Chapter 28

“What’s wrong, sis?” Haylan furrowed his brow as he looked at Floris with concern.

“It’s nothing. My husband is working overtime today and can’t come to take care of our child. I can handle it alone,” Floris forced a smile to hide her inner turmoil.

Despite her efforts, the smile on Floris’s face looked lonely and betrayed her inner turmoil.

Haylan’s frown deepened as he noticed it.

He couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was amiss between Floris and her husband, but since she didn’t elaborate further, he didn’t feel comfortable probing.

Just then, a nurse walked into the room and addressed Floris with a cold tone, “Floris Hammond, you need to pay the bill now.”

Floris asked politely, “Excuse me, how much is it?”

“4,600 dollars. And remember, you cannot give your child any food or water after 10 PM tonight. The surgery is scheduled for tomorrow!” the nurse replied sternly.

“Now, please go and settle the payment.”

The nurse left firmly, without any hint of compassion in her voice.

After the nurse left, Floris looked pale. Her hands trembled as she clutched the edge of the hospital bed, her eyes filling with tears.

“What’s the matter with Tracy? What sort of ailment is she grappling with that calls for surgery?” Haylan inquired, creasing his brows with concern.

At the sight, Tracy recoiled in terror and hastily sought refuge behind Floris, obstructing Haylan’s view of the nature of her affliction.

“She’s grappling with pneumonia and pediatric hernia. While the former can be remedied with injections, the latter necessitates surgical intervention. Floris conveyed with a troubled countenance.

The thought gnawed at her, causing her anguish as she pondered, “How on earth are we going to come up with the exorbitant sum of money required?”

“Having acquired some rudimentary medical knowledge over the past eight years, let me examine Tracy. Perhaps there has been a misdiagnosis.” Haylan suggested with earnestness.

Floris shook her head in dissent. “It’s unnecessary. We’ve already consulted with numerous medical professionals who have verified the diagnosis, and surgery is the only viable course of action,” she replied firmly.

“I’ll phone my husband and request him to transfer the requisite amount,” she added, determined to leave no stone unturned in securing the funds for Tracy’s treatment.

As she spoke, she stepped out of the doorway to place the call.

Tracy harbored a palpable apprehension about being alone with Haylan and hence endured the agony of her ailment to remain steadfastly entrenched in her mother’s comforting embrace.

efforts to examine Tracy privately were foiled, and he was denied the opportunity to

absented herself for a prolonged interval to avoid any chance encounter

my daughter is hospitalized, and I urgently need financial assistance. Could you

Chapter 28

financial shortfall, came the

is hospitalized and scheduled for surgery tomorrow. I humbly request your assistance in providing me with a loan.” She appealed, her voice laced

financial assistance this month? I

a loan. Would you be able to extend

warn you, if you fail to pay your dues by tomorrow,

you owe me three months’ rent? Outrageous! Begone!” sneered the landlord, his tone laced with contempt and

herself facing insurmountable difficulties in procuring a loan from anyone. Despite reaching out to over thirty individuals, she was met with nothing but refusals and reluctance to extend any form of financial assistance.

and on the brink of tears, Floris slumped onto a chair in the hallway, overcome with a sense of hopelessness and

manage this?” she contemplated, feeling utterly defeated and at a loss for

I be forced to watch Tracy endure such agony?” Floris pondered, consumed by a sense

all my fault.

wept inconsolably, holding her daughter tight as tears flowed freely down her face.

feared Haylan overhearing her sobs and deliberately distanced herself from him as

hospital room, his eyes brimming with tears as he struggled to

emotions.

acuity, with his hearing in particular honed to a remarkable degree, surpassing that of an

keen sense of hearing, Haylan could discern even the slightest disturbance up to a distance of

unbearable. The thought dawned on him that a mere lack of funds had

that his usually strong-willed sister was now compelled to conceal her predicament and cry privately to protect her self-esteem and pride, fearing that he

the depths of her struggles and the challenges she had faced

of Floris’s eye. During every New Year, Floris would set aside candies for him to relish,

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Chapter 28

legs for him.

realization that his beloved sister was now living in such dire straits filled Haylan with

of the room with determination. He made his way. directly to the hospital’s payment office,

unused portion of the medical expenses could be refunded, and Haylan was not

walked back, Haylan pondered over the situation, resolving to

unless absolutely necessary.

diagnosis, determined to

acutely aware that surgery entailed breaking the body, which constituted a

a hernia was essentially a misplaced intestinal tract and that traditional medicine. offered a plethora of massage techniques for its

of inflicting any harm upon his little niece was unbearable for

no conscience? Why didn’t

sooner?”

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