After leaving the operating room, Patricia went straight to the ICU. Martin and Charles stood outside the glass window, their eyes fixed on the sleeping Randy, their faces filled with worry.
Patricia reassured them, "Don't worry, Randy's surgery was successful. If there are no complications, he will wake up tomorrow. You go back for now, and I'll call you if he wakes up."Martin turned to look at her and noticed the fatigue hidden between her brows. Concerned, he asked, "Two surgeries in a row, aren't you tired?"Patricia smiled and shook her head, saying, "Compared to the body, the heart is more exhausted."During surgery, the entire mind is engaged, especially testing one's ability to adapt on the spot. Debbie's lack of adaptability is why she couldn't stop Bobby's bleeding.Martin understood what she meant and sympathetically said, "You need rest more than me. I'll stay here, you go back first. I'll call you if anything happens."Patricia couldn't hAfter Martin dropped Charles off at home, he rushed to the ICU immediately.The ICU was fully enclosed, with a nurse stationed outside, observing the patients through the glass door. Any unexpected situations could be dealt with promptly.Patricia, perhaps exhausted, sat beside the nurse and dozed off, her head resting on the table.Martin instructed the doctors to bring in a long chair from outside and gently lifted Patricia, laying her flat on the chair, with her head resting on his thigh. This way, he could monitor Randy's condition at any time and allow Patricia to sleep more comfortably.Bobby was in the neighboring ICU, separated only by a wall.Madam Thomas looked at Bobby, who was unconscious, with a heartache through the glass door. She stayed outside, refusing to leave.Concerned, Greta said, "Grandma, you're tired. Why don't you rest in the ward? Debbie and I can stay here. If anything happens, I'll inform you right away."Madam Thomas sho
Seeing that she didn't want to say more, Martin stopped asking and walked up to her. Gently, he tucked her stray hair behind her ear.The intimate gesture caused Patricia's recently calmed heart to race again.In a hoarse voice, Martin asked, "Are you hungry? Let's go out for breakfast first! What would you like to eat?"Concerned about rekindling her emotions, Patricia stepped back, putting some distance between them, and nodded awkwardly. "Having something to eat sounds like a good idea. We'll need the energy to take care of Randy when he wakes up."Martin nodded happily.Just as they turned around, before they even had a chance to leave, they heard a nurse standing outside the ICU say, "The patient has woken up."One sentence successfully halted Patricia and Martin in their tracks.The two rushed towards the window.Sure enough, Randy, who had been unconscious, slowly opened his eyes. He seemed unaware of his surroundings and curiously looked aroun
The words of the nurse brought Patricia to a complete halt; she immediately sensed something was very wrong. Madam Thomas' breath hitched, and her aged body swayed. Debbie frowned in displeasure and reprimanded the nurse angrily, "What are you panicking for? What could possibly happen to Bobby?" The young nurse, feeling aggrieved yet out of respect for Madam Thomas who stood close by, chose to speak in a roundabout way instead of directly addressing the issue. "There's an anomaly with Bobby's monitor; Professor Brown, please go check on him right away!" Madam Thomas grabbed Debbie's hand, her voice trembling, and asked, "Debbie, nothing bad will happen to Bobby, right?" Debbie felt unconcerned by the nurse's words as she nonchalantly assured Madam Thomas, "Madam Thomas, like I said, Bobby will be fine. He has just been moved out of the ICU; a small deviation or error in the monitor is quite normal!" Despite Debbie’s words, Madam Thomas still f
Madam Thomas frowned deeply, displeased she asked harshly, "What are you laughing at?"Patricia looked at them with a face full of sympathy and spoke slowly, "After all that has happened, do you still think it's my fault? When Bobby had his postoperative hemorrhage, I shouldn't have been soft-hearted and agreed to help."Madam Thomas’ countenance darkened, "What do you mean?"Patricia spread her hands and spoke bluntly, "Let me put it to you this way—have you ever wondered why so many doctors refused to perform surgery on Bobby?"Madam Thomas’ body shook. She understood the reasons for their refusal.Seeing her reaction, Patricia knew immediately and sarcastically raised the corners of her mouth, "Bobby’s coronary artery disease had narrow distal vessels, unsuitable for coronary artery bypass surgery. Additionally, this condition mostly affects the middle-aged and elderly, it’s exceedingly rare in children—one in a hundred thousand.”Patricia contin
