibility as Carol's family.

Then, leaving Lacey by the bedside, Rick and a colleague followed the police officers and the driver to the hospital lobby.

"Are you the husband of the injured?" The policeman asked, looking at Rick, an impressive figure.

"Not yet," Rick almost slipped in his response.

The policeman was taken aback by Rick's answer, which took an unexpected turn, and continued, "May I ask your relationship with the injured?"

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Boyfriend!" Rick answered crisply, adding, "I can make decisions regarding her affairs."

Since the responsible parties were present, the rest of the procedure went smoothly. The policemen confirmed the driver's full responsibility, which she accepted without objection. The only thing left was negotiating compensation.

Considering Carol was still receiving treatment, the driver offered to pay some expenses upfront, but Rick refused. He didn't lack money and preferred to cover all costs himself, saving the compensation for Carol's household expenses.

The negotiation was smooth, and the police officers found the case easy to handle. In just over half an hour, all matters were settled.

Rick returned to the ward to find Carol still asleep, but her blood pressure and heartbeat were normal, indicating she would wake up soon.

He asked the doctor when she could be discharged. The doctor replied that if Carol recovered sufficiently, she could leave the hospital in at most three days.

On his way back to the ward, Rick called his assistant to wait for him at the office. He wanted to sort out some immediate work and delegate tasks for the next three days, planning to devote himself entirely to caring for Carol.

"Lacey, stay here tonight to look after Carol. I have some things to handle at the office. Let me know what you need, and I'll send it over. You don't need to be here during the day, but I can't stay at night."

Before leaving, Rick reminded, "Call me the moment Carol wakes up."

Although it was her first time handling such a difficult situation alone, Lacey tried to remain calm and took care of Carol earnestly. She also called Jax's mother to check if they had arrived home safely and received much praise.

Lacey felt like she had suddenly grown up.

"I'm so thirsty, water, water!" Carol's urgent voice startled Lacey out of her boredom. Lacey quickly got up, poured warm water, and gently helped Carol drink.

Then she pressed the ward's call button, and the doctor arrived quickly. After a check-up, Carol slowly came to.

"Carol, you finally woke up." Seeing her friend slowly open her eyes, Lacey was moved to tears.

"Lacey, where am I?" Carol's eyelids were still heavy, but she could finally see the people around her, asking in a daze.

"You're in the People's Hospital! Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?" Lacey hurriedly asked.

Carol raised a hand to her forehead, "My head hurts a bit. What happened before?"

Lacey quickly checked with the doctor and, hearing it was a normal reaction, relaxed, "Carol, you were hit by a car. Fortunately, my brother found you and brought you to the hospital. He just left a while ago."

Hearing Rick had brought her to the hospital, Carol felt a warmth in her heart, and her headache seemed to ease. Vague memories surfaced in her mind. Did Rick say something to her?

She tried to remember, but it only brought a faint headache, so she stopped.

"Right, my brother said to call him as soon as you wake up. I forgot in all the excitement. I'll call him now." Lacey reached for her phone.

"Lacey, don't call!" Carol used all her strength to say this.

Lacey looked at her, puzzled, "Why not?"

"He just left; he must have a lot to handle. Don't bother him now." Carol's mind was more apparent now, and rationality took over.

Lacey didn't care about that, feeling she was missing a great opportunity, "At a time like this, he should be by your side. I'm going to tell him."

Carol held her wrist before she could grab her phone, "Please, listen to me?"

Seeing Carol's pitiful look, Lacey softened, "Alright, I'll listen to you this time."

"Did grandma find out about the accident?" Carol remembered her only relative and started worrying.

"Don't worry! My brother has arranged everything. I already called Grandma and told her you'd stay at my house tonight. The police officers and the driver who hit you also came, and my brother handled it all. You focus on getting better; leave the rest to us." Lacey filled her in on everything.

Hearing Lacey's words, Carol felt reassured and soon fell asleep from exhaustion, "You should rest too. It's tiring to stay with me."

After speaking, she closed her eyes and fell back to sleep.

Lacey, seeing her

asleep, quietly moved to the window and picked up her phone, "Brother, Carol woke up! But she's asleep again now."