Chapter 993 - Harriet is Penelope, call her Penny (2) (1/2)

Urgent knock on the door got Sarah's and JoAnna's attention.

Jesse was supporting Penny who was very pale.

”She collapsed in the garden.”, Emma explained.

JoAnna gestured down the hallway. ”Let's do a checkup and see what is going on.”

Jesse helped Penny to the bed and left the mini-lab with Sarah. The patient and medical workers should be left alone during the exam.

After several scans and blood tests, JoAnna looked at Penny and shook her head. ”You need to take care of your body better. You are malnourished, dehydrated, fatigued, and that combined with stress and you crying most of the day was too much.”

They made Penny lie down and gave her an emergency dose of nutrients intravenously. They have plenty of those around because of Aiden.

”How can someone have such a bad bloodwork?”, Emma could not contain her displeasure while looking at the test results. ”And this is due to prolonged neglect. What are you eating?”, she asked Penny.

Penny sighed and responded while trying to hide her embarrassment: ”Until recently, mostly scraps and dry bread. One meal a day.”

Emma was not sure how to respond to this.

JoAnna patted Emma's shoulder and gave her a look to remind her that her professional patient-comforting expression is not on.

”Penny was kept captive for some time.”, JoAnna explained shortly and turned to Penny. ”We will give you dietary guidelines and multivitamins. And you need to rest and try not to stress. Take it seriously.”

”Feel free to tell me if I'm nosy…”, Penny reluctantly started talking. ”But that man in the room next door… Is that Aiden White?” She was dizzy, but she still got a good view of the man lying on the bed when JoAnna and Sarah responded to Emma's knocks.

”Yeah.”, JoAnna exhaled. ”He and Sarah were attacked… in October.”

”Is that why you have all this here?”, Penny gestured around the room filled with various medical equipment.

”Yes. That attack put him in a coma, and Sarah's arm needed a surgery.”, JoAnna kept her explanation short. ”All this is to take care of them. And patients like you.”

The door opened after a knock and Ron peeked inside.

JoAnna gestured him to come in and spoke to Penny: ”And there are also patients like him. I think it will be lucrative to open a real hospital here.”

Emma nodded in agreement. ”Let's not forget Charlie. He gets his treatments here also.”

JoAnna and Emma laughed. Penny and Ron exchanged glances, they didn't understand the joke.

Few minutes later, there was a quick knock on the door. Sarah came to see how Penny and Ron are doing.

Sarah was relieved to hear that Penny will be fine as long as she eats well and rests, and she focused on Ron's exam.

Ron is pestering her for a sparring match since they returned from Austin, but Sarah said that he is prohibited from any sparring until JoAnna gives her OK.

Ron was happy to hear JoAnna say that he is cleared for activity. His leg is OK!

”But start slowly and listen to your body.”, JoAnna advised him.