When I came to , the first thing I saw was a fluffy head resting by my bedside . The sharp scent of disinfectant told me I was in a hospital . I guessed the driver must have arrived just in time with help . I tried to sit up , but my movement might have been too rushed , and the head beside me stirred . Derek opened his beautiful eyes and stared at me without blinking . After a long moment , he reached out and gently touched the bandage on my forehead . " Eunice ... does it hurt ? " His voice was hoarse , as if it hadn't been used in ages , but it was warm and rich , like a melody I'd never expected to hear . I froze , stunned . Derek was talking to me ! I wasn't the only one caught off guard . Denisse , who had just pushed through the door , stopped dead , her face a mask of disbelief . " Was that Rick speaking just now ? " She was usually calm and unflappable , but now she sounded almost breathless . " Rick , honey , will you say something to me , too ? " Derek only glanced at her before turning back to my wound , refusing to utter another word . Feeling a bit awkward , I scrambled for something to ease the moment . " Mom , Derek was just ... " Denisse shook her head , her eyes glistening . " It's okay . He needs time . We'll get there . " She trailed off , her words hanging in the air . Just then , Kaley bustled in with a lunchbox in hand . Over lunch , Kaley filled us in on what happened in the alley . Apparently , a gang of lowlifes had heard about the Benton family's wealth and decided to try their luck . To my sur- prise , one of them was a student from our school . The adults in the group were headed for jail , no question about it , and the student had been expelled with a permanent mark on his record . I nodded , my gaze drifting to Derek , who was quietly eating across from me . 0.0 % 15:08 Chapter 5 282 ( Vouchers I couldn't imagine that in our past life , a fleeting , twisted whim from scum like that had dragged such a remarkable person into an abyss . Thankfully , in this life , he was fine . Derek caught me staring and tilted his head , puzzled . " Eunice , eat . " Snapping out of my thoughts , I grinned and piled some food onto his plate . " You eat too . " No sooner had we finished lunch than a nurse burst in and playfully dragged Derek back to his own room . Then I learned he had snuck over from his own ward just to stay with me . Before he left , he patted my head softly . " Eunice , get better soon . " The sound of his voice sent a ripple of emotion through the room . The Benton staff's eyes welled up , and Kaley discreetly dabbed at her tears . After Derek left , Denisse lingered , her gaze fixed on the doorway he'd disappeared through . She hadn't put on makeup today , and without her usual sharp edges , she looked softer , almost vulnerable . " Derek wasn't always like this . " She sat beside me , tears shimmering in her eyes . " He was such a bright kid - steady , brilliant , head and shoulders above his peers . Back then , everyone called him a prodigy , not some mute or recluse ... " Her voice broke , and she let out a heavy sigh . " It all changed because of an accident four years ago . " I blinked , startled . 57.7 %