Chapter 32: The patient's injury is too serious

After twelve entire hours, the light above the door was finally off. Stephanie had become unbelievably weak because she ate nothing except for an apple Shawn forced her to eat throughout the process.

When she caught the slight change with her eyes, Stephanie's heart stopped beating. What's going on in there?

She came two steps closer, but then felt the urge to fall back out of fear. From behind, Shawn held her shoulders, trying to pass her some courage through his arms. Stephanie, however, didn't notice him for she was paying all her attention at the door.

After another long wait, the door opened. A doctor came out at first, and then some nurses, one by one. Their faces were covered in tiredness, so they had no time to deal with Stephanie.

It took her much effort to stop one of them. "How's he, doc?"

The doctor gave a deep sigh, which nearly made her pass out. Luckily, Shawn quickly held her up.

"Is he…" Stephanie was so stressed out that she couldn't even tell a complete sentence. She tried hard to organize her language, but eventually failed to pronounce the last word "dead."

Realizing that he was being misunderstood, the doctor explained, "Don't be so anxious. He still alive, but…"

When he came to the word "alive," luster was back to her eyes. Nonetheless, the word "but" smashed her hope.

"What's that, doc?" Stephanie urged him. Shawn who was standing behind felt unpleased too.

"He is in PVS." The doctor finished the sentence, his eyes filled with compassion. "We tried out best, but the patient's injury is too serious."

Stephanie stumbled and got rid of Shawn's grip. She started pondering the doctor's words, didn't know if she could be happy or not. PVS, was it the best among the worst results?

Was she asking for too much? As she was still thinking, Jack was wheeled out. She rushed to him and found him lying there peacefully as if asleep. From his appearance, she couldn't tell a thing.

In the ward, Stephanie helped the nurse move Jack onto the bed. She then watched them installed many medical instruments in an orderly manner. Till then, she felt a huge sense of difference.

With those lifeless machines surrounding him, Jack now looked like a patient. A patient in PVC, just like the doctor said.

She sat aside numbly, holding Jack's hands. His hands were freezing, probably because of the surgery. She once felt that too. It was the temperature of death.

She held his hands tighter, trying to deliver her vitality in that way. Of course, it didn't work.

After a long silence, the emotions which she had suppressed for twelve hours finally went out of control. She threw herself onto Jack's body and broke into tears.

"Jack, please, please wake up…You may eat with me in the future, and I will eat the food you give me…So please…"

She wailed persistently, her voice full of sorrow. "I still love you, but I was afraid that you would treat me like before. I was afraid of your indifference. I was so scared, Jack! I love you. I've always loved you. Even if I died once, I still love you."

Having cried for a while, Stephanie felt much better. She made up her mind to look after Jack till he woke up.

"Don't you worry, Jack. I will look after you for the rest of my life. Till the day you wake up, I will, with the baby…" She choked up, failing to finish the last half.

Nonetheless, Jack remained silent and unresponsive. Stephanie buried her head in his hospital gown and started whispering their past, their precious memories, one by one, one after another. From her first look at him, from the time she fell in love with him, to the very end...

By some time she didn't notice, Shawn came in. He had been outside the ward for quite a while, but he didn't want to bother Stephanie, who was crying in tremendous grief. When he couldn't hear a sound from inside, he went in to see if she's alright. To his surprise, he spotted Jack chuckling at Stephanie. By then, she was still whispering to herself.

Shawn didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He finally decided to tell Stephanie the truth to pull her back from her grief, but he saw Jack winked at him, signaling him to keep the secret. In a moment, the ever-widening gap between them vanished. Their brotherhood over those years was back. He bowed his head to hide his joyful tears, and went out quietly.

Though Stephanie was sad, it was their precious moments, which Shawn knew he shouldn't disturb.