Chapter 91 Coma
Upon hearing the doctor's words, my mind suddenly went blank, as if all my thoughts and consciousness were about to leave me.
I was startled awake by a loud thud, and as I realized what was happening, I saw the attending physician rushing to help Katniss up. Katniss had fainted and fallen to the ground after hearing the doctor's words.
My mind was short-circuited at that moment, so I didn't even have the awareness to help her. In fact, I was on the verge of passing out myself, but I kept controlling my consciousness, trying to hold myself together, although the tears just wouldn't stop.
Other doctors and nurses quickly came to assist Katniss and took her to another ward for rest and care. After the other doctors and nurses took Katniss away, I didn't follow but stayed to ask the attending physician.
"Has my father Nathan passed away?" I asked the doctor in a hoarse voice, clinging to a glimmer of hope.
"Not yet, but it's close. The blood clots in Nathan's skull have been cleared, the surgery went smoothly, but Nathan hasn't woken up and is in a deep coma," the doctor explained softly, his voice tinged with fatigue.
"Is there still hope for him to wake up?"
"There is, but the chances are very low. You should prepare for the worst. If Nathan doesn't wake up within a week, I advise you to consider letting go," the doctor said before quietly going to rest. After hours of surgery, the doctor was exhausted.
Upon hearing this news, I tried hard to control myself. I had to stay strong at this moment. If I collapsed as well, then Nathan would truly have no hope.
Soon, Nathan was wheeled out of the emergency room by a nurse, and I followed with my stiff and exhausted body. Nathan was transferred to the intensive care unit, with an oxygen mask on his face, various wires attached to his forehead and temples to monitor brain activity. The wound on Nathan's head was covered with thick bandages because of the head injury and intracranial hematoma. The doctors had made a small incision about 0.3 inches in diameter to clear the clot. If the clot wasn't removed, it could compress the brain nerves, leading to more than just a coma.
Looking at Nathan's pale face, he seemed so peaceful and kind. Was this the same strong Nathan who had never faltered despite accumulating debts to pay for my mother's medical care and my education?
At that moment, I felt the need to check on Katniss. I wondered if she had woken up. When she heard the news about Nathan, she fainted from shock. She should have woken up by now. I took one last look at the still "sleeping" Nathan and headed to Katniss's ward.
When I arrived at the ward, I saw that Katniss was already awake. She was lying on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, unmoving even when I entered the room, like a lifeless body.
I silently approached her bed, pulled up a chair, and sat beside her. I gently touched her cheek, wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes. I didn't know what to say to her, so I could only comfort her through actions.
"Do you think Dad will wake up?" Katniss's voice was also hoarse. When she woke up, she must have learned about Nathan's condition from the doctors and nurses, so her question didn't surprise me.
"I don't know. We can only leave it to fate. Once you feel better, we'll talk to the attending physician in detail. He's resting now after the surgery wore him out," I comforted Katniss softly, while preparing to go out to buy some food. Katniss and I hadn't eaten anything since last night, and we had hardly slept. Our bodies were exhausted, so I needed to get some food and nutrition to fill our stomachs. I also needed to go home to get some essentials. With Nathan in his current state, he needed someone by his side. Even though there were nurses taking care of him, having someone there was reassuring.
After preparing everything, I returned to the ward only to find Katniss was no longer there. Where did Katniss go? Did she go to see Nathan? I immediately grabbed the items and headed towards the intensive care unit where Nathan was.
Outside Nathan's room, I looked through the window and saw Katniss sitting by Nathan's bed, staring blankly at his expressionless pale face, silently shedding tears without any apparent thoughts.
I walked in, placed the items on another bed, and noticed that Nathan's room was a private one with only him as the patient and a bed for a family member. The environment was good, but the daily expenses were staggering. We didn't have to worry about the costs because the power company where Nathan worked had taken care of everything. Although Nathan's death was considered a "suicide," only Katniss and I knew the truth.
