CHAPTER 162: FOOD POISON

"Gray?"

Gray stepped back quickly, and Selina pulled away just as fast. She glanced at the door in surprise. She took a step back and wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve. She looked embarrassed.

Gray turned his head.

"Chloe..."

Chloe stood at the doorway, her brows furrowed and eyes wide. She was taking in the scene before her. Her hand was still on the doorframe, as if she hadn’t expected what she’d just walked in on.

A girl was in Gray’s arms, trembling and crying quietly into his shoulder.

Chloe blinked once, then took a deep breath before stepping into the room. Her eyes flickered briefly toward Lily on the bed, then back at them. Her expression was hard to read.

She closed the door behind her gently, the sound clicking softly into the silence.

"I found parking and asked at the front desk," she said calmly. "I wanted to see if your sister was alright."

Chloe’s heels clicked softly against the floor as she stepped deeper into the room.

Selina lowered her eyes and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She fixed her posture even though her face was red from crying. Even so, she gave Chloe a small, polite nod.

"Thanks for checking in," Selina said, her voice barely above a whisper. "She’s doing better now."

Chloe returned the nod with a calm smile, but her eyes lingered on Selina for just a second longer than necessary, like she was trying to think or piece together what she’d walked into.

Then, after a while, she turned her gaze to Lily.

"She looks a lot better, I’m relieved," Chloe said as she stepped around the edge of the bed. Her voice was soft and genuine. "Is she sleeping?"

Gray nodded. "Yeah. Thankfully, she’s just resting now."

Chloe’s eyes moved across Lily’s small frame, her features gentling.

Selina finally moved too, easing back into the chair by the window. She crossed one leg over the other, quietly.

The silence that followed wasn’t tense, but it wasn’t smooth either. It was the kind of quiet that comes when two people know they’re strangers... but also not.

Gray felt it, too.

Gray knew that he had to ease the atmosphere, or it would be awkward.

"Selina’s the one who brought Lily in. She was at the house when it happened." He cleared his throat lightly.

"Oh. Really?" Chloe turned to her with a look of surprise.

Selina offered a tight smile and nodded.

"Yeah. I visit her sometimes after school. I was lucky I was there when she started feeling bad."

There was a moment of silence.

"That was... really kind of you." Chloe offered a small smile to Selina.

Selina blinked in surprise. However, a second later, she smiled too. It was a genuine one.

"It wasn’t anything. I just drove her here. Anyone would’ve done it."

"You did it, though," Chloe said, her tone gentle. "And I’m sure Gray’s grateful."

Selina glanced briefly at Gray, then looked back down at her hands.

"I am," Gray added quickly, his voice firm and low. "I don’t know what would’ve happened if she wasn’t there."

Another silence stretched between them. Chloe moved to the foot of the bed and pulled up a nearby stool, sitting down without fuss.

The room slowly began to feel less strained now that they were starting to settle.

Chloe leaned forward slightly, brushing Lily’s hair away from her face with care.

"She’s really cute," she murmured.

Selina gave a small smile, folding her hands on her lap.

Chloe noticed the subtle motion and glanced her way again. Her tone was casual, but not cold.

"Are you alright now? You seemed to be crying earlier."

Selina hesitated. Then, with a quiet breath, she nodded as an answer.

"Yeah. Sorry about earlier. You just... walked in at the worst time."

"I didn’t mean to interrupt anything," Chloe said, her voice even. "It’s not my place. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay."

There was a short silence again. But this time, it didn’t feel like there was a wall between them.

Selina finally looked up and gave a small shrug. "She scared the hell out of me." she uttered followed by a light chuckle.

Chloe’s expression softened. "I get it. You must have been scared then," she also laughed out loud.

Gray watched them both, unsure whether to say something or stay quiet. He was just surprised to see them both being good to each other.

Just then, a soft knock sounded against the door.

It creaked open a moment later, and a doctor stepped inside.

He was wearing a white coat and a clipboard tucked under one of his arms. There was also a stethoscope around his neck. The man was probably in his early forties.

As he closed the door behind, his eyes swept around the room, pausing briefly at the sight of everyone inside.

"Oh," he blinked. "Didn’t expect this many visitors."

Gray straightened up from where he stood at the side of the bed. He took a small step forward.

"Sorry," he said quickly. "We were just worried."

The doctor gave a short nod and adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose. He stepped inside fully and closed the door behind him with a soft click.

"No problem. It’s good that she has people looking out for her." He glanced at his clipboard, then raised his eyes. "Who’s the guardian of the patient?"

"I am. I’m her older brother." Gray lifted his hand.

The doctor nodded once.

"Alright. So I just finished reviewing the test results. We ran labs, stool analysis, and checked her vitals over the last hour. It’s fairly conclusive now."

He paused for a moment, then looked up.

"Your sister experienced a mild case of foodborne toxin exposure. It’s not life-threatening," he clarified quickly, "but enough to cause sharp abdominal pain, nausea, and weakness."

Gray’s brows drew tight. "You mean... she was poisoned?"

"In a sense, yes," the doctor said calmly. "The toxin is called staphylococcal enterotoxin A. It’s produced by bacteria that can grow in certain foods, especially dairy-based items, when not stored or handled properly."

Gray felt his stomach twist.

"She got it from a food stall near her school," he said quietly. "It was new. I think she wanted to try it because it looked good."

"That would track," the doctor replied. "Contamination usually happens when food isn’t kept cold or sits out too long. The bacteria themselves might be gone, but the toxins they leave behind don’t go away with heat. Once ingested, it can act fast."

He tapped his clipboard once with the back of his pen.

"It wasn’t a high dose," he added, "but for a child her size, it was enough to trigger a strong reaction. Intestinal cramping, vomiting, and dizziness. Thankfully, it doesn’t multiply in the body, and with fluids and rest, she’ll recover quickly."

Gray lowered his gaze to Lily again. She was still asleep, her breath rising and falling gently beneath the hospital blanket.

"She’ll be okay?" he asked.

"She’ll need to rest, and she might feel weak tomorrow," the doctor said. "But yes. She’s already improving. The antispasmodics are working. We’ll keep her overnight just to monitor things."

There was a small silence in the room.

"Also," the doctor continued, "I recommend reporting the stall or shop she bought it from. The health department can investigate. We don’t want other kids ending up in here for the same reason."

"Don’t worry, I’ll do that," Gray said firmly.