?Chapter 118:


    Bryan moved closer and wrapped Eileen securely in his arms, his whisperforting. “It’s my fault.” His resonant voice, close to her ear, made those simple words deepen her tears. Eventually, a damp spot formed on Bryan’s shirt because of Eileen’s tears.


    Eileen regained herposure and stepped back, her voice still quivering. “I’m sorry for losing myposure.” She quickly moved away, heading back to the entrance of the emergency room without waiting for a response.


    Bryan’s expression grew more tense as he watched her leave, taking long strides to follow her. Outside the emergency room, Huey was there, sitting beside Bailee and trying tofort her, though she ignored himpletely.


    Nearby, Eileen stood stiff, her eyes fixed intently on the overhead light while Bryan, at the corridor’s end, steadily smoked one cigarette after another.


    Four hours passed, and the light above the emergency room was finally off. Emilio emerged, apanied by renowned doctors from the cardio-cerebrovascr department, a subtle smell of blood emanating from them.


    Eileen detected the smell immediately. “Dr. White, how is my mom?” she asked.


    “Calm down, Eileen. Let us exin slowly,” Emilio responded, his tone calm. He paused before continuing, “The cause of your mother’s blood vomiting was her anger, but hera resulted from a cerebral hemorrhage. We have managed to save her life after tremendous effort, but she remains unconscious, and we cannot predict when she will wake up.”


    So did this mean Ruby was in a vegetative state? The thought of it caused Eileen’s breath to catch.


    Beside her, Bailee burst into tears, clinging to Eileen.


    “Don’t cry yet; this might not necessarily be a bad thing,” Emilio said quickly. He went on to exin, “There’s a type of drug that can control the growth of cancer cells, but it can’t be administered to someone who is conscious and has a normal metabolism. However, given Ruby’s current condition, we can use this drug to temporarily control her cancer. Also, there’s a targeted cancer treatment drug close to being approved. If we wait until your mother wakes up, this new drug might be avable, potentially curing her cancer. Wouldn’t that be wonderful news?”


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    Emilio’s exnation made theplex medical situation easier to understand. He suggested that Ruby’sa might provide a critical window to use these new treatments. However, the timing had to be exact. For instance, if Ruby woke up before the new drug was released, she might not survive long enough to receive it. Alternatively, Ruby might pass away before the drug became avable. Or even if the drug was developed on time, Ruby might never wake up.


    With a strained smile and a hoarse voice, Eileen said, “Thank you, Dr. White, and thanks to all the doctors.”


    She couldn’t say whether she should feel happy at the moment, but Emilio’s words had given her and Bailee a significant glimmer of hope. The hope was that Ruby might not only wake up but could possibly recover.


    In the seventy-two hours post-surgery, Ruby was under observation in the intensive care unit before she would be moved to a regr ward. During this critical time, it was necessary for someone to be on standby outside the ICU to respond to any emergencies, even during the night.


    Bryan had asked Raymond to bring some food over, but neither Eileen nor Bailee had much appetite.


    Bryan cautioned them, “If you don’t eat and Bailee doesn’t eat either, you two will copse before your mother gets better.”


    Eileen nced over at Bailee, who was sitting close by, hugging her knees and remaining still.


    Taking a deep breath, she picked up a bowl of soup and approached Bailee. “Bailee, you should eat too,” she said as she ced an opened bowl of soup into her hands.


    There was enough food for four, yet Eileen and Bailee managed to eat half a bowl each. Neither Bryan nor Huey ate, insisting that Eileen and Bailee finish their meals.


    The doctor from the ICU reported that Ruby’s condition had remained rtively stable over thest few hours. “Two people should wait outside, and the rest cane back tomorrow to take turns. There shouldn’t be any major issues, so don’t worry,” the doctor said.


    As dusk settled and neon lights began to glow softly red through the window at the corridor’s end, Bailee, urged by Eileen, departed with Huey. Bryan stayed, silent and unwavering.


    In the corridor, two older rtives had made themselvesfortable in a corner, resting on small cushions. Eileen, maintaining her distance, sat without looking at Bryan, though he was right beside her. The subtle scent of pineing from Bryan lingered in the air, which was hard for Eileen to ignore.


    Overwhelmed by the pressing silence, Eileen feltpelled to speak. “You know that she isn’t my biological mother, right?” she disclosed suddenly, her voice soft yet steady.


    “Yeah,” Bryan replied.


    “My father remarried her when I was ten, after a harsh divorce battle over my brother Roderick, during which neither parent wanted me. My father, having lost the case and being poor, took me in. He often berated me, calling me a burden and useless.” Eileen’s recounting was calm, her gaze clear and undisturbed.


    She continued, “She stepped into my dark life. She protected me. With her around, my father ceased his beatings. When I was alone, if there was no escape for me, she would suffer alongside me. My academic sess brought her pride. She would treat Bailee and me to clothes. Believing firmly in my future, she juggled several jobs to save up for my college tuition as I approached high school.”


    As she shared those memories, Eileen felt a sudden warmth in her hand. It was Bryan’s hand grasping hers, his warmth slowly infusing into her chilled fingers.


    She paused for a moment before continuing her story.


    “Thankfully, I got into a good university. Just as I was about to graduate and felt I could finally repay her, she was diagnosed with cancer. She is such a kind person. It just doesn’t seem fair…”


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