The doctor was highly experienced. Seeing Wendy Lynch winking at him repeatedly, he immediately caught on to what she meant.
He chimed in with a warm smile, "Ma’am, you’re truly blessed! Your granddaughter found such a great job!
"Since it’s a free perk from her company, us ordinary folks can’t let these capitalists off the hook!
"I’ll schedule all the necessary tests and give you a thorough full-body checkup!"
As he filled out the examination forms on his computer, the doctor chatted amiably with Wendy’s grandmother. With just a few words, he coaxed a broad smile from the old woman, and her previous resistance to the physical examination vanished without a trace.
Wendy trailed behind them. Although her grandmother’s steps seemed steady, Wendy couldn’t help but hold her breath in anxiety.
Paying fees, queuing, and undergoing various tests—Wendy carefully supported her grandmother throughout the entire process.
When it was time for the CT scan, her grandmother gripped her hand nervously. Wendy softly comforted her, "Don’t be afraid, Grandma. It’ll only take a minute. I’ll be right outside waiting for you."
It wasn’t until her grandmother walked into the examination room that Wendy leaned against the corridor wall. She pulled out her phone, checking the time over and over again, every second feeling agonizingly long.
After finally enduring all the tests, Wendy helped her weary grandmother sit down in the waiting area, then hurried off to collect the results. However, when she returned to the doctor’s office with a stack of medical reports, the doctor’s previously smiling face fell the moment he read them.
"Young lady, your grandmother’s condition is not looking good," the doctor said, pointing at the shadows on the CT scan, his tone grave. "Look at these dark areas. They are all shadows caused by excessively thickened cerebral blood vessel walls. Furthermore, her blood pressure and cholesterol levels are severely elevated.
"This is a classic precursor to a stroke. She must be hospitalized immediately for treatment. If we delay any longer, she could suffer a stroke at any moment."
Wendy’s heart sank heavily. Even though she was mentally prepared, hearing the doctor’s diagnosis in person still made her tremble uncontrollably.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "Doctor, please rest assured, we will fully cooperate with the treatment. Please arrange for her admission immediately."
Stepping out of the office, Wendy quickly returned to her grandmother’s side. Forcing down the tremor in her voice, she smiled and said, "Grandma, the doctor said you have a minor issue and need to stay in the hospital for a couple of days for observation. You’ll be better in no time."
Hearing that she needed to be hospitalized, her grandmother’s previously cheerful expression instantly changed. "No way, I’m so healthy. Why would I need to be hospitalized?"
She leaned closer to Wendy and whispered, "Is that doctor trying to scam us out of our money?"
Wendy shook her head in exasperation. "Grandma, things are different now!
"Doctors earn a fixed salary. He doesn’t get any extra benefits from you being hospitalized!"
Once she had pacified her grandmother, Wendy immediately stepped into a quiet corner and took out her phone, calling her mother first.
The moment the call connected, she could no longer hold back her tears. Her voice broke as she said, "Mom, Grandma’s checkup shows signs of a pre-stroke. The doctor said she needs to be admitted immediately. Come to Donnerton General Hospital right away!"
On the other end of the line, her mother instantly panicked, her words rushing out, "What stroke?!
"How could this happen?!
"We’ll be right there! Take good care of your grandmother and don’t let her get anxious."
Hanging up, Wendy quickly dialed her uncle, Hugh Miller.
When Hugh received the call, he was still in his study handling work. Hearing the news, his voice completely changed pitch. "I’ll be right there! Which department are you in?"
In less than twenty minutes, her parents and Uncle Hugh rushed into the hospital.
When the three of them burst into the clinic, beads of sweat dotted their foreheads. Her mother grabbed Wendy’s hand and asked urgently, "Wendy, how is your grandmother? What did the doctor say?"
Wendy led the three of them to the doctor. The doctor handed over the medical reports and patiently explained her grandmother’s condition.
The more they read, the paler their faces became. Her mother’s eyes instantly turned red, while her father clenched his fists tightly, his brows knotted tightly together in deep concern.
Looking at the words "pre-stroke" on the report, Hugh broke out in a cold sweat. Remembering how he had advised his mother against going for the checkup that morning, he was filled with regret and fear. If she had actually listened to him and delayed treatment, he would never forgive himself for the rest of his life.
After confirming that the treatment could be completed without transferring to a higher-level hospital, the three immediately decided on hospitalization.
Seeing the family make such a swift decision, the doctor was pleased. He picked up the phone on his desk to arrange a ward. "Neurology Department on the third floor. A nurse will come shortly to take you there."
As he spoke, he rapidly typed the relevant diagnosis and follow-up treatment plans into his computer.
A few minutes later, a nurse arrived with a wheelchair. Her grandmother initially tried to decline, insisting she could walk, but her mother gently pressed down on her shoulders. "Mom, listen to the nurse. It’s more comfortable to sit."
Wendy hurried forward to straighten her grandmother’s coat and carefully helped her into the wheelchair.
Just as they settled into the ward, her aunt hurried in carrying a thermos, a fine layer of sweat on her forehead. "When I heard Mom was hospitalized, I stewed some chicken soup at home and stir-fried a few light dishes. You guys must be hungry, eat while it’s hot."
She opened the thermos, and the rich aroma of chicken soup instantly filled the air.
Shortly after one in the afternoon, a nurse wheeled a medical cart into the ward. The IV bottles on the metal tray reflected the cold white fluorescent light.
"Ma’am, we’re going to start your IV now. This medicine will help clear your blood vessels. You’ll feel much better once it’s done," the nurse said with a smile, taking out a tourniquet and gently wrapping it twice around her grandmother’s wrist.
Staring at the thin needle, her grandmother instinctively pulled her hand back. Wendy immediately stepped forward and grasped her other hand, her fingertips gently rubbing the old woman’s rough skin. "Don’t be afraid, Grandma. I’m right here, just like when you used to stay with me when I got my vaccines as a kid."
Hearing this, her grandmother’s tense shoulders relaxed a bit. She obediently extended her arm, allowing the nurse to disinfect the area and insert the needle.
The medication slowly dripped down the transparent IV tube. Wendy pulled up a chair and sat by the bed, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on the IV drip.
Her mother wanted to swap with her so she could rest, but Wendy shook her head. "How could I be tired?
"Grandma took care of me so much when I was little. Now it’s my turn to take care of her."
Unable to dissuade her, the family simply left some instructions before departing the ward.
Only the grandmother and granddaughter remained in the room. Leaning against the pillows, her grandmother looked at Wendy keeping watch by the bed, her eyes crinkling with warmth. "My sweet girl, I’ve made you suffer with me."
Wendy smiled and tucked the blankets around her grandmother. "What are you talking about?"
About an hour later, the anti-thrombotic medication in the IV bottle ran out. When the nurse came to remove the needle, she took the grandmother’s blood pressure.
Looking at the numbers on the monitor, she couldn’t help but smile. "Ma’am, your numbers dropped really fast! It’s even better than expected!"
Wendy hurriedly leaned over to look. Sure enough, the blood pressure reading had returned to a normal range. The heavy weight hanging in her heart finally settled.
Not long after, the doctor also came in with a medical chart for his rounds. He flipped through the latest examination reports and conducted a careful physical checkup, a relieved smile appearing on his face.
"You’re recovering quite well!
"The most dangerous part of a stroke is the lack of oxygen to the brain caused by blocked blood vessels. Now that the vessels are clear, the risk of a stroke is essentially gone.
"However, just to be safe, stay hospitalized for observation for another day. We’ll do a follow-up check tomorrow, and if everything is fine, you can be discharged."