Audrey froze for a moment, her eyes trembling slightly.
But Miles was already at the edge of breaking down. As soon as he finished speaking, he buried his head in his
knees, his thin frcurled in on itself as he cried silently.
A pang of sympathy shot through Audrey's chest. 'So this is the woman I've never met... my mother,' she
thought, feeling a bittersweet ache settle deep within her.
Audrey hesitated, then reached out slowly, touching Miles's back gently. "It's okay. It'll be okay," she whispered.
Medicine was so advanced, and there still would be a chance.
But her words only seemed to undo Miles further. Tears streamed down his face, releasing all the helplessness
and bitterness he'd been holding back.
On the third floor of the hospital's inpatient wing, Audrey and Miles rushed toward his father, Peter. He was
clutching a doctor's hand, begging desperately.
Peter was desperate, clutching the doctor's arm with both hands, his voice breaking. "Doctor, please, you have
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtto do something. My wife... she needs more time. She hasn't even lived to see her kids grow up." "Dad..." Miles"
voice cracked as he rushed forward, grabbing Peter's trembling arm.
The doctor, visibly uncomfortable, gently pried Peter's grip loose but couldn't hide the pity in his eyes. "Mr.
Harper, I'm really sorry, but there's nothing more we can do here. The best thing you can do is bring her home
and let her rest peacefully." When Peter and Miles heard this, their eyes revealed a trace of pain simultaneously.
Peter stared at the doctor hopelessly, his voice breaking as he pleaded, "There has to be something, please.
She's only in her forties; she hasn't even had the chance to enjoy life."
The doctor's gaze softened with a trace of pity, but he held firm. "Mr. Harper, as hard as it is to hear, any surgery
at this point would only cause her more suffering. Taking her hmight let her spend her last days in peace."
"No, no." Peter's voice faded as his body sagged, collapsing under the weight of despair. If Miles hadn't been
holding him, he would have fallen.
'l just want to save my wife. Why does it have to be so impossible?’ Peter thought bitterly.
After a moment's hesitation, the doctor continued, "If you're truly unwilling to give up, there's another option.
You could try St. Johnson Hospital in Riverdale. Dr. Grant, the head there, is one of the best specialists in this
field." Peter and Miles looked up, their expressions a mixture of fear and hope.
"But letwarn you," the doctor said cautiously, "St. Johnson is a private hospital, and the costs are four times
higher than ours. And Mr. Fletcher is very well-known; even an average appointment could take months to
schedule. In your situation, you may not be able to see him at all."
"St. Johnson Hospital?" Peter's eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope. "Can Mr. Fletcher actually cure this kind of
condition?"
"I can't promise a cure, but Dr. Grant is the best oncologist in the country. If anyone can give you a shot, it's
him," the doctor replied.
"Alright. We'll transfer her. Right now," Peter said without a second thought.
Fortunately, the paperwork for their release had already been prepared, as the hospital had planned for them to
be discharged today. So everything went quickly.
Before they were discharged, Audrey overheard a conversation between Peter and Miles in the break room.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Dad, we're out of money, aren't we?" Miles asked quietly.
"Don't worry about that. Even if | have to sell everything, I'm not giving up your mom," Peter replied firmly.
Then Peter sighed and looked at Miles with tired eyes. "Have you been skipping school? No matter what
happens, you still need to focus on your studies. Once we settle your mom's transfer, you'll go back to class and
stay on track." Miles lowered his head, letting a single tear slip onto the polished floor. "I will," he said.
Miles didn't have the heart to tell his father that he'd gone to find Eliza. Neither Peter nor Jessica could handle
that kind of blow right now.
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