The company believed that Nathan had an accident before he could evacuate, and the small house on the island where Nathan was staying was old and dilapidated. It had been patched up by the company to save costs, but it couldn't withstand a major storm. Regardless of the reason, the company took full responsibility for Nathan's situation. The power company's attitude was good, and there were no objections.
"Wife, have some food." I said softly to Katniss, seeing her exhausted and self-blaming appearance.
"I'll go freshen up first." After hearing my words, Katniss took a while to respond before picking up the toiletries I brought from home and went to the bathroom to freshen up. Women always cared about their appearance, unlike men. At that moment, I had no intention of freshening up.
After washing up and eating a little, we replenished our lost energy. It was then that the attending physician came to Nathan's room, indicating that he had rested well.
"Doctor, what are the chances of Nathan waking up?" I was still hopeful, wanting to know Nathan's detailed condition.
"Nathan's current condition is not optimistic. Given his age and the severity of his injuries, being exposed to the elements on the island for so long, being in a deep coma without immediate passing is already a stroke of luck. However, he hasn't reached a vegetative state yet. A vegetative state means the brain has almost no consciousness, but Nathan's brain waves still show slight activity, indicating some level of consciousness. He may be able to sense external stimuli, but his consciousness is weakening. If there's no improvement, a week from now, Nathan's consciousness may completely disappear. The best-case scenario is a vegetative state, and the worst-case scenario is brain death, which would mean he's truly gone." The doctor glanced at the monitoring devices around Nathan and began to explain Nathan's condition in detail to me and Katniss, and we listened carefully.
"Technically, Nathan's intracranial hematoma has been cleared, so his actual condition should be much better than it is now, and he should be able to wake up. However, Nathan is still in a coma. Based on my years of experience, I suspect Nathan's consciousness may be self-sealed, meaning he may have a death wish preventing him from waking up. The human brain is peculiar. The will to live often triggers one's greatest potential. Those with a strong will to live often recover from serious illnesses, while those without it, or those who solely desire death, can succumb to even minor ailments. Of course, this is just my speculation, and I can't be certain if this is Nathan's situation. After all, this condition cannot be detected by instruments." Although the doctor's words were complex, I understood the core meaning. Nathan couldn't wake up because he lacked the will to live, sealing his consciousness and preventing himself from waking up. I believed the doctor's speculation was accurate, given my understanding of the situation.
Katniss, who was beside me, seemed to have cried all her tears. She clutched her clothes tightly, listening to the doctor's explanation. Perhaps her thoughts were similar to mine, but she didn't know how to release her regret and emotions.
"During this time, we will conduct detailed tests on the patient's condition. You should give him a body massage every day because a comatose person's muscles can atrophy from prolonged inactivity. Additionally, if my speculation is correct, talk to him every day. If he can hear external words and be stimulated, he might wake up. In short, if my speculation is correct, unlocking Nathan's emotional blockage and reigniting his will to live could help him wake up." After saying these words, the doctor left, as he had other tasks to attend to.
Upon hearing the doctor's words, I fell into deep thought. It was clear that Nathan's emotional blockage was likely related to Katniss. If Katniss could unlock Nathan's emotional blockage, he might wake up. Did Katniss realize this? Would she be able to unlock Nathan's emotional blockage? Did I need to have a heart-to-heart conversation with her?
"Kevin , if a week passes and Dad still hasn't woken up, becoming a vegetable, should we continue treatment for Nathan?" Katniss was the first to break the silence, softly asking me. After all, I was the backbone of the family, and everything followed my decisions.
"We will continue treatment. Unless Nathan is completely gone, even if there's a one in a million chance, I will never give up on Dad. I will pay any price." I made my decision without hesitation. It was my truest thought.
Upon hearing my decision, Katniss visibly relaxed, fearing that I might give up on treatment. However, she noticed the last part of my statement.
"Are you really willing to pay any price for Nathan?" After pondering for a while, Katniss looked at me and asked. Her expression was calm and natural, showing no signs of weakness, but her eyes seemed to carry a hint of determination.
It was only then that I remembered if Katniss had to unlock Nathan's emotional blockage, something might happen between them. How should I decide?
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