Joan was taken into the operating theater as soon as she reached the hospital.
Larry was so nervous that he wanted to go into the room as well, but the doctor stopped him.
“Sir, the patient’s condition is grim at the moment, and we must operate immediately. Please wait here patiently,” instructed the doctor firmly.
“Doctor, please…”
Larry spoke up, but the doctor ignored him. Instead, the doctor just turned around and went into the operating theatre to do his job.
The lights in the operating theater were on, and an hour crawled on by.
Larry kept pacing around in front of the operating theater. He would turn his gaze to the door of the operating theater every now and then, and he would pray that the surgery would be over soon. He wanted to see how Joan was.
“Joan, Joan!”
Hurried footsteps accompanied nervous calls as they echoed in the hospital corridor. Finnick had taken Vivian over to the hospital.
“Larry, how is Joan?” asked Vivian.
Her eyes shone as soon as she saw Larry, and she hurried over to him to ask him about the situation.
“Things are not looking good. She is inside, and the doctor is operating on her now,” answered Larry while wearing a horrified expression.
“Everything was fine just days ago. How did turn out like this?” said Vivian.
She looked terrible and was holding Finnick’s arm as she spoke.
“Please let everything be alright! If anything were to happen to Joan…”
“Shut up,” scolded Finnick, “They’re treating her now, aren’t they? Stop bullsh*tting and just wait patiently. What’s the point of panicking?”
Only then did Vivian realize that she had said the wrong words. She lowered her head guiltily and stopped talking. She waited patiently outside the operating theatre. It seemed she had recalled something soon after, and her eyes reddened with tears.
Finnick was just as nervous as Vivian, but he had been through a lot of hurdles and dealt with too many disasters. He knew that they couldn’t afford to panic, so he walked to Larry and tapped on his son’s shoulder. Finnick then said, “You should stand numbly here, either. Take a seat and rest up. You will be very busy once Joan’s surgery is over.”
Larry nodded because he knew that his father was right. The former turned around quietly and sat on the bench.
Time trickled by, and two more hours passed them by.
Just then, the door to the operating theater was opened. The doctor walked out of the room with a heavy heart.
Larry, Finnick, and Vivian rushed over when they saw the doctor.
“How is it, doctor? Is Joan alright?” asked Larry quickly as he stared at the doctor.
“The patient’s life is still hanging on the balance. Her water broke, and it is likely that the baby will be born prematurely. Unfortunately, her bleeding is a bad sign, so you should all prepare yourselves for the worst,” replied the doctor grimly.
“What is that supposed to mean?” asked Larry.
He felt as if he had fallen into the deepest, coldest pit. Fear was spreading all across his body.
The worst case scenario is that it is likely that you will have to choose between saving the mother or the baby. If that happens, the mother might become barren afterward…”
The doctor trailed off. It was obvious that he was waiting for Larry to decide.
“If the worst happens, then please save the mother,” replied Larry without even a hint of hesitation.
Larry’s love for Joan was deeply rooted in his very soul. He still felt apologetic and guilty for abandoning his unborn child, but he could not hesitate at a moment like that.
“He’s right. Save the mother,” added Finnick. Vivian, on the other hand, didn’t say anything.
Both Finnick and Vivian wanted to have grandkids, but under such circumstances, saving the mother was the best option. It didn’t matter if Joan would become barren, and they would never have a grandkid. They wouldn’t regret their decision.
The doctor nodded when he saw that everyone was in agreement. He said, “Okay, then if it comes to it, we will save the mother. Still, nothing is set in stone. There is a good chance that we can save both the mother and the baby, so you don’t need to feel hopeless. We will do everything we can.”
