Chapter 745 Three Months Left To Live
The next day, Tiffany was pushed into the operating room for the surgery. Amelia Winters and Derrick waited outside the operating room while Oscar was absent as he needed to handle some matters at the company.
Amelia Hutton made an effort to show up when it was an hour into the operation. “Hi, Derrick. We meet again,” she greeted Derrick courteously. Derrick nodded in her direction. It was a rather mild response.
“I heard from Amy that Tiffany was diagnosed with a septate uterus. I heard it’s harder for most people with this condition to get pregnant or that they would get a miscarriage after conceiving. Well, with you as her husband, I’m sure she will get pregnant easily and with twins at that. I bet they’ll be as good-looking as you.” All of a sudden, Amelia Hutton showered him with compliments.
At that, Derrick nodded indifferently and said, “Thank you.”
His response made her feel awkward.
“Why are you here, Amelia?” Amelia Winters chimed in just in time to alleviate her discomfort.
“Mom told me to come. She said Tiffany is getting surgery, but she can’t come over herself. Hence, she asked me to drop by instead,” Amelia Hutton explained.
“I see.” Amelia Winters nodded and said no more.
Tiffany’s operation was a success. Afterward, she was pushed into the ward, where the nurse put her on an IV drip.
Having confirmed that Tiffany looked fine, Amelia Winters said to Derrick, “I’ll head back upstairs to see my mom, Derrick. I’ll come down again later.”
He nodded in response.
The two sisters, Amelia Winters and Amelia Hutton, went upstairs and entered the ward. Eleanor was reading a book when they returned. Upon noticing them, she asked, “How is Tiffany? Was the operation a success?”
“Yes. It went well. She just got pushed back into her ward.”
“That’s great. A uterine septum surgery isn’t a major operation. However, a lot of women have trouble having children because of the uterine anomalies in this condition. It isn’t easy for them to get pregnant, yet they experience miscarriages. My friend’s daughter-in-law spent so much money to get pregnant with twins. However, the fetus was stillborn when she was about to enter labor. The two fetuses were lifeless when they got taken out of her womb through surgery. So, even if the operation was successful, Tiffany should still be cautious and rest well,” Eleanor exhorted earnestly, as though she was speaking from her experience.
“Mom, don’t worry about it. She’s an adult who knows how to take care of herself. Your main focus now should be taking care of yourself. Don’t bother yourself with other things.”
Eleanor had no choice but to give in and listen to her.
Amelia Winters prepared some apple slices for Eleanor. As soon as the latter put a slice of apple into her mouth, she felt a sharp pain in her head, as if she got pounded on her head with a hammer. Grabbing her head, she rolled on the bed in pain and fell to the ground.
The whole event happened so suddenly that it baffled everyone inside the ward. Fortunately, Sean reacted quickly and ran out to ask for help. Soon, Eleanor was wheeled into the operating room.
Amelia Winters stared at the lit sign that indicated the surgery was in progress with her hands clasped tightly together. Her mind was all over the place.
At that moment, her mind was filled with the words “hospital” and “surgery.” For the past three years, almost every part of her life was associated with those two things. The people around her and even herself got hospitalized one by one and had surgeries. In fact, she even had a close brush with death once. The woman was honestly terrified as she relived the panic that arose from the possibility of Eleanor dying on the operating table.
Meanwhile, Benjamin stared at the operating room intently with his lips tightly pressed together.
As for Amelia Hutton, she looked at Amelia Winters and said, “Amy, the Hutton family wouldn’t face so much trouble if you never showed up.” Her eyes were filled with resentment and anger.
Amelia Winters took a glance at her and remained silent.
“That’s enough, Amelia. No one has any say in the cycle of life and death. Stop babbling,” Benjamin rebuked.
That made Amelia Hutton bit her lip.
Sean voiced, “Stop it, Amelia. We’re all upset now that Mom is in the operating room.”
Amelia Hutton took a look at Amelia Winters and fell silent.
Just then, Derrick came upstairs. When Amelia Winters saw him, she asked, “Why are you here? Is Tiff awake?”
“Yes, she woke up. She heard that Mrs. Hutton passed out, so she wanted me to come up and take a look,” he replied.
“What about her? Does her wound hurt? Can she get off the bed?”
“It still hurts a little, but she can leave the bed if she moves carefully with someone supporting her. I asked the housekeeper in my house to stay back for a while to take care of her.”
“That’s great.”
The operation was being carried out urgently in the operating room, and the atmosphere outside was also full of tension and worry. Hence, no one chatted freely.
After a few hours, the operation was finally over, and a team of doctors came out. Amelia Winters and Benjamin rushed over right away, and she asked, “James, Professor, how is my mom’s condition?”
The mentor shook his head.
James looked grim. “Amelia, Mrs. Hutton’s condition doesn’t look well. Her malignant brain tumor is worsening rapidly. If there is no medicine to curb it, I’m afraid she won’t be able to live longer than three months.”
Amelia Winters’ legs gave away as soon as she heard that. Before that, the doctors said Eleanor still had six months more to live, yet it was shortened by half after merely a few days.
Benjamin, on the other hand, glared at James and grabbed him by his collar. “What did you say? My wife is fine. What do you mean she only has three more months to live? You quack! Just say so if you want more money. Don’t you dare curse her! Otherwise, I will kill you,” he snarled fiercely.
