Short, Light, Free

Chapter 173: People and Money II

I only had three day offs in a year, but I still called up my company.

I then offered a few hundred dollars to my colleague who was resting at home that day to cover for me.

I flagged a cab and went straight to the hospital.

The driver was all smiles but drove as quick as lightning. I didn’t want to complicate things so I simply told him that I was having a tummy ache and he got me to the hospital in the shortest time possible.

I handed him 21 dollars but he took only 20. He told me, “That’s fine. Just hurry and go get a doctor.”

I smiled and rushed to the hospital building.

I called the number back.

After what seemed like hours of ringing, the line finally connected.

“Hello?” I started.

“Hi, how may I help you?” a lady answered.

“Where is the owner of this number? I’m her grandson.”

“Number 1 People’s Hospital,” she responded.

“I’m in here already. The specific location, please?”

“Inpatient department, unit 603. Someone’s ringing the bell, I got to go.”

“Alright, I’ll be there soon,” I said before hanging up.

I was connected to strangers twice. Was Granny really in such a serious condition that she was unable to speak?

I looked around the building, having no idea where the inpatient department was situated.

I kept asking for directions from nurses and doctors and finally got to the right section on the sixth floor.

I found unit 603 in no time but I had no courage to enter.

As shameful as it was to admit it, I didn’t know Granny anymore.

Standing outside the ward, I made another call to the same number.

I heard the ringtone coming from inside the ward, and felt somewhat awkward.

“I’m like a fish in your pond, wishing for us to wait upon the moonlight…”

I looked into the room and spotted four beds. The phone was on the table by the furthermost bed.

“The lotus remains fragrant despite the change in seasons…”

I quickly hung up and walked in.

One of the three other patients asked, “Who are you, little fellow?”

“May I know where’s this patient?” I asked, pointing at Granny’s empty bed.

“Out for a stroll, probably, because it’s so stuffy in here. She should be back soon so just wait a while.”

“Stroll?”

Wasn’t she in a critical condition?

“Oh, she’s back now!”

I turned around and saw Granny standing by the door.

Both hands were in her pockets as she walked in slowly.

“Darling,” she called with a smile

I was embarrassed but then I remembered that my grandparents used to call me that when I was little.

“Granny?” I hedged.

She smiled and walked over to me to start fiddling with my shirt.

“Where have you been? Why are you covered in dust?” she said, swatting at my shirt and turning me around to repeat what she did to the front.

“There’s dust at the back, too? You can see them?” I asked.

“I saw it the moment I came in! I was wondering which fool was covered in so much dust!”

“No, no, wait. A doctor told me you were critically ill. Where is he?” I questioned.

“Xiao Gao, right?” she asked, smiling.

“Xiao Gao?” I repeated.

Another patient added, “He’s in the general medicine department. There should be a number in her phone so just go take a look.”

I walked to the bedside table and picked up Granny’s phone.

There was indeed a Xiaogao in the call records. Granny couldn’t have typed these on her own.

Perhaps his contact was given to her by a nurse.

I called him.

“Aye, has something happened to your grandmother?” he said by the way of answering.

“I’m Chalk. You said Granny…” I turned to look at Granny.

She was still patting my clothes so I covered the phone a little. “I’ll be back soon, Granny.”

She put her hands down. “Come back soon.”

I walked to the corridor and picked the phone back up. “You said my grandmother was in critical condition. What’s going on?”

“It’s two separate matters. Your grandmother saw it as an excuse to see you.”

I sighed. “So it’s fake? She’s fine?”

“No, no, it’s real.”

“I’m confused.”

“Your grandmother has no other family member around now. Your uncle and aunty are overseas. She wanted to see a family member so she had me call you over.”

“So she’s fine?” I asked, letting my guard down.

“That’s what she thinks. There’s another thing that’s pretty serious.”

“What is it?” I asked, frowning.

“Because she’s alone, we didn’t want to tell her about her condition. You must know that she’s over 70 and we’ve found lesions in two parts of her body. They are spreading. It’s critical, but we don’t know how to break the news to her. Since you’re here, we’re telling it to you now.”

“So she’s really ill…”

“Yes, but her case is rather unique. We don’t know how to show the report to her. Her case file is with me. I think it’s alright to hand them over to you now since you’re her family,” the doctor said.

“Alright. Where are you, Doc? I’ll go collect it. I’m in your hospital.”

“That’s fine. It’s really messy here so I’ll make a trip down to that department during lunch break to pass it to you. I’m also going to personally share with you some information about your grandmother’s condition. I’m a bit busy at the moment so go spend some time with her in the meantime.”

“Is… is it curable?” I asked.

“I’m still treating a patient right now so I’ll be brief. Because it’s not just one lesion, we do not suggest surgery.”

“Alright. Okay. We’ll talk later.”

“Sure. I’ll hang up now,” Doctor Gao said before ending the call.

I stood rooted to the ground, looking into the room.

Granny had a powerful voice; I heard her say, “See that boy? He’s my grandson. He’s working in a state enterprise.”

She chatted casually with other patients as I massaged my temples.

After recalibrating my emotions, I calmly walked back into the ward.