Never Too Far Novel

Since Richard was always strict about discipline, he wouldn’t allow Shirley to act recklessly.
“Alright! Since you’re free over there, take good care of Zacharias. Ensure he makes a swift recovery, as he’s needed to assist
your great-uncle with work matters.” He supported his daughter’s decision.
“Yeah, I know, Dad.”
“Your mom would like to speak with you for a moment
After Richard finished speaking, a gentle voice came through. “Shirley.”
“Mom, what’s up?” Shirley felt a sudden rush of nervousness.
Her mother wouldn’t start prying, would she?
“Nothing. I heard you volunteered to look after Zacharias in the hospital. I was a bit surprised. Are you two just friends?”
“Yes, we’re just friends.” Shirley began to feel uneasy.
“Just friends?” Angela wasn’t entirely convinced. As a woman, her intuition told her that her daughter’s proactive care for
Zacharias went beyond mere friendship.
“Mom, it’s just friendship. Please don’t jump to conclusions.” Shirley said seriously, wanting to put an end to her mother’s wild
speculations.
“Alright, it’s clear that you’ve grown up, become responsible, and know how to care for people.” Angela let the matter rest.
“Mom, I’ll hang up now. Take care of yourselves! After speaking, Shirley hung up the phone, letting out a small sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, at the base’s lounge, Angela hung up her phone. She asked her husband, “Could our girl actually like Zacharias?”
Richard understood his wife’s implication and asked with a smile, “Is that a problem?”
“Of course not; it’s not a problem at all. I’m just saying, our girl is still so young, but her taste seems pretty good.” She couldn’t
help but feel that their daughter was quite fortunate. Everything seemed very promising when she considered Zacharias’ looks,
family background, and prospects.

“Well then, let’s look forward to it! It’s about time for our girl to venture out on her own. We can’t protect her forever,” Richard
said.
Angela also smiled. They only had this one precious daughter, and they had high hopes for her future.
Shirley sat outside and chatted with Freddie, discussing their recent business trip. After learning her identity, he was cautious
about sensitive topics, but otherwise, they had an open conversation.
They talked about regional development and current affairs, and before they knew it, two hours had passed.
She went in to check on Zacharias from time to time. When she went in again, she suddenly noticed his face was slightly
flushed, and he was sweating profusely on his forehead. When she wiped the sweat, she discovered he had a dangerously high
fever. She muttered, This is bad! He has high fever. Shirley pressed the nurse call button and went to the doctor’s office. The
doctor immediately came to check on Zacharias.
“Immediately start physical cooling for Mr. Flintstone,” the doctor said.
At this moment, Zacharias, who had been sleeping all this time, woke up. The high fever made the corners of his eyes slightly
red. His voice was hoarse as he asked, “What’s wrong with me?”
“You suddenly developed a high fever. Right now, we’ll start with physical cooling for you,” the doctor explained.
At the same time, a nurse was preparing the alcohol for cooling. One of the other nurses lifted his blanket and unbuttoned his
hospital gown. Shirley watched as the doctor and nurses worked frantically, her heart pounding.
As the nurse with the cooling towel approached Zacharias’ neck, he suddenly stiffened. He turned to the nurse uncomfortably
and said, “Give the towel to her. Let her help me with it.”
Shirley was suddenly called out. She was a bit dazed but quickly understood. The nurse also blushed. Even though it wasn’t the
time to be blushing, the sight of Zacharias unbuttoning his shirt was still undeniably attractive to any woman.
Under the doctor’s guidance, Shirley took the towel and began to help Zacharias cool down. This time, he didn’t feel
uncomfortable, and he even relaxed.
“Mr. Flintstone just took medicine, so we’ll use physical cooling to lower your temperature for now. If it doesn’t work, we’ll resort
to medication,” the doctor explained. They couldn’t afford to be careless with Zacharias medication.