Her Rebirth of Retribution novel Chapter 284

In simple terms, even the terrifying K Virus was like a dangerous toy in Calista's hands at that moment. She had it all under control because she knew she could definitely succeed, and that was why she was always frighteningly calm.

However, Kallum was not as composed.

He was on the verge of losing his temper! “Does it have to be like this? Must it absolutely be her?”

He didn't understand why Calista could be a test subject and not him. Every time he saw Calista in pain, he found himself teetering on the edge of madness! If he could, he would have gladly taken Calista's place!

Shaun pulled Kallum aside to prevent the latter from interfering with the ongoing process. The recent research was making rapid progress, a situation too good to be disrupted. “Mr. Kallum, it's not that we don't want to. It's just that we truly can't. Ms. Stafford's physical condition is not like that of an ordinary person, to put it simply—”

Lowering his voice, Shaun spoke to Kallum. “To put it simply, Ms. Stafford is a special infected. She's a dormant carrier who doesn't transmit the disease to others. Moreover, her physical vitality is ten times that of an average person, so she won't die as easily as a normal person would after an infection... However, you're different.”

Suddenly, Kallum fell silent, finding the situation somewhat amusing.

He was different, and his survival hinged on Calista's thrice-weekly life-sustaining acupuncture. Thus, he had no right to risk his already precarious health by testing drugs. One misstep and he would only be causing trouble for Calista.

After facing the harsh reality, Kallum felt a profound sense of helplessness!

He couldn't test the medicine himself. All he could do was to be there with Calista while she was the one testing it. It was akin to self-torture, watching her in discomfort, which only amplified his own pain. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to stop that behavior.

No matter how much time passed, he still couldn't get used to it.

A month later, Kallum appeared even more haggard than Calista. He had lost about ten kilograms, his eyes perpetually bloodshot because he hadn't had a decent night's sleep.

Often, in the middle of the night, Calista noticed Kallum waking up abruptly and staying awake for the rest of the night. Obviously, she couldn't let that continue.

Even though she was the one testing the medicine, the mental strain it brought to Kallum was overwhelming! That was extremely detrimental to his treatment, so Calista decided to pause the medication trials for a day to have a talk with Kallum.

“Finished with your meeting?” Calista asked with a smile, seeing Kallum put down his laptop.

Kallum was taken aback. “Why are you here? Come, sit!”

During that period, Calista spent most of her time in the laboratory, except for the nights. Thus, it was quite a rarity for Kallum to see her in her room during the day. He had planned to visit her after his meeting.

Kallum looked at her, seemingly puzzled as to how she could still manage to chuckle at a time like that.

Calista gestured toward him and then at herself. “Do you think we seem like brothers in distress?”

Tat metaphor was truly apt. Kallum smiled, wanting to laugh, but some thought held him back. He didn't wish for Calista to suffer alongside him at all.

“Don't be like this...” Calista reached out with both hands to lift the corners of his mouth. “You really don't need to be so upset because I don't feel any pain!”

“How could it not hurt?” Her statement seemed to poke right at Kallum's wound, causing him to react sensitively at once! He had endured the pain brought about by the K Virus, day in and day out, so he knew her suffering, too. How could she say that?

“Calm down. Don't you think I seem a bit happier now than before?” Calista raised an eyebrow and questioned.

Naturally, Kallum noticed it, but he assumed Calista was merely putting on an act to alleviate his guilt. Who could possibly be happy after being diagnosed with a terminal illness? The thought was simply ludicrous to him!

I hurt her! If I had died sooner, or if my people had synthesized the antidote faster, she wouldn't have had to suffer this way! Under the weight of stress and self-blame, Kallum, who never used to have nightmares, was recently plagued by them. The agonized expression on Calista's face after she took the medicine during the day would replay over and over in his dreams at night. Several times, he woke up from those nightmares and had to check Calista's breathing to ensure she was still alive before he could calm his heart.