Mommy，We Got a Husband
Chapter 43 Galatea's Accident

These past couple of days, Galatea had been especially busy at the hospital. As a surgeon, her primary role was to perform operations. But ever since the incident with Andreas, Galen had barred her from the operating room. She spent her days on ward duty, interacting with patients' families. Her schedule was packed even though she no longer performed surgeries.

Today, a patient suffered severe postoperative bleeding, and Galatea had been tending to the emergency, so consumed by her work that she skipped lunch. Nearly three in the afternoon, when she was just about to grab a bite, the ER was overwhelmed, and she rushed to assist.

Several injured patients arrived as casualties of a street brawl. Galatea was in disbelief-fights in public, really?'

Her phone rang while she was stitching up a patient. Finishing up, she checked her phone to see it was Alaric calling.

After returning the call, she barely had time to say a word before Alaric's stern voice cut through, "You never learn, do you? It's nearly six o'clock!"

Alaric had finished work early and had been waiting in the lounge for an hour already, but there was no sign of Galatea.

"Mr. Knight, the hospital is just swamped. I really don't have a moment."

"I'm not interested in excuses. Come here, now!" he commanded.

"But... hello?" She thought to herself, 'What an annoying man!'

So selfish, never being considerate of others!

Finally, the commotion slowed down after she bandaged a patient's minor injury, Galatea quickly changed and darted out of the hospital.

Once outside, she hailed a cab, realizing how hungry she felt. Without any delays, it was a twenty-minute drive from Serenity Heights Medical Center to Nexus Innovations.

However, traffic was at a standstill. Just two traffic lights away, and yet the car wasn't moving.

"I'll get out here," she told the cab driver.

'It'd be faster to walk at this point, but even walking would take fifteen minutes, and I'm so hungry. Besides, he's not the type to let me eat before my therapy session,' she thought to herself.

So, Galatea turned the corner onto another street and entered a convenience store to buy a sandwich. Munching quickly, she picked up the pace.

The street wasn't congested, but she felt as if she had taken a longer route, so she hastened her pace. Right then, her phone started to ring again.

"Galatea Hartley, are you taking my words for granted? It's almost seven, and you're nearly an hour late!"

Alaric had been waiting for her for another hour and was fuming with irritation that she still hadn't shown up.

"You can't rush me to fly over there, Alaric. Stop calling. I'll be there in a jiffy!" Galatea retorted and abruptly ended the call.

Alaric was boiling with anger after she hung up on him, grumbling under his breath, "Galatea Hartley, that does it, hanging up on me!"

There was no use in rushing now. Galatea had to sprint. But just as she raced towards an intersection, in a desperate attempt to beat the countdown of the pedestrian light, a car barreled through the crossroads, heading straight for her, followed by the terrified screams of bystanders.

Half an hour passed, and Alaric still had not heard from Galatea. Just as he was about to call her, his phone rang.

He answered instantly and snapped, "You."

"Is this a family member of Galatea's?"

Hearing the voice of a stranger, Alaric felt a chill of foreboding wash over him and hastily replied, "Yes, I am." "I'm a doctor at Arizona Central Hospital. Galatea's been in a car accident. Please come to the hospital immediately."

'An accident?' The word hit Alaric like a punch. 'Galatea was in an accident?'

His legs felt weak upon hearing the news. After hanging up, he grabbed his car keys and dashed out the door.

He arrived at Arizona Central Hospital as fast as he could, where Galatea was already being rushed into the emergency room.

"What is your relationship to the patient?" the doctor inquired.

"I'm her husband," Alaric blurted out without thinking.

"All right, please sign the consent form for emergency procedures."

Alaric quickly signed his name and then urgently asked, "How is she? Are her injuries severe?"

"She's still in the emergency care unit. We'll have more information for you after the procedure. Please be patient."

Alaric was on edge as the doctor handed him Galatea's belongings left at the scene of the accident-her purse and her cell phone.

The phone's screen shattered again, fresh from a recent repair. Seeing this, Alaric felt a pang of distress.

In her bag, there was only a wallet and some handwritten treatment plans for her patients, starkly devoid of the cosmetics that typically stuffed the purses of other women.

She had crafted these treatment plans with much care and detail as she would with his treatments. But now, gazing at them, Alaric felt a profound sadness wash over him.

As he was lost in thought, Galatea's phone began to ring again. It was Elisa calling. At the sight of her name on the screen, Alaric felt as though he'd suddenly lost all the courage in the world.

He just stood there, frozen, allowing the ringtone to play out. Then, after a short pause, Elisa called a second time.

He had no choice but to answer.

"Hello, Elisa," he greeted, his voice laden with a sense of guilt, treading his words ever so carefully.

"Mr. Knight, is it you again?" Elisa's voice bubbled with joy. "Are you two off on another date?"

"Yes," Alaric replied, struggling to sound nonchalant, thinking to himself, 'If Elisa found out her that her mom's in the ER fighting for her life, she'd be devastated.'

"My mom seems to be head over heels," Elisa continued cheerfully. "You guys are nearly thirty, just dating around? Why not just get married?"

At that moment, a fierce resolve solidified in Alaric-should Galatea pull through, he vowed to himself that he would propose to her. But for now, he was silenced by the fear of losing her. "All right, I won't disturb your date then."

"Elisa!" Alaric interjected hurriedly as he sensed the imminent end of the call, "Your mom and I are a bit tied up with some things. She might not be able to come home for the next few days." "Sounds like you're planning to elope or something," Elisa teased.

"No, nothing like that," he stammered. "We're just traveling. I want to take her on a trip, away for ten days or so." Alaric couldn't tell if this explanation would suffice to deceive Elisa, but it was all he could muster at that moment. "A trip? Sure, then take your time. Tell my mom there's no rush to come back. Harry and I will be good. Mr. Knight, just remember, my mom is still a girl at heart. Please take good care of her while you're out," Elisa said.

"I will," Alaric promised, his heart aching, "Don't worry, Elisa. I'll take very good care of her."

Hanging up the phone only magnified Alaric's sense of guilt.