Chapter 268

Giselle did not make it into the hospital room. She arrived without a trace, and left just the same. She was feeling really down. Indescribably down. Without waiting for Harper to get off work, Giselle hailed a cab and went back to Shallow Bay. At the hospital, Vanessa remained silent no matter what Ben and Patrick tried to discuss with her. She quietly left the sickroom alone in the end. Patrick's attending doctor was Vanessa's second uncle and one of the top nephrologists in the country. She walked into his office yet again. "Uncle, how long can Patrick survive if there's no kidney source?" she asked. Dr. Chen looked at her without any concealment, "Normally, no longer than three months, most likely even less." Vanessa's eyelashes gave a heavy tremble. She drew a deep breath and asked difficultly, "What if we go back to Makassa?" Dr. Chen said, "The current medical level in our country is not much worse than that in Makassa. In my view, there's not much difference." "So without a kidney source, Patrick will definitely die?" Dr. Chen sighed, "Vanessa, you actually understand it very well. Why fool yourself?" When Vanessa walked out of the office, she seemed spaced out. She leaned against the wall, tightly covering her face with both hands. She couldn't imagine what it would be like if Patrick disappeared from this world. Just like how Giselle was to Patrick. Vanessa perceived Patrick as unique and irreplaceable. She had liked Patrick, probably even earlier than Giselle. At the time, she was too shy, she would just stealthily watch Patrick from various corners in the school. She thought he was extremely wonderful, there was no one more genial and gentle than him. He would frequently smile, he was polite to anyone who spoke to him, never impatient, nor pretending to be aloof. He was more warming than the sun could ever be. Back then, his warmth was impartial. But after, a summer vacation ended. While Vanessa was observing Patrick, suddenly a little shadow appeared around him. That girl was very beautiful, so beautiful it made people feel inferior, and she was also very charming, charming to the point of being bewitching... It was then when Vanessa learnt that Patrick's goodness was different. The warmth he radiated to others was mere politeness, a product of his good upbringing. However, towards Giselle, he would tidy her messy hair for her, wipe off the remnants on the corners of her mouth, pinch her face, return her hug gently when she embraced him, and in his lowered gaze, a trace of unprecedented indulgence would be revealed. He would make intimate gestures that no one else would ever do. He too would get upset, frown over her secretly shortened school uniform skirt, exposing her long legs, clench his fists at the sight of her talking to other boys, and even go up silently, snatch and tear the love letter from another boy who gave it to her. Despite being the most rule-abiding person, he would accompany her to climb walls, get into fights for her against bullies. At that time, Giselle was not his girlfriend yet. But he had already doted on her to the extreme. And during that time, Vanessa, who was secretly observing all this, had many sleepless nights. She had liked Patrick even before Giselle did, and she knew Patrick earlier than Giselle, too. But, it was because of her lack of courage, her inability to step forward, that she helplessly watched Patrick become someone else's boyfriend. She often blames herself for being too cowardly then, and she often wonders if Patrick would have liked her if she had been proactive and brave. But there were no ifs - Vanessa regretted it to the extreme. So, later on. She dared to stand in front of Giselle, and utter those words. After Patrick suddenly disappeared, she dared to go to Cheng's house, kneel in front of Liyana, and beg her to tell where Patrick had gone. She gambled everything, just for Patrick. He was what she had been yearning for the most in her life. Nothing else could ever compare. He could stop loving her, stop wanting her, but as long as she could stay by his side, she'd be content. But now, this contentment was about to disappear. Vanessa couldn't accept it. She couldn't accept that Patrick would die. Where could she place herself after his death? Vanessa had promised Patrick that she wouldn't tell his parents about his illness before his death. She had agreed. But she couldn't do it. If the only way to save Patrick was a kidney transplant. She would rather have Patrick hate her, resent her... She needed him to live, she needed him to exist in this world. Tears seeped out from between Vanessa's fingers. She took a deep breath and lowered her hand. The patients coming and going from the entrance of the ward would all look back at her. With sympathy, compassion, a sense of helplessness, an inability to help... How many fully recovered patients could there be in the nephrology ward? How many family members without sorrow? Her tears finally stopped; the previous tears dried on her face, causing her skin to feel tight. Vanessa's hand moved to her jacket pocket, and she quickly took out her phone, her fingers landing on the contact 'Liyana'. She bit her lip and pressed it. "Can you and Gemini come to the hospital together? Patrick's health is not good, he is very seriously ill.” Gemini and Liyana received the news and hastily rushed to the hospital. As they pushed open the ward door, the moment they appeared before Patrick's eyes, he turned to look at Ben and Vanessa. Meeting Patrick's gaze, Vanessa did not flinch, she stared back at him. "I was the one who told them." Patrick’s face, already pale, turned even paler. Surging with emotions, he straightened his body, "Why would you..." His words of blame were abruptly interrupted by Liyana. "And you’re blaming Vanessa? If she hadn’t informed us, how long were you planning to hide this from us?” Tears fell suddenly from Liyana's eyes. "You foolish child, why didn't you tell your father and me..." The ward was filled with the sound of Liyana's sobbing, and Patrick felt unbearably distressed. He said, "Dad, Mom, I'm sorry." Liyana embraced Patrick, "What are you apologizing for, you silly boy." After her crying subsided, Liyana finally remembered the urgent matter. When Dr. Chen learned that Gemini and Liyana had arrived, he also entered the ward, revealing Patrick's condition without concealment in front of him, informing both parents about everything. Upon hearing 'three months at most,' Liyana collapsed on the floor. While Gemini supported her, his own body felt weak. In the end, Ben and Vanessa stepped forward to prop up the two of them, helping them sit on a nearby small sofa. "If a kidney transplant is possible, is there a chance?” Liyana asked Dr. Chen. Dr. Chen said, "A kidney transplant is the only solution, however, so far, we have been unable to find a match for Patrick." "What requirements are needed to be a match? Patrick's father and I, we're willing to do it." Dr. Chen said, "In regards to this, although it is true that direct relatives have a higher matching rate, neither of you is suitable. You had a surgery to remove your cervix due to cancer a few years back, and Gemini himself has nephritis." "What if Patrick has other immediate relatives?” Dr. Chen clearly hesitated a moment before saying, "If there is, the chances of a match are high."