Sean rushed toward them and grabbed Benjamin’s hand. “Dad, calm down. That is only their estimation. All doctors like to make a patient’s condition sound worse. Mom will get better as long as we can find a better doctor. Don’t be afraid.”
Panting, Benjamin was still shooting daggers at James.
From the side, Amelia Hutton said, “Dad, Mom is being pushed out of the room.”
Almost immediately, Benjamin let go of James and dashed toward Eleanor. His eyes reddened in an instant when he lowered his head to look at his wife, who was lying on the hospital bed.
How can I accept the fact that this woman, the person I’ve loved and clashed with, has only less than three months to live? She even told asked for a divorce just before this.
“Eleanor, can you please open your eyes and take a look at me?” Benjamin pleaded. “I promise I won’t make you mad again as long as you get better.”
Naturally, Eleanor did not wake up to his pleading.
Sean pulled him aside to let the nurse push Eleanor back to the ward.
Benjamin looked distraught as he followed behind the nurse. Amelia Hutton and her brother tagged along out of concern for him.
Meanwhile, Amelia Winters walked toward James and apologized, “Professor, James, I’m so sorry about that. He’s only behaving like that because he’s worried about my mom. Please don’t take it to heart.”
“We understand. Professor and I have been discussing the treatment for Mrs. Hutton. It’s just that her condition deteriorated quicker than we expected. Thus, we got caught off guard. We should be the ones apologizing instead. I’m sorry we couldn’t keep our promise and let you and your family down,” James said apologetically.
Amelia Winters shook her head. In actuality, she had never blamed James since doctors could only heal the injured and not bring the dead back to life. It would be hard for even the best surgeons to save a patient who had come to the stage of near death.
“James, I don’t blame you for it. I only want to ask if there’s really no hope for my mom’s condition.”
“Amelia, I can only tell you that Professor and I will do our best. However, it’s up to fate whether we can save her. Although Professor and I are skilled, we can’t resurrect the dead. Many patients passed away under our care too.”
Amelia Winters nodded in understanding.
“I’m thankful for the help from you and Professor. No matter what happens to my mom in the future, I still want to thank you two from the bottom of my heart.” After finishing her sentence, she bowed to them solemnly.
As soon as James saw that, he quickly helped her up and said, “Please don’t do this, Amelia. Oscar will beat me up if he finds out about this.”
“No, he won’t.” Amelia Winters forced a smile. However, an unprecedented feeling of heaviness overpowered her.
James said a few more things before he left with his mentor.
Derrick walked up to Amelia Winters but did not know how to console her.
“Are you okay, Amelia?”
She shook her head and said, “Derrick, you should head back to take care of Tiff. She just finished her operation, so I’m sure she’s still in pain.”
“I’ll head back in a while.” Derrick noticed that her expression did not look good, so he added, “I’ll stay here and chat with you for a short while.”
Amelia Winters flashed him a faint smile in response. Then, she leaned on the railing and looked down, watching the patients and their family members walking in and out of the hospital.
“Back then, I didn’t want to get involved with the Hutton family. I never expect things to turn out this way in less than a year. When I was in Beshya, someone gave me a reading that my life would be smooth sailing after I recovered from my blindness. But more trouble came after another. The people around me get injured or become upset. Do you think I’m a jinx?” she murmured.
“Amelia, that’s not like you,” he said. “It is only natural for a person to go through the cycle of life and death. It’s too far-fetched for you to blame yourself for that. Nobody wants to see Mrs. Hutton getting sick, but there is nothing we can do about it. So, you shouldn’t feel guilty.”
“I understand what you mean. But I feel terrible when I see my mom suffering in pain on the bed. I thought I didn’t have much affection for her. Perhaps, I’ve underestimated the familial bond,” she said and heaved a sigh.
Mirroring Amelia’s action, Derrick leaned on the railing, overlooking the bustling place. The two watched on quietly for a few minutes before he broke the silence. “You should probably go back to the ward. I’ll go and explain the situation to Tiff.”
Amelia nodded in agreement.
As soon as Tiffany saw Derrick return to the ward, she tried her best to sit up straight and inquired, “Derrick, you texted me that Mrs. Hutton went into the operating room again. What happened to her?”
He hurried over to put a pillow behind her. Then, he stroked her hair gently and asked, “Are you still in pain?”
“No, it was only a minor operation.” She waved her hand and continued, “Quick. Tell me about Mrs. Hutton’s condition.”
Derrick replied solemnly, “The doctor said she only has three more months to live.”
“What? How can that be? James and his mentor are very skilled. They should be able to cure her.” Tiffany got all worked up and tugged at her wound by accident. The pain was so great that her face turned ghastly pale.
“Stay still. You almost gave me a heart attack.” He helped her lie down in bed and covered her with the blanket.
Grabbing onto Derrick’s hand, Tiffany asked, “Is it true that Mrs. Hutton only has three months left to live?”
“Yes. James said it himself,” Derrick revealed everything. “Life and death are beyond our control. You shouldn’t worry about it needlessly.”
“I’m just worried that Amelia will be sad. Since she was young, she had longed for a family. It almost became her obsession. Don’t get deceived by her looks. Although she appears resilient, she has a soft spot for her family. Since Amelia calls Mrs. Hutton her mom, it means that she accepts the latter sincerely. Amelia must be devastated now that something bad like this has happened.” That was Tiffany’s greatest concern.
