Part 8
Mom, you must live
The bus departed that afternoon, the ambulance siren made Chi’s heart even more confused and choked. She sat down on one side, using both hands to hold her mother’s hand tightly as if to hold on, fear seemed to cover her soul.
– Mom, stay with me, I haven’t grown up yet, I haven’t had time to repay you, I haven’t even let you travel abroad. You have to stay with me until I get married, so we can take turns taking care of you, to hold the baby for me and hear it call grandma. Huhu.
Her tears fell down onto the back of her mother’s hand. Mrs. Le’s eyes opened and closed, her lips moving incoherently. At those moments, Chi quickly wiped away her tears, hugged her and spoke close to her ear.
– Mom, it’s okay. It’s me. I’m okay.
As soon as they arrived at the upper level hospital, everything happened as quickly as a storm. A group of doctors pushed Mrs. Le’s stretcher into the emergency room, Chi staggered along, still holding onto the edge of a nurse’s white blouse. After a few hours that seemed like a century to Chi, a doctor hurriedly walked out of the white room.
– Are you Dang Thi Le’s daughter? Come here for a moment so I can discuss something.
Looking at her sister’s anxious attitude and not-so-optimistic face, Chi felt her heart heavy. She just followed her into the next room. She waited for Chi to sit up straight before she began to explain.
– We did blood tests, creatinine is very high, blood urea is above the allowable limit. That is the reason for her current semi-conscious state. All signs show that she is in end-stage chronic kidney failure, at risk of systemic poisoning. Urgent dialysis is required.
Chi heard as if thunder struck her ears, she stood up suddenly, her hands gripping the edge of the table, trying not to sway, then asked.
– What do you mean by “dialysis” doctor? Can I be cured?
– Haizz, Hemodialysis is the solution to sustain life. But if you want to cure it completely… the only way is a kidney transplant. The family should prepare carefully both mentally and financially, because this requires careful screening and is very expensive…
The words passed through Chi’s ears but she couldn’t hear anything else. In her head, the only words that were buzzing were: “Sustaining life,” “kidney transplant,” “very expensive.” Those words all described a common outcome that, to her, was extremely terrifying: Her mother could die.
– Oh no mom, it can’t be, mom and I are the only lighthouse in this stormy sea of life… mom don’t die… please mom, mom…
That was her heart screaming but no one heard it, and even if they did, could they help?
Her mother had to undergo dialysis, had to take special medicine, had to be hospitalized, had to run machines… etc… those things would cost money, a lot of money. Then she would have to find a new kidney for her mother, if she was lucky enough to donate to her grandmother, that would be great, then she would have to worry about her grandmother’s and hers’ testing costs and the surgery costs. A lot, so Chi would sell the house, sell the land, it was okay because she only wanted her mother to be alive, only wanted to see her mother every day… But what if Chi was not suitable to donate? Buy a kidney? From whom and where, would the money from selling the house and land be enough to buy it? Choose someone to perform such a risky transplant so that she could be completely assured? The story did not stop at needing a lot of money but also needed high-level relationships. Chi had lacked those things her whole life, she had never let them become a worry, but this was the only time. She knew that as long as her mother was healthy, Chi could be there to replace her, but her heart did not change into practical things, it did not help her overcome this despair.
Tears streamed down her face, her heart felt like it was being squeezed. Chi’s vision turned black, she leaned against the wall and slowly slid down, completely limp. The phone in her hand was flashing.
The bright neon lights woke Chi up. She squinted and looked around to see that she was lying on a stretcher at the edge of the emergency room. She squinted at the clock. It was 1:30 am. She had been unconscious for nearly 7 hours? What had happened during that time? Where was her mother? How was she?
She was about to throw off the blanket covering her body when she realized it was a vest, an image that reminded her of safety. A glimmer of hope appeared, she staggered out of bed and walked to her mother’s room.
– Oh sister, you’re awake. You had us so worried. We came here and both mother and child were unconscious. We didn’t know who to call to do the paperwork. Luckily, the boss called us at the right time and came right away, so…
Chi could no longer hear what the nurse said because all her attention was focused on that great back. So familiar, still with gray hair dotted with silver threads, white shirt inside, gray vest outside the same color as the pants he was wearing and the vest in her hand. Whenever despair surrounded Chi, that figure would break it and pull her out. What gratitude could be enough for such great favors.
Mr. Danh was standing talking with an old doctor, before leaving he shook his hand and smiled. Was this a good sign, Chi hoped so much, she quickly walked closer.
Hello uncle, am I bothering you again?
Chi bowed her head in thanks, then looked up at him with eyes filled with gratitude and guilt.
– You’re awake? Does the sedative make you dizzy? Why don’t you rest a little longer?
– I’m fine, uncle. What did the doctor say just now, uncle? How is my mother?
He didn’t answer Chi right away but put his hands on her shoulders, still rubbing gently like before, then he took the vest she was holding and put it on her.
– Be careful of the cold, it’s okay, sit down here and I’ll tell you.
She used both hands to squeeze the edge of his shirt so that his warmth could penetrate deep into her trembling soul. She listened as if she was absorbing every word he said.
