What Separates Me and You

The doctor responded, "About two hours."

Lewis nodded and led Josephine back to the ward. The room was quiet, and even with Lewis by her side, Josephine felt terribly lonely.

She hated this place.

Josephine climbed back into bed, wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, and reached for the mirror under her pillow. She then stared at her face again.

Rain began falling outside. Hearing the sound of the raindrops hitting the window, Josephine clutched onto her blanket even tighter.

Lewis sat beside her and looked at her with an inscrutable expression.

Moments later, thunder rumbled outside, its ear-shattering sound reverberating throughout the room. Gripping her blanket tightly, Josephine trembled.

If she were home, she could have taken a pillow and gone to her parents' room to seek refuge in her mother's warm embrace. Then, she wouldn't feel afraid anymore. Lewis reached out and pulled down her blanket.

Only then did he see her posture. Josephine was curled up on her knees, her hands covering her ears and her face buried in the pillow.

"Josephine."

Josephine couldn't hear his voice. All she could hear was the thunder outside.

Despite her desperate attempts to shield her ears, the deafening sound of the thunder persisted, penetrating through her defenses and continuing to assail her senses.

Lewis gripped her shoulders and turned her so that she was facing him. He saw the tears streaming down her cheeks. Immediately after Josephine saw him, she threw herself into his arms and wrapped her hands tightly around his waist.

Lewis gently caressed her back, saying, "Don't be afraid. It's just thunder."

Josephine's cheek rested against his chest, and her tears wet his shirt.

Lewis enfolded her in his embrace, his fingers tenderly caressing her hair, as if trying to comfort her.

The thunder continued for almost half an hour before gradually subsiding, but Josephine kept clinging to him, unwilling to let go. Lewis was her lifeline in this terrifying environment. She could only hold onto him tightly.

She faintly heard his heartbeat and was reminded of her parents.

"I miss my mom."

Her voice choked with sobs, and her words were barely audible.

Lewis' movements paused, and this time, he remained silent. He quietly held her close while his gaze fell on the window.

The window reflected their images, and as lightning struck, the white light shattered their reflections, splitting them into pieces. Josephine spoke absentmindedly, "I miss my dad."

"Why didn't he come to visit me?"

"I'm in so much pain."

Lewis' gaze lowered as he glanced at Jospehine's tiny face in his arms. "Where are you hurting?"

"All over my body."

Lewis sighed silently and held her even tighter. "Go to sleep."

Josephine stared at his arm, her eyelashes trembling as tears rolled down her cheeks, staining his black shirt with darker hues.

The rain outside continued to fall, with muffled thunder rolling through the clouds. It made the atmosphere depressing.

A doctor came with the examination results and stood at the door without entering. He beckoned Lewis to come out and talk.

Lewis looked down at the person in his arms. Josephine had already fallen asleep, but her brows were still tightly furrowed, and her eyelashes were damp with tears. The bright light reflected off her pale cheeks, making her look like a fragile doll on the verge of breaking down.

After gently placing Josephine on the bed and covering her with the blanket, Lewis left the room with the doctor.

Closing the door, Lewis asked, "How is she?"

The doctor handed him the report and said, "Not good. To be precise, it's terrible."

They had just conducted a comprehensive examination for Josephine and discovered health issues they hadn't noticed before.

Lewis scanned through the report, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

The doctor continued, "Her physical condition ... It's quite concerning."

The doctor didn't know where to start. He was shocked, too, when he saw the test results.

While not a major illness, the accumulation of numerous minor health issues posed a significant threat. Even minor health problems could consume a person entirely. "Presently, the most critical issue lies with her lungs. We can address the remaining problems gradually."

"Can she be cured?"

"It's hard to say. Josephine's lung function is impaired, and even if we manage to treat it, there might be complications."

"Moreover, her central nervous system has also suffered some damage, and that's challenging to treat. We can only hope it doesn't worsen."

Lewis quickly read through the test report and asked, "Are her current symptoms related to this illness?"

"We're not sure about that. We'll have to ask Dr. Yates tomorrow when he comes. He's a specialist in neurology."

Lewis nodded and put away the documents. He chatted with the doctor for a few more minutes before returning to the ward.

Josephine was still sleeping. He stood by the bed and observed her for a long time.

It was almost dawn when Mrs. Larson arrived, and Lewis left the hospital upon her arrival.

Back at the Alvarez Manor, Lewis made it to Robert's funeral.

The sky was still dark due to the rain. It was still drizzling.

Seeing Lewis, Nancy immediately greeted him and pulled him inside the house. "You're finally back. We've been waiting for you. Hurry and get ready. Your father's funeral is about to start." Lewis was responsible for carrying the urn containing the ashes during the funeral.

So many people were present; if Lewis didn't show up, his absence would undoubtedly fuel rumors and speculation.

Lewis pinched the space between his brows before he walked to the center of the receiving room, where he lifted Robert's ashes in the urn.

Lewis' movements were fluid. It was as if he were performing official duties. He showed no signs of the pain and sorrow of losing a loved one. In contrast to those around him, he appeared more like a staff member.

The mourners surrounding him succumbed once again to tears, their collective grief permeating the air and enveloping the surroundings in a deeper sorrow.

Conrad held an umbrella above him, and they slowly walked out of the mansion. Raindrops fell on the umbrella, harmonizing with the heavy air of grief, intensifying the already oppressive atmosphere that enveloped them.

Luxury cars moved along the road, making their way directly to the cemetery.

By the time they arrived at the cemetery, the sky had just cleared.

On the sidelines, the pastor delivered a somber speech, prompting tears to well up in the eyes of many. Even Nancy couldn't help crying.

Despite thinking that Robert deserved to die, she couldn't help but feel empty inside thinking about all the years they had spent together. Suddenly, he was gone.

Although some parts of Robert's body remained unrecovered, Lewis had insisted on getting the rites done. At first, Nancy disagreed, but thinking about the corpse, she felt it wasn't a good idea to keep it for too long.

The prospect of burying Robert's body at that moment posed a challenge to the ongoing search efforts.

It seemed like Lewis was indicating there was no longer a need to continue searching for the rest of the body parts.

Listening to the pastor's words, even Conrad couldn't help but feel moved. He held the umbrella for Lewis. While everyone was crying uncontrollably, he glanced at Lewis.

Donning a black suit and a black overcoat, Lewis stood there expressionlessly. His face was partially obscured by the umbrella, making it hard to discern his thoughts. At the end of the funeral, he expressed gratitude to those in attendance.

The rain began to pour heavily from the sky, landing on the tombstone. Everyone had a dark expression except for the smiling face in the photo on the headstone. With the pastor's declaration marking the conclusion of the funeral, the final chapter of the Alvarez family's patriarch reached its denouement. Robert Alvarez no longer existed.