Chapter 115
The Noos VII ward had been decorated in a light, elegant, warm color palette. A walnut-colored couch and beige carpet drifted into view, a soft breeze adding to the refreshing ambiance. It resembled a hotel suite more than a hospital ward. A rose sat on the matching coffee table.
Marsha lay in the hospital bed, hooked up to an IV drip, her eyelids tightly shut. After some time, her eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes. Hazel, who had been vigilantly sitting by her side, was relieved. She quickly moved over and gently held Marsha’s hand, a worried look in her eyes. “Marsha, you’re finally awake?”
Marsha had suddenly collapsed outside the operating room earlier, giving Hazel quite a scare. Luckily, they were in a hospital, and Charles had been nearby. They couldn’t bear to think about what could have happened otherwise. A faint smile played on Marsha’s lips as she softly said, “Why are you crying? I’m not dead yet.” Hazel wiped away the tears on her cheek, remaining remarkably composed about Marsha’s fainting episode. Hazel shot Marsha a sharp look and exclaimed, “What are you talking about?”
Despite feeling unwell, Marsha tried to comfort Hazel, which only made Hazel more uneasy. Marsha’s face was pale, but she managed a weak smile. Martha and Hazel turned to see Charles standing at the entrance, wearing a white coat. With one hand in his pocket and a report in the other, he glanced at Marsha. In a laid-back tone, Charles said, “Oh, you’re awake. You seem to be doing alright.”
Marsha couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him. She had never encountered such an unreliable doctor. Hazel watched the exchange between them and sensed the odd tension. Fearing Marsha might get upset, Hazel quickly moved closer. She tried to calm her by saying, “Marsha, you…”
Marsha gave her a reassuring smile before turning to Charles and saying in a challenging tone, “I can still get up and walk. Want to test that?” She stood her ground. Charles’ eyebrows twitched involuntarily. He set the report down in front of her. “Your test results have come back.”
Marsha struggled to sit up from the bed, and Hazel quickly moved to help. Hazel leaned over and picked up one of the other reports as well. They both read their respective reports carefully, then swapped them. Once Marsha was seated comfortably, she opened the examination report in front of her.
Marsha stared at the words on the report, shocked. She looked up at Charles and whispered, “Heart…” That explained why she had been experiencing such exhaustion lately. It constantly felt like a heavy weight was pressing on her, and her heartbeat had been noticeably different. After reading the report, she felt a wave of sadness and uncertainty. Tears welled up in her eyes. She had developed atrial fibrillation over 20 years. What would the future hold?
Charles patted the couch beside them, saying in a calm tone, “It’s not a major issue. Just try to manage your… ” This type of heart condition was common in their department, but it was a relatively serious case among them. Marsha set the report aside and gave Charles a pointed look.