Miracle Cutie Chapter 482: Scared She Would Leave

He didn't set his phone aside and go back to sleep, either.

Lester sat upright in bed, firing off messages to the heads of medical teams he knew, well into the middle of the night.

While Lester was searching for a top-tier medical team, Barry—playing with Nina in the ward—suddenly pulled her into a hug mid-play.

Barry mumbled softly, "Nina, so good you're back."

He still cared for Nina deeply.

Barry squeezed his chubby little cousin, cracked a small smile, and whispered, "Nina, I'm sick."

Nina nodded.

She patted her own arm and echoed, "Barry, Nina hurt."

The two little ones—one ill, one hurt—touched their heads together and whispered back and forth, hidden from the adults.

Barry babbled, "Wanna go home. Mommy do not let me. I hate hospital. I wanna stay here no more."

He was still very young, and he loathed the hospital completely.

No matter how much he threw a fit, Lily wouldn't take him home.

She kept making him do checkups, get shots, and take medicine...

It hurt him terribly.

Nina listened to Barry rant about hating the hospital, then hugged him tight in shared sympathy.

She babbled, "Hos'pal bad. Catch doc?"

Nina was still daydreaming about locking the doctors away.

Barry wanted that, too.

But he was a little older than Nina, and he knew it was impossible.

Barry let out a long sigh and fell silent for a moment.

Just as Nina was about to speak, Barry sniffled hard and spoke up.

He whispered, "Nina, I got real bad sick. Mommy didn't tell me, but I know. Heard Mommy and Daddy cry. I might die."

Staying in the hospital for so long had made Barry grow up fast and grow far more sensitive.

He could piece it together—his parents wouldn't let him leave because his illness was hard to cure.

Barry had heard that really bad sicknesses make people die.

He was sure his was that bad.

That meant he would die, too.

When Barry said "die", a tear plopped right onto Nina's hand.

Nina watched him cry and heard him talk about dying, and her eyes instantly reddened.

Her lower lip trembled and stuck out.

Barry said, "Nina, I wanna go home first, then die. Don't wanna be in hospital. Go home together. I give all toys to you."

After convincing himself he was going to die, Barry had already decided what to do with his toys.

He wanted to give every single one to Nina.

Nina heard Barry saying he'd leave her his toys when he died, but she didn't want any toys at all.

Her lip quivered, and she burst out wailing.

Nina sobbed, "Barry, no die! Nina want Barry!"

She cried and clung to Barry, her tiny arms squeezing him tightly.

Barry was caught up in Nina's tears and started sobbing loudly, too.

The two kids held each other and cried. The adults saw the scene and rushed over, trying to pull them apart.

Amelia cooed gently, "Nina, don't cry. Come here, Mommy's got you."

Lily soothed softly, "Barry, don't cry."

Nathan said firmly, "Both of you stop crying—Barry isn't going to die."

The adults all tried to calm the two little ones and separate them.

But the kids held on so tight that no one could pull them apart.

Helpless, the adults squatted nearby and kept comforting them.

Some time passed, and the two little ones cried themselves tired and finally let go of each other.

They stopped hugging but stayed pressed close together, refusing to be apart.

Watching the two kids huddled side by side, the parents sat down on the sofa to rest.

They'd comforted the kids for ages, and their throats were dry from talking.

Now that Nina had stopped crying, they could finally pause.

Barry leaned against Nina, still scared she would leave.

He whispered, "Nina, don't go."

Nina sniffled and promised, "Nina no go."

The two kids stopped crying and went back to playing with their toys.

After playing for a little while, Nina looked up at Amelia.

Nina asked, "Mommy, food?"

She hadn't settled down all afternoon, and her stomach was growling with hunger.

Amelia saw she was hungry and replied quickly, "Mommy's gonna go buy food right now. Just wait a little longer, okay?"

There were snacks in the ward. Lily grabbed a cookie to give Nina, to tide her over until the meal.

After handing Nina the cookie, she went with Amelia to buy food.

Nina nibbled the cookie and kept playing with Barry.

With Nina by his side, Barry didn't throw a single tantrum the entire time.

Nathan watched him being so calm and let out a huge, relieved sigh.

He said, "We really owe it all to Nina. If she hadn't come, who knows how badly Barry would've carried on today? He just can't stand being stuck in the hospital anymore."

No kid would like staying in the hospital. Even a kid like Nina, who loved running around and visiting places, would refuse to go near a hospital.

It was only normal for Barry to hate being cooped up there for so long.

The adults chatted among themselves, and the little ones babbled back and forth too.

Nina didn't stop talking for a single second.