Chapter 199 Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Yvette was floored by the news, her vision instantly going blurry. The clean sheet of paper in her hand got stained by a couple of tears. And then, the tears just kept coming. She never thought Lassie's headaches and discomfort were actually because of ALS.
ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. As a doctor, Yvette knew there were special meds to slow it down. But those meds cost over two hundred grand per shot. That was a crazy amount!
Yvette's hands went numb, and she clenched her fingers, crumpling the diagnosis report. It was like she was trying to squeeze the chaos out of her heart, but it wouldn't budge.
Yvette finally couldn't hold it in and squatted down. She buried her hands in her hair, feeling totally hopeless. Lassie's accident had already wiped out her study abroad funds, and there was no way she could afford those $200,000 injections.
A certain face flashed through Yvette's mind, but she pushed it away. Just then, Lassie's voice came from outside. "Yvette, come here."
Yvette instantly stopped crying. She wiped her tears, pulled herself together, and shouted back, "Okay!" She walked over to Lassie like nothing had happened, asking, "What do you need?"
Lassie looked up at Yvette's face. Even though Yvette was pretending everything was fine, her slightly red nose and moist eyes gave her away.
Lassie pursed her lips, pretending not to notice. "I want some water. Been in the sun all day, I'm really thirsty. Can you get me some water?"
"Okay." Yvette nodded, turned around, and poured a glass of water, handing it to Lassie.
Lassie raised her hand to take it, slowly bringing it to her lips. Just as it was about to reach her lips, the cup suddenly slipped from Lassie's hand. Instantly, the water drenched Lassie.
Lassie exclaimed in frustration and said apologetically, "Sorry, Yvette, I guess my head hasn't fully recovered. I couldn't even hold a cup properly."
Yvette's throat tightened, and thinking of the diagnosis report, she felt the pain in her heart again. She didn't want to show it in front of Lassie, so she took a deep breath and said casually, "Don't worry, just wipe it up. Don't move, I'll get a fresh cup."
As Yvette turned away, her eyes reddened again. What started as just a headache and physical discomfort now showed signs of limb weakness. She didn't know the speed and progression of Lassie's disease, but it didn't look good.
With trembling hands, Yvette poured another glass of water. Lassie reached out to take it, but Yvette avoided her. Yvette held the cup and brought it to Lassie's lips. "Let me feed you, or you'll spill it again."
Lassie raised her head and took a couple of sips. "Are you starting to dislike me?"
Yvette's voice trembled slightly. "No, I'm not."
"Once I recover a bit more, this won't happen again." Lassie smiled. "Then it'll be my turn to take care of you!"
"Okay," Yvette replied, her voice heavy.
Late at night, Yvette sat by the bed. The cold moonlight outside the window cast a shadow on her face, making her look even more sad.
Yvette stared blankly out the window, her entire being radiating despair and helplessness. She had never felt so small, and the last time she felt this powerless was when she realized that Albert's love was something she could never have, no matter how hard she tried. But compared to reality, love seemed insignificant.
After much deliberation, Yvette finally picked up her phone and called David. He answered quickly, "Yvette?"
Hearing David's voice, Yvette realized it was already early morning. "I'm so sorry," Yvette mumbled, her voice barely a whisper. "I didn't realize it was so late. Did I wake you?"
"It's okay." David's voice was slightly hoarse and clearly tired, but he still chuckled softly. "What's up?"
Yvette bit her lip, feeling a pang of guilt. Because of Lassie, she had impulsively called David for help, forgetting that David's family was also going through a tough time.
When Lassie had her accident, David had always been there to help and show concern. When Hayden passed away, she hadn't even asked about it or shown any concern for David's feelings.
Yvette pinched her fingertips. "I saw the news. Are you okay?" As soon as she said it, Yvette felt despicable.
David paused for a moment before saying, "Not really."
Yvette felt extremely troubled. She wanted to comfort David but could only say, "May you find peace."
David said softly, "I had a feeling it was coming and was mentally prepared. But when it actually happened, it was still hard to accept."
"It's natural." Yvette thought of her only meeting with Hayden, seeing him lying on the couch with an oxygen mask, and sighed. "It's a way to be free from pain."
"I understand, thank you."
Yvette took a deep breath. She knew she was being despicable, but she had to say, "David, do you have time in the next couple of days? I'd like to meet with you."
David was taken aback. Because of the inheritance issues, David had been in a strange mood. When it came to Albert, he didn't know how to face him.
Hearing Yvette ask to meet, the first thing that came to David's mind was the photo that a woman named Sissy had shown him.
That day, Yvette hadn't answered her phone for a long time, and when she finally did, she was crying, and he could hear Albert's voice in the background. It was all so vivid that David could almost picture it.
David's expression became a bit complicated. "Sorry, Yvette, my family has a lot going on right now, and I don't have time to meet."
Yvette was stunned, her expression frozen. After a moment, she blinked, hiding her surprise. She said with a smile, "Okay, take your time to adjust."
"Alright, I'm going to rest now."
After hanging up, Yvette's hand was still trembling. She looked up at the bright moon in the sky, thinking, 'What should I do?'
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