Tears rolled down Ye Xingguangâs cheeks instantly, âMomâ¦â
Bai Lanwuâs tears fell silently from her eyes, âI want your father to accompany me to the sea, to bask in the sun and watch the sea waves⦠It sounds maudlin, doesnât it?â
âNot at all, Mom, itâs incredibly romantic. We, as a family, could bask in the sun at the sea, and Iâll navigate the ship. Weâll let Dad see this beautiful world one last time. I could sing for him again. Heâs always loved my singing. We can take photos, another family portraitâ¦â
The more Ye Xingguang spoke, the more she smiled. But by the end, her tears blurred her vision entirely, making her unable to see anything clearly.
She diligently wiped away her tears.
Struggling, Bai Lanwu got up, off of the bed and urged her, âLetâs go to you father, pack his things and arrange for his discharge. Weâre bringing your father home, today.â
As Ye Xingguang wipe her incessant tears and nodded, she supported her mother from the emergency room to the nephrology department in another building. With every step she took, her heart felt as if it was being scorched.
Her motherâs steps were even smaller, she knew that in choosing to end her fatherâs treatment and insisting on taking him home, her mother mustâve experienced excruciating pain.
But, they didnât have any other options. They could only act on their decision; taking her father home, not wishing his last remaining days be spent in a hospital. They wanted to bring him to the beach, let him see familiar places, let him feel the wind, gaze upon the seaâ¦.
No matter the walk back to the wards, there will always come a point when it ends.
The both of them stood before the white line marking the entrance to the nephrology ward but didnât cross it.
Crossing the line might mean the end for her father.
Both of them stood quietly before the white line, unsure of how much time passed. Then, a bodyguard strolled over to them and said, âMiss Ye, Maâam, why are you two still standing here? Dr. Bo is looking for you. He wants to take your father to get scanned and diagnose a new treatment plan.ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âWhat do you mean, wasnât Dr. Bo arranging my fatherâs discharge?â
The bodyguard said, âJust now, Dr. Bo and the team of specialists brought over by Junqing reassessed your fatherâs condition. They discovered his condition may have improved slightly. Theyâre going to conduct CT scans, an ultrasound, an MRI and when the results are out, theyâll establish a new treatment plan. I was standing right there and heard everything. Theyâre saying your father may have a chance.â
âReally?â
Ye Xingguang let out an incredulous shout.
The bodyguard nodded, âDr. Bo is currently looking for you to take your father to get the MRI. The MRI might be on the second floor of No.4 Building.â
Ye Xingguang heard the news as if it were sweet music, but she dared not believe it. Excitedly she rushed into the doctorâs office to talk Dr. Bo, who was behind his desk doing research.
Before she reached him, she asked him, âDr. Bo, is it true? There is hope for my father? Is this true?â
Dr. Bo nodded, âDonât get too worked up, your fatherâs condition isnât as bad as we were initially led to believe. His blood glucose, blood pressure, oxygen saturation are all showing signs of stability. Perhaps it was a misdiagnosis on my part. First, take your father to get the scans. I need to look at the new results.â
Ye Xingguang was simultaneously ecstatic and furious, âHow could you misdiagnose such a critical matter? Youâre a leading expert in the medical community!â
Dr. Bo looked embarrassed; he certainly hadnât expected such circumstances either. It felt like a miracle.
Ye Xingguang had no time to be angry. She turned around and ran back. When she returned to the ward, Junqing wasnât there, but she found her mother sitting by her fatherâs bed, holding her fatherâs hand. Mother and father locked eyes, their expressions filled with unshed tears. Words stuck in their throats.