Just as Patricia was cornered with no apparent escape option, the silent Martin stepped forward. His imposing figure stood between them, his eyes slightly narrowed, exuding an oppressive aura."Madam Thomas, I think she has made herself quite clear. I respect you as an elder, and I ask you to also act with such dignity and not to trouble her." Martin spoke in a tone of finality. Madam Thomas growled unwillingly, "But my grandson is the one laying in the OR right now."Martin's thin lips pursed slightly, contemplating his words before speaking he said."Your grandson ended up in his current state because of your decisions, isn't that so? You shouldn’t project the blame onto Patricia now." Madam Thomas's face showed her discomfort at his assessment, unable to accept it she asked, "Are you declaring yourself against me to stand by her side?"Without a word, Martin placed his hand supportively on Patricia's shoulder, and with a resolute gaze, he met Madam Thoma
In the ICU observation room, Patricia's phone 'dinged' with a message. A colleague from her department sent a WhatsApp message, informing her."Bobby didn't survive the resuscitation and passed away at 7:10 PM. Madam Thomas couldn't accept the outcome and fainted; the department is in chaos. If you can avoid coming back, stay away."The final sentence carried a lot of weight. Patricia frowned slightly and sent a message back. "Why shouldn’t I return?" The screen indicated that the other party was typing, but no message came through. Guessing what was happening, Patricia sent another message: "Does the Thomas family think Bobby's death is related to me?"This time, the reply came quickly. "We all know it's not connected to you, but the Thomas family won't listen to reason. They believe you and Professor Brown are responsible for Bobby's death. They're causing a scene in the office right now! Madam Thomas is still unconscious. No one knows where Debbie
Martin’s pupils contracted with anger watching Patricia get slandered, but before he could react, she calmly grasped his hand, whispering only for him to hear, “Let them speak. As long as we know the truth, that's all that matters.”Martin looked at her, biting back his anger. Just as Patricia finished her memorial respects Debbie arrived, making a show of her grief before Madam Thomas, seeking absolution for her failure to save Bobby.Madam Thomas watched Debbie with a cold gaze, offering reassurance that shifted ominously to a veiled threat, intimating that none involved would escape punishment.Despite the disconcerting interaction, Debbie couldn’t pinpoint the implied threat and retreated, only to spot Martin and Patricia. Envious of Patricia in this moment, she addressed Patricia mockingly, suggesting her own involvement in the child’s fate.Patricia ignored Debbie’s baiting. Undeterred, Debbie’s vitriolic comments continued, earning Patricia a bout of undeserved laughter.“Deb
"No, Madam Thomas, you can't do this... You watched me grow up, how can you be so heartless... I'm Greta's best friend..."Debbie shook her head in terror, her voice quivering with fear.Madam Thomas let out a 'heh heh' laugh, chilling and sinister, like it was wafting up from the depths of hell."You watched Bobby grow up too, yet you still ended up killing her! Since you don't care about our families' friendship, why should I care about you?"With those words, her palm lifted slightly.Four men surged forward, pinning Debbie to the ground.One man held her hands above her head, two others each secured a leg, and the last prepared the camera, inching closer to Debbie.Debbie tried to escape, but pinned down by limbs, she could only watch helplessly as her clothes were ripped from her body.With a 'hiss,' her clothing was torn to shreds, exposing her perfect figure to all eyes."Ah..."A blast of cold air swept over Debbie, causing her to shiver uncontrollably, tears streaming down he