Burned Once, Never Again (Niamh and Castiel)

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Chapter

48

An hour later, Niamh lay in a hospital bed, beads of cold sweat dripping from her forehead, her face twisted in pain. The area Castiel had hit before was dislocated again.

"You need to get proper rest. It's easy to dislocate it again if you're not careful," the doctor said as he adjusted the bandages.

Niamh was in such excruciating pain that she couldn't utter a word. Castiel, who was nearby. wasn't in a good mood either. Not a hint of warmth showed in his gaze as he looked at her. After the doctor and nurse finished their work and left, only Niamh and Castiel remained in the ward. Niamh turned her head away, avoiding eye contact with him.

Castiel's tone was authoritative as he said, "You're not allowed to drive anymore."

Fortunately, it was just a minor car collision today. Had it been a collision with a large truck, she could have easily been killed.

Niamh didn't respond. At that point, did Castiel still not understand what had happened between them? He had no right to boss her around in her life.

Upon noticing her silence, Castiel's tone grew more intense as he asked, "Did you hear me?"

Niamh finally looked at him. "What does it have to do with you?" she asked.

"You-"Castiel's anger flared up again. Niamh's complete disregard for the situation was pushing him to the brink of losing his temper.

Suppressing his anger, Castiel was about to say something when his phone rang. It was Lucian calling.

He answered, "Hello."

"Mr. Jamison, living organ donation isn't possible here. In Greenburg, local customs also require a full burial, and even if the person dies from illness, donations are not accepted, Lucian said. He was talking about the issue with Macy's corneas.

Niamh's breath caught as she stared at Castiel in silence. At the same time, Castiel unconsciously glanced at her when he heard Lucian's words on the phone.

His gaze was filled with complex emotions that only Niamh could decipher, revealing Castiel's true thoughts.

Castiel hung up the phone and looked at Niamh, their silence lingering. They stared at each other for a long time, never having looked so seriously at one another before.

Niamh had been well taken care of by Billie. In contrast, Castiel appeared even thinner than before, revealing the extent of the trouble and unrest caused by those people since her return.

Niamh probably understood the inner struggle Castiel was experiencing at that moment and watched him quietly.

She was waiting for Simon to say it. In her previous life, she had nearly forgotten Castiel's

expression when he first asked her to give her corneas to Macy.

This time, she was determined to observe everything closely and not miss any change in his expression.

For a long time, they stared at each other in silence. Eventually, Castiel stood up and, without mentioning anything further, said, "You should rest here for now. The doctor said you need to stay in the hospital for a few days." Having said that, he didn't wait for Niamh to react and turned to leave. His retreating figure looked as if he were running from something dire.

In the end, he still didn't say it.This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

Niamh closed her eyes, carefully recalling her past. Back then, she didn't have an uncle, so she wasn't hurt. That day, he had smoked a lot at Maplewood.

With a coldness she had never felt before, he eventually spoke the words that drove her to hysteria and despair.

He said, "Niamh, you're the one being cruel. Since this is something you owe her, you should make it right yourself."

She remembered it now. Every word Castiel had said at the time felt so cold-each word cuto

her heart.

She had explained it countless times, desperately insisting to Castiel that it wasn't her fault. Yet he never believed her and placed the blame for the devastating consequences squarely on her He was convinced that she was the one who had destroyed Macy, so he believed it was only fair that she paid for it. Everything she went through was just retribution.