Mabel quickly wiped her tears and turned to Katelyn, her eyes shining with fragile hope.
“Dr. Hades, please. Help us.”
“Alright.”
Katelyn maintained a calm expression as she opened the medical kit. She brought out a small rubber hammer designed for testing reflexes. A gentle tap on the knee would usually trigger an involuntary kick—a reflex action that happened without deliberation.
Neil leaned forward, rolling up his pant legs to reveal the deep, angry scars on his knees. A flicker of uncertainty crossed his face. If Hades was indeed Katelyn, would she flinch at the sight of what she had done to him?
“Do my scars make you uncomfortable? They’re from Katelyn shooting me, which shattered my kneecaps. The surgery took twenty-two hours—I nearly didn’t survive.”
He stared at Hades, looking for any sign of reaction.
“But Katelyn doesn’t know any of this. I want her to see the real effects of her actions,” he added.
Katelyn tightened her grip on the hammer, her face revealing nothing.
Neil continued to speak, a thin smile appearing. N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on Find★Novel.net
“As her friend, do you think she feels any regret?”
Katelyn looked up and met Neil’s intense gaze. There was a weight in his eyes that felt unusually serious.
She kept her expression neutral, revealing nothing.
“Why would she regret it?” she said, her voice calm. “Katelyn explained everything. You wanted her life, and she had no choice but to protect herself. What’s more important—a life or a pair of legs?”
Neil hesitated, a flash of disbelief crossing his face. Katelyn looked away, deciding not to push further. With a firm motion, she tapped his knee with the rubber hammer.
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Neil’s legs stayed completely still—not a hint of movement or feeling, as if all sensation had vanished.
Mabel, watching anxiously, asked in panic, “Dr. Hades, what’s happening to his legs? Is there really no hope for him?”
Lise stood nearby, her fists clenched tightly, her face mirroring the tension in the room. She had fought through so much just to be with Neil. The reality of ending up with someone who was truly disabled weighed heavily on her heart.
Katelyn’s expression turned serious as she shook her head.
“His legs don’t seem to have any feeling.”
Nerve function could be quite complex, especially in the delicate knee area. Her test confirmed her worst fear—Neil was genuinely disabled. Had she misjudged the situation?
Mabel’s face paled, and she swayed slightly, her voice shaking.
“Is there any other way to test this? Is there really no chance for treatment?”
Katelyn’s gaze shifted to Neil’s lower legs, her thoughts racing, and she suddenly blurted out, “Hold on!”
Hades’ words sparked a fresh hope inside Mabel. Even Lise felt a rush of excitement. All she wished for now was to hear that Neil could rise to his feet again.
.
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