– Mom is fine now, she will wake up in a moment and then be transferred to the required room.
All the pressure poured out, falling with each tear. Chi cried as her lips curved into a smile, nodding and listening to him continue.
– She still needs regular dialysis to sustain her life. Next, she needs to find a kidney for transplant as soon as possible. Otherwise, her illness will not be cured but will get worse.
The worry was still there but there was still a glimmer of hope. Chi wiped away her tears, her eyes now more determined.
– I can do it, I will definitely keep my mother by my side for a long time. I will go for a compatibility test now, if it is successful I will donate my organs to you directly.
Chi was about to stand up when Mr. Danh pulled her hand to sit down and patted the back of her hand gently.
– Wait a minute, you and your mother are not very compatible, and if there is compatibility, it is only in cases that need to be considered.
– Why, I volunteered for my mother, I want my mother more than anything in the world.
– Just now, when you fainted, the doctor did a blood test according to the procedure. You and your mother have different blood types. If you are compatible enough for a transplant, you will have to do a special procedure and there will be a high risk. Instead, I have registered your mother to wait for organs. If a suitable organ is available, she will be considered for a transplant immediately.
Then after looking around he added.
– There is another way, that is to buy a kidney, although our government does not allow it, there is always an underground mechanism, I will calculate this.
Everything was so complicated, Chi would be stuck again without this man. Her small hand was still in his, he just wanted to comfort her gently, not thinking that he had caused turmoil in her heart.
In less than a day, Mrs. Le was released from the emergency room and transferred to the room of request. The room was not too large but clean, quiet and fully equipped with monitoring equipment. Medical staff came in and out frequently, checking blood pressure, administering IV fluids, and monitoring her condition hourly.
No one said it out loud, but Chi knew clearly that this was the kind of room that not every patient could stay in. And with such dedicated care and a strong medical staff like this, it was even rarer. This was certainly not suitable for the situation of Chi and her mother .
Mrs. Le gradually regained consciousness, ate a little white porridge and was able to lean back and listen to the doctor’s instructions. Although still tired, her skin was less pale and her eyes were no longer cloudy like the day before. She looked at Chi with eyes that were affectionate but also filled with a lot of pain.
– My dear daughter has suffered, I’m sorry for being a burden to you.
– I don’t feel miserable, I don’t feel heavy, I only feel happy. Mom must be really healthy to see her daughter grow up and travel around the world.
The nurse stood aside and smiled.
– You are such a good girl. Don’t worry, your wish will come true. We rarely see patients recover as quickly as your mother. Everything will be fine, don’t worry.
Chi smiled in response and thanked her mother. She held her mother’s hand tighter and silently thanked the person who had arranged everything.
That night, when Mrs. Le fell asleep after the injection, Chi sat next to her, holding her hand, her head leaning lightly on the edge of the bed. She no longer cried, but knew that she had to be strong now. Because the difficulties were still there, where was the money for long-term dialysis, where was the kidney for transplant… and she also had to thank the person who helped her mother, who was still here, recovering like a rocket every day and giving her hope. Chi was very shy about accepting favors from anyone, but if it was for her mother, she would accept them but would definitely pay them back no matter the cost.
– “I will do everything to keep you by my side for a long time.”
Chi’s voice was whispering but firm, “doing everything” here meant she had decided to sell everything, house, land, even herself.
A few days later, Mrs. Le was completely refreshed, with almost no signs of illness. Her vital signs had stabilized, she was able to do light activities on her own, and she started to ask to go home repeatedly. But Chi was very determined, no matter how much Mrs. Le asked, she still firmly refused.
– Mom has to stay until the doctor lets her out of the hospital. Mom doesn’t have to worry about the garden, pigs, and chickens anymore. I asked someone in the countryside to sell them all. From now on, Mom will stay here with me. I have to take care of Mom when she’s sick. If Mom goes back to the countryside, it means I’ll be branded as unfilial for the rest of my life.
Chi had said this, Mrs. Le had no choice but to listen, she agreed to stay here until her illness got better. But when she heard that Chi would sell the land and house to pay for her treatment, she cried for a long time. She spoke in sobs.
– That piece of land was given to your father by your grandparents, and later your father reclaimed the hill behind the house to make a lychee garden. Your name comes from that, it is like a memory your father left behind, it belongs to you. But now because of your mother, you have to sell it, I feel guilty, Chi.
– Mom, you gave me life, and this physical body was also shaped by you. Dad is no longer here, and to me, nothing is more important than your health. Only when you are truly healthy can I live happily. Land and house are just material things, we only need a small space to live in, living together is the important thing. As for Dad, he will live forever in our hearts , whether there is a lychee garden or not is not important.
Chi said all the words from the bottom of her heart, Mrs. Le could only nod in agreement, then both mother and daughter hugged each other and sobbed, but clearly they were both happy to have each other.
Outside the door, Mr. Danh stopped here for a while. Seeing the mother and child hugging each other, he did not go in but went out to make a phone call.
– Hello… I asked you to do it quickly for me… yes, if necessary, you can ask China, any price is fine, as long as it is fast…