My five ghostly husbands-Chapter 361 Fear

Morning came far too quickly. Ruby stirred awake to the soft patter of the lingering drizzle on the windows and the low hum of someone moving about outside her room. She sat up, pressing a palm to her forehead — a tiny throb pulsed there, just under her temple, reminding her that she’d worked a bit too hard the night before.

She shuffled to the bathroom, letting the steam of a fresh bath clear her mind. The warm water made her shoulders loosen, and she felt some of the ache melt away, even if her head still pulsed dully.

When she stepped out, wrapped in her robe, she was greeted by the soft, familiar clatter from the kitchen. Karl’s bright voice drifted down the hallway — a little off-key hum, the sound of cups clinking together.

She peeked in to find him standing on his tiptoes, pouring her tea with the utmost concentration, his hair still messy from sleep.

His sleeves were pushed up, his hair was a fluffy mess from sleep, and his eyes were still half-lidded with leftover drowsiness but his expression was serious, tongue peeking out a bit as he poured the steaming tea carefully into her favourite cup.

When he spotted her by the door, he let out a big, sleepy yawn and beamed at her.

"Wife... I made you tea," Karl mumbled, his voice soft and thick with sleep. He held the cup out with both hands, almost like he was offering her a precious gem.

Ruby’s lips curved into a small, warm smile. She stepped closer, letting the warmth of the cup seep into her palms as she took it from him. "Thank you, Karl," she said, her voice light but touched with that fondness that always bloomed around him.

Karl’s eyes curved like half-moons as he grinned. He rocked back on his heels, proud of his little morning gesture, looking so pleased with himself that Ruby couldn’t help but chuckle softly before taking her first careful sip.

Ruby blew gently on her tea, letting the rising steam warm her face for a moment before she looked at Karl, who was still hovering in front of her.

"Where’s Adrian?" she asked softly, tilting her head. She half-expected to see him sitting quietly at the table.

Karl rubbed his eye with the back of his hand, then shrugged. "Brother Adi? He already left," he said matter-of-factly, his hair flopping over his forehead as he yawned. "He said something about finishing work early so he could come home for lunch."

Ruby nodded her head, her eyes soft as she blew on her tea again. "I see," she murmured, her lips curling just a bit at the thought of Adrian, always so quiet but steady, already up and gone before the rest of them even rolled out of bed.

***

Two nurses stood near the supply cabinet in the quiet hallway, their hushed voices blending with the distant hum of machines and the faint drip of IV bags. One nurse, a young woman with tired eyes, sorted through a tray of syringes while the other leaned closer, her tone dropping to a low, gossipy whisper.

"I heard he has a hole in his heart!" the first nurse murmured, glancing over her shoulder like someone might scold her for saying it out loud. "A big one too... must be so painful for someone so young."

The other nurse, an older witch with worry lines etched deep around her mouth, let out a soft sigh as she arranged clean linens on a shelf. "Yeah, I heard too," she said, shaking her head. "Poor thing — he looks so innocent. Did you know? Before this, we had five heart patients like that in the last few months."

"Mm-hmm," the younger one nodded, voice dropping even lower. "And three of them..." She made a quick gesture with her fingers — a slicing motion that made her partner wince. "Heart failure, right in the middle of surgery."

The older nurse sucked in a breath through her teeth. "It’s always risky with a hole that big. The moment they open you up, it can all go wrong." She paused, her eyes softening as she thought of Milo’s gentle smile and the way he always thanked them for the smallest things. "I hope he pulls through. He’s just... he’s got that look, you know? Like he still believes everyone’s kind."

The younger nurse shivered, hugging her arms to her chest as she whispered, "Yeah. Let’s hope he doesn’t end up like the others."

Julian, who was just passing by the hallway on his way upstairs with Milo’s fresh fruit bag, paused when he heard it. He stopped dead in his tracks near the stair railing, the words sinking in deep like icy water. His hand holding the bag started to shake, his breath caught halfway in his chest.

He forced himself to move, step by step up the stairs to the second floor, where Milo’s ward was. His feet felt heavy, and fear gnawed at his chest. When he reached the familiar hallway, he took a deep breath and walked in, pushing the fear down as best he could.

Inside, Milo sat on his bed by the window, looking small and thin in his yellow robe. He was focused on his drawing book, humming quietly as his pencil scratched out a flower.

Julian didn’t say anything. He just dropped the bag on the side table and stepped forward, before Milo could even look up properly, Julian leaned down and hugged him tightly from the front, wrapping his arms all the way around Milo’s little shoulders.

Milo blinked, startled. "What’s wrong, Jules??" he asked, tilting his head, pencil still in his hand.

"Nothing," Julian said quickly, forcing a small laugh as he pulled back. He tried to make his smile reach his eyes but it didn’t quite work. "I just... wanted to hug you, that’s all."

Milo looked at him for a second, then his smile returned — soft and sweet as always. "Okay," he said, nodding like it was nothing strange. He turned back to his drawing book, carefully adding more petals to his flower while Julian sat down nearby, trying to steady his breathing and bury the nurse’s words deep inside his chest.

—To be continued...🪄

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