Chapter 102
Jason replied to my message quickly: [A thank-you text has no sincerity. Next time we meet, I want a French kiss.]
My face turned red instantly.
Luke had sent me the train ticket information early in the morning.
Luke: [We're not familiar with this place, so you come pick us up.]
He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world.
I arrived at the station exit ten minutes early. I sat in the car, my emotions mixed.
Time flew by, not even giving me much chance to think. Soon, I saw Luke walking out of the station, dragging two suitcases with one hand and supporting Cora with the other.
After all these years, Cora had aged a lot.
I got out of the car and walked over.
"Sue, you help Mom, I'll handle the luggage," Luke greeted me.
Before I could move, Cora gave me a cold, disgusted glance, curled her lip, and said, "I don't want her help."
The same old disgust.
My heart had long gone numb. I nodded calmly and said, "Luke, you help her. I'll take the luggage."
After pointing them to where the car was parked, I dragged the two suitcases behind them.
Luke first helped Cora into the car, then came to help me put the luggage in the trunk.
Once in the car, through the rearview mirror, I could clearly see the indifference in Cora's eyes when she looked at me.
I started the car and slowly drove out of the station.
Only then did Luke ask me, "Sue, have you arranged everything at the hospital?"
"Yeah," I answered briefly.
Luke finally showed a relieved smile. "I knew you could handle it."
His smile turned into dissatisfaction when we reached our destination.
"Why here? This doesn't look like a major hospital. Didn't I tell you it had to be a major hospital?"
I frowned and explained patiently, "Hopkins Hospital is the best private hospital around here, with very high medical standards. I already checked the others - no available beds. Hospital beds are always in short supply and need to be reserved in advance. You only told me yesterday, and came today wanting to be admitted. It's impossible to get into other hospitals."
Cora finally spoke her first words to me since we met.
"If there are no beds, can't you find a way? Private hospitals are so expensive. We're just an ordinary family, how can we afford it?"
Luke didn't say anything, but his unpleasant expression said it all.
My gaze swept over their similarly expressed faces, and my heart grew colder and colder.
I said, "Luke and I will split the medical expenses fifty-fifty. That way, the burden won't be too heavy for either of us."
But Luke shook his head. "Seventy-thirty, with me paying seventy."
"No, fifty-fifty!" Cora raised her voice sharply.
Luke's lips moved, but in the end, he said nothing more.
I walked into Hopkins Hospital first.
After giving the registration information to the nurses' station, someone immediately came to escort us to the ward.
The moment I saw it was a VIP premium room, I was shocked.
Private hospitals were already expensive, and who knows how much more a VIP room would cost!
But Cora, who had been picky and difficult all along, finally showed a satisfied expression.
She walked around the room as if inspecting her own territory.
I went out to the hallway and called Jason.
The call connected quickly, and Jason's voice immediately came through. "Sue, did you miss me?"
I got goosebumps all over.
But now wasn't the time to worry about that. I asked directly, "Can we change rooms? Just a regular room is fine. VIP is too expensive."
"It's okay, I'll cover all the medical expenses. Feel free to spend without any psychological burden," Jason said very generously.
How could I not have a psychological burden?
I lowered my voice and said, "If we can't change, then we won't stay."
Jason clearly didn't expect me to be so firm. After a moment of silence, he said helplessly, "Alright, I'll have Samuel handle it right away."
After hanging up, I touched my slightly flushed cheeks.
Samuel moved quickly. A few minutes later, someone came to take us to a regular room.
After watching Luke help Cora sit down on the hospital bed, I turned and left the hospital.
I had noticed earlier that they hadn't even brought daily necessities with them.
There was a small supermarket next to the hospital selling daily items.
I bought a bag of things and had just carried it to the door of the ward when I heard Cora and Luke talking inside.
"I don't want to stay here. It's not even a private room. I don't like sharing with others," Cora said.
Luke sighed and consoled her helplessly, "Mom, just bear with it. VIP rooms in private hospitals are too expensive. We came here for treatment, not vacation. We definitely need to save money."
Only then did Cora compromise.
Then she continued, "Luke, I can only rely on you from now on. Sue is not someone worth depending on. Look, she's already gone. She must be afraid I'll ask her to stay and keep me company, so she snuck away."
My hand holding the bag unconsciously tightened. I stood outside the door with my head down.
Luke's voice came through, "Sue really shouldn't do this. I'll talk to her about it."
"What good will talking do? I really regret giving birth to her. Now I'm sick, and she won't even stay with me!" Cora's tone was full of resentment.
I should have been used to all this by now.
But when I actually heard it, my heart still uncontrollably felt waves of dull pain.
I sighed, then pushed open the door, carrying the bag.
When Luke saw it was me, he frowned. "Sue, where did you just run off to?"
"I bought some daily necessities." I shook the bag in my hand.
Luke said somewhat awkwardly, "Oh, I see. You're so thoughtful. I didn't even think about needing daily items."
Cora had already lain down on the bed.
When she saw what I was carrying, she snorted coldly, turned her face away, and said nothing.
I didn't want to stay there any longer either. After putting the things down, I turned and left.
The moment I stepped out of the ward, Cora's extremely angry complaints immediately came from behind me.
"What does she mean?! Did you see her expression just now?! That's her dissatisfaction with me!"
"I'm her mother. Now I'm sick, she should be taking care of me!"
Then came Luke's voice, which I could no longer hear clearly.
I left Hopkins Hospital without stopping.