Kiss Me if You Can Novel Completed - Chapter 50

When he woke up this time, he was in a hospital. One arm was heavily bandaged, and the other had an IV needle inserted.

“Your stamina is truly amazing.”

Mark, who had just arrived, clicked his tongue in admiration. He rattled on about Josh’s condition when he arrived at the hospital, the progress since, the treatments he received, and the injections he got, but to Josh, it only sounded like ‘he received many injections and treatments.’

Josh listened to his explanation half-heartedly, and among the simple belongings Mark brought him, he first pulled out his cell phone. Checking the messages he had received, he found one from Emma.

[Call me. I have something to ask.]

The simple message didn’t convey much urgency.

I’ll do it later.

Thinking the same as last time, Josh casually checked the remaining messages. In the meantime, Mark’s story was slowly coming to an end.

“Rabies shots, tetanus shots, all done. Fortunately, no broken bones.”

Mark concluded his words as if relieved. Then he added a joke with a smile.

“How did you even think of confronting a pack of coyotes? C seemed completely disgusted by it, and he went pale when you collapsed. Laura said she’d never seen him that flustered before, she was surprised too.”

It felt strange that Chase had been so flustered because of him. Not knowing what to say, Josh just gave an ambiguous smile and then quickly changed the subject.

“So, when can I return to work?”

“Hey, hey. Don’t rush, what’s the hurry?”

Mark reached out a hand to calm Josh.

“They said we just need to observe for one more day, so probably tomorrow. Take this chance to rest. You can take your time coming back after you’re discharged. Maybe call your kid. You must miss him, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

He immediately pictured Pete. But this time, Pete’s face strangely overlapped with Chase’s, and the two faces merged. Josh hastily changed the subject.

“So, what happened? What exactly?”

He had many questions. Mark took a deep breath and began to tell the story.

“The problem started at the hospital.”

As expected, Josh thought. Mark continued.

“It seems the chocolate we ate was drugged. Fortunately, it wasn’t a drug with severe side effects. Everyone was fine after about half a day. Henry ate the most, so his hallucinations were the worst. It took him twice as long to recover… For me and Seth, our condition just worsened a bit. Anyway, I sternly told him not to pick up anything just because it’s free. It was a relief that Isaac didn’t eat any at all. And Henry brought two handfuls of it, which made the ingredient analysis easy.”

Mark shook his head. But Josh’s interest was elsewhere.

“So who’s the culprit? The one who plotted this in the first place?”

Naturally, Josh thought of Steward. But Mark’s next words were unexpected.

“It was the employee who gave us the chocolate.”

“What did you say?”

Josh involuntarily blurted out in a sharp voice. Mark nodded.

“You know, that cult that terrorizes extreme Alphas. It seems he was a follower. That hospital also operates a research institute for extreme Alphas, right? It seems he deliberately infiltrated to steal patient information and other necessary things, and we just happened to be the target.”

“C isn’t the only extreme Alpha who receives treatment there, is he?”

Mark agreed with Josh’s point.

“Of course not. Didn’t they change targets here and there? Still, they probably wanted to pick a more spectacular one. Performance is important, after all. Anyway, even one successful incident is enough to get attention. And with C, the whole world could turn upside down.”

Josh shivered down his spine for a moment, picturing Chase’s pale face, lying in a coffin.

“Is it a lone wolf? Any accomplices? There must be a mastermind, right?”

“No. It seems he waited for C to come for a check-up and then contacted his colleagues. They prepared for quite a long time. Well, with those guns and that truck. They must be quite upset about failing.”

Mark said that, but his expression was triumphant. Josh, however, couldn’t accept it.

“What about the doctor?”

“Who?”

“I mean, C’s primary doctor. The one called Steward. Didn’t you investigate him?”

“Oh, that fellow.”

Mark replied, as if he just remembered.

“We already did. He was cleared.”

“What did you say?”

Josh’s voice came out sharp. That couldn’t be, he must be in on it. Mark continued indifferently.

“They investigated not only that doctor but all the hospital staff. But everyone was found to be unrelated, a lone wolf.”

“That can’t be…”

Noticing his unusual demeanor, Mark frowned.

“What’s wrong? Do you have a hunch?”

“No, nothing like that, but…”

Josh replied in a reluctant tone.

“He’s the only one who knew which road we were taking, isn’t he? It just doesn’t sit right with me.”

He would also be fully aware of the drug’s effects and would have heard various things about Chase through consultations, so couldn’t he easily throw out that kind of bait?

Mark replied awkwardly to him, who was lost in thought and trailing off his words ambiguously.

“Well, Isaac said something similar too.”

“Isaac?”

“Yeah. He said the doctor made some strange remarks. He asked about the members and talked about drug side effects, and apparently gave off an atmosphere hostile to extreme Alphas.”

Josh was secretly tense, but Mark just shrugged.

“But what can we do? The police cleared him. He said the employee asked about the road, and he told him. He apologized for it, saying he didn’t think much of it since it wasn’t about patient personal information.”

“But ignoring Isaac’s opinion…”

When Josh brought it up one more time, he only received an indifferent response.

“It might just be a physiological dislike.”

“…”

“We don’t always take on clients because we like them, do we?”

There was nothing more to say. Josh finally backed down. Mark glanced at him and spoke.

“The police will handle the investigation, so let’s just focus on our work for now. Okay? Do you need anything?”

“How’s C? Any injuries…?”

“He’s perfectly fine. Of course he’d be fine when you’re this injured.”

Mark, who had said that much, tilted his head and then frowned.

