The Unlucky Turn by Mark Twain 56
Milford gripped the phone tighter. “Then… let’s have dinner together? Consider it a thank you for taking care of Yvonne.”
“No need. I don’t have time.”
Leilani was going abroad for the first time. To avoid chaos upon arrival, she had been cramming knowledge about Zamora’s customs and language.
“What are you busy with?”
“Going abroad.”
“Where to?”
“None of your business. If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.”
Leilani’s answers were brief to the point of coldness, as if saying one extra word to him was a waste of time.
This made Milford’s chest feel tight. He wanted to say more, but the “beep-beep” tone of a disconnected line already sounded.
He stared at the black screen, his mood complicated. The contrast between Leilani’s current coldness and her past cheerful shyness was too stark, leaving him feeling inexplicably wretched.
On the other end, Leilani had no time for his sentimentality. After hanging up, she planned to go to the mall. She certainly had no time to share a meal with Milford.
Leilani had finished all her paperwork and had a day or two left. She thought she should buy some decent clothes for her trip abroad, so she wouldn’t look underdressed.
Leilani went to the most famous shopping district nearby and browsed for nearly half an hour. In a well-known brand store, she spotted a few simple yet elegant dresses.
“Miss, this dress really suits your complexion,” the sales assistant said with a smile, handing her a matching scarf. “Pairing it with this will bring out your elegance.”
Leilani took it and was about to speak when-
“Thud!”
A muffled sound came from nearby, followed by gasps from the crowd. “Someone fainted!”
Leilani turned to look. A young girl had collapsed on the floor, her face pale. Large red rashes were rapidly spreading across her neck and arms, her breathing was rapid, and her lips were turning blue. It was clearly anaphylactic shock!
Leilani’s gaze sharpened. she stepped forward quickly, squatting down to check the girl’s
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pulse with fluid efficiency. Her pulse was dangerously weak and racing, her skin clammy, and laryngeal edema was obstructing her breathing.
“Everyone, stand back! Let the air circulate!”
She coldly ordered the onlookers away. Quickly, she took a brown pill from her bag, squeezed the girl’s jaw open, and placed the pill under her tongue. It was an antidote pill she had made based on Paulina’s secret recipe after getting out of prison. She only had a dozen or so, and luckily, she had them with her today. This girl was fortunate; the pill could alleviate the acute allergic reaction.
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Leilani unbuttoned the girl’s collar with one hand, tilting her chin up to ensure a clear airway, while dialing emergency services with the other.
“Hello, this is the downtown mall, first floor. There is a female experiencing anaphylactic shock. I have administered preliminary first aid. Please bring epinephrine and intubation equipment.”
Leilani’s organized description stunned the dispatcher.
“Are you a medical professional?”
“Yes. The patient is in critical condition. Please hurry.”
“Okay, we are dispatching an ambulance. Please monitor the patient.”
The dispatcher recorded the situation and alerted the nearby hospital.
حلة
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