Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Henry paced anxiously outside Sheila's emergency room, looking every bit the little grown-up as he wore a path back and forth.

Meanwhile, Timothy was waiting outside the door of Jessica's emergency room.

Jessica had collapsed from a sudden high fever brought on by stress. It wasn't long before she gradually opened her eyes, still groggy. Her attending physician, noticing she was awake, hurried to her side.

"Ms. Greene, you can't keep neglecting your health like this! Your condition is already serious, and now you've let yourself get soaked and come down with a high fever. You have to be admitted for treatment-no more delays!"

Drifting in and out of consciousness, Jessica remembered fainting in Timothy's

arms.

Did he bring her to the hospital?

If he was just outside, it wouldn't take much for him to find out about her cancer.

If he knew, there was no way he'd let her keep working. She couldn't let that happen.

She had to find a way to get away from him, and soon.

But she didn't have her phone, and she couldn't answer the doctor's questions aloud. Flustered, she mimed writing in the air.

The doctor handed her a notepad and pen. Jessica, hands trembling with weakness, scribbled a message: "Doctor, I'm sorry, but I can't be admitted right now. My husband is outside. If he finds out I have cancer, he won't be able to handle it. Please-I'm begging you-help me keep this from him."

It was the only way she could appeal to the doctor's compassion, hoping he might keep her secret a little longer.

The doctor sighed. "But you're running out of time. You can't keep avoiding this. Your family will find out eventually, and they'll only worry more if you keep it from them. The outcome won't change by hiding it, but treatment could give you a chance. Think about it: even in the worst case, at least you'll know you tried."noveldrama

She understood that. She'd already made plans to go abroad soon, hoping doctors there could give her a better prognosis, maybe even increase her chances.

At first, she hadn't wanted Timothy or Henry to know-she thought they wouldn't care, and she couldn't bear to be hurt by their indifference. But now, she was even more determined to keep it from them.

As for anyone else, she didn't want them to worry.

She wrote again: "Thank you. A friend recommended a specialist overseas. I'm planning to go soon and see if my chances improve. Please, just help me keep this from my family for now, okay?"

The doctor had kept her secret before, moyed by the sight of a

young, mute woman facing terminal illness alone. But Jessica's repeated hospital visits, always for some minor complication, made it harder for him to look the other way.

He wanted to insist she be admitted, to keep her from getting worse. But seeing her so desperate, he couldn't bring himself to refuse. He nodded in the end.

Relieved, Jessica handed back the notepad and pen, closed her eyes, and soon drifted off to sleep.

Jessica's fainting spell had been caused by the high fever, and with her cancer untreated for now, all the hospital staff could do was wheel her out after she stabilized.

Timothy immediately hurried over.

Henry, seeing his mom being pushed out, rushed to her side as well.

"Doctor, my wife's always been healthy-how could she suddenly pass out like that? Is it serious?" Timothy asked, worry etched on his face.

He'd mentioned before that Jessica looked pale, seemed even more fragile than usual lately.

The doctor replied coolly, "She came in drenched to the bone-caught a chill, which led to the fever and fainting. As her husband, you should take better care of her. Don't let her end up soaked and freezing without making sure she gets changed and warm."

Timothy felt a flush of shame. In his panic, his only thought had been to get her to

the hospital as quickly as possible-he hadn't thought of anything else.