“What surprised me a bit was that after you collapsed, he tried to follow you to the hospital, and everyone had a really hard time stopping him. Normally, that guy doesn’t bat an eye whether someone dies or not, right? But then he really seemed crazy, even though he’s always a bit crazy. Everyone said it was strange. We finally convinced him to go back to the mansion by saying, ‘What if it gets out that you’re here and fans swarm like crazy dogs?’ And then, ‘He’ll come back as soon as your treatment is over, so talking like this isn’t helping you at all,’ and only then did he listen.”

Mark asked playfully, marveling.

“What happened? He was worried beyond measure. Did you two get closer while you were alone?”

“Perhaps the drug’s effects were still lingering and caused hallucinations.”

When he subtly changed the subject, Mark tilted his head to the other side again.

“Is that so?”

“What else could it be? C wouldn’t care about a bodyguard.”

As Josh shrugged, Mark muttered, “That’s true.” Seeing him still rubbing his chin, lost in thought, Josh subtly changed the subject.

“So, can I go in tomorrow evening? Or in the afternoon?”

“I’ll put you on the schedule starting the day after tomorrow, so rest well and come in comfortably. C’s filming has been postponed due to the police investigation and his poor condition. They’ll shoot other scenes first, so it worked out well. C is resting at the mansion right now, so you should go there after you’re discharged.”

Josh thanked Mark for his consideration. Suddenly, he fiercely wanted to see Pete’s face.

“Um, Mark. Is it possible to be discharged today and come back tomorrow for the results?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

Mark blinked in confusion. Josh awkwardly scratched his head and said.

“I miss my kid. Anyway, today is just for sleeping, right? I think I can just come tomorrow for the results and go straight back.”

Josh’s words were not wrong. Still, Mark couldn’t immediately agree. Most of all, he needed the doctor’s permission.

“I’ll ask first.”

“Thank you. Please do your best. I haven’t been able to call him for days. My child must be waiting a lot…”

“Oh, we can’t make Pete cry. Alright, I’ll go now.”

Mark hastily got up and left the hospital room. And about an hour later, he returned with good news.

“Daddy!”

As soon as Pete saw Josh, he burst into tears and ran to him. Josh let the child, who clung to him desperately, soak his shoulder with tears and drool from crying so hard.

“You should have called, I know you’re busy, but…”

His mother gently chided him. She couldn’t help but add a remark after seeing Josh’s injured body.

“You need to think about your body too, what a mess you are every time you come back.”

“They look worse than they are, it’s nothing much.”

The coyote bites weren’t as bad as he thought. He had quite a few stitches and was dramatically bandaged, but other than that, they were just scratches and scrapes.

“This kind of injury was common in the military.”

His mother briefly glared at him, then said nothing. In the meantime, Pete finally stopped crying. Josh patted the back of the child, who was still sobbing and shaking, then turned his head. Pete looked at him with a tear-soaked face.

How could they look so alike?

Feeling a strange mix of wonder and eeriness, Josh kissed Pete’s cheek. Suddenly, Chase’s face came to mind. What was that man doing now?

Was he trembling again, plagued by hallucinations?

When he zoned out, Pete suddenly patted his face with both hands. Josh, belatedly snapping back to reality, smiled and asked.

“Shall we sleep together tonight, Daddy?”

At Josh’s question, Pete’s eyes widened, and he bounced up and down on his arm.

“When are you leaving tomorrow?”

As Pete giggled excitedly and climbed onto his neck, Josh helped him by holding his bottom and arms, saying.

“I have to stop by the hospital, so I’ll go there and then head back in the afternoon.”

“Can we have dinner together? And invite Emma too.”

“If it’s an early time, then yes.”

In the meantime, Pete, who was perched on Josh’s shoulder, covered his eyes with small hands.

“Go! Daddy, go!”

Even though he could see everything through his fingers, Pete, full of excitement, commanded. Josh pretended not to notice, deliberately stumbling as he walked.

“Daddy, right! Right!”

“Oh, oh, what’s this?”

“Hahahahaha.”

Moving around the house to match the incessantly laughing child, Josh had a strange experience, feeling both fullness and emptiness at the same time.

What was Chase doing now?

In the chilling silence, Mark couldn’t open his mouth, his face bewildered. Chase didn’t even glance at the meal he brought, instead grinding his teeth with a fierce expression.

“What do you mean, he went on vacation?”

His low voice was filled with anger. Mark opened his mouth awkwardly.

“He had to stay at the hospital for one more day anyway. So he said he’d go home… His mother lives nearby, you see.”

He even mentioned Josh’s unnecessary private life, but Chase’s mood didn’t improve at all. He clenched his fist tightly, then unclenched it, then clenched it again. Soon after, Chase cursed, “Damn it!” then sprang up from the bed and paced the room.

Originally, it was Mark’s sole authority to set the team members’ schedules. Even if he had given him a vacation, there was no reason for Chase to be so angry. As long as it didn’t disrupt security, wasn’t that all that mattered?

Mark quickly smoothed out his furrowed brow.

Perhaps Josh had done something to upset him when they were alone.

He tried hard to guess, but it didn’t make sense. Even so, Josh had risked his life to protect Chase. No matter how much of a mad dog he was rumored to be, he wouldn’t be ungrateful.

If that’s our job, then there’s nothing to say.

Mark, recalling the thought bitterly, watched Chase still pacing back and forth across the room and spoke.

“He’ll be back as soon as his treatment is done. …If you have a separate matter for Josh, I’ll have him report to you as soon as he returns.”

Chase stopped abruptly. He was silent for a moment, then narrowed his eyes at the hesitant Mark.

“You’re sure?”