NOVGO.NET Chapter 410 - Chapter 410: Chapter 403: Is There No Hope?
Chapter 410: Chapter 403: Is There No Hope?
It was then that Tang Zhinian opened the bottle, took a pill from it, and placed it in a glass of water. As soon as the medicine touched the water, it began to dissolve rapidly, and soon the glass had turned a transparent green. Aside from the color, a strong medicinal smell filled the air. Tang Zhinian lifted Chengcheng’s little head gently and Ren Li started spoon-feeding him the medicine. However, Chengcheng simply couldn’t swallow it. Left with no other choice, Tang Zhinian called a doctor who was initially reluctant. He didn’t agree with them randomly giving the child medicine, fearful of what could happen if the child was fed something harmful. But the desperate pleas of the Tang couple eventually led him to insert a feeding tube into Chengcheng. As they watched the thick, long tube being forced down into Chengcheng’s tiny mouth, Tang Zhinian and Ren Li felt their hearts ache so much they nearly cried.
Ren Li, leaning on Tang Zhinian’s shoulder, was unable to contain her sobs.
Ever since he was young, Chengcheng had a fear of bitterness. Even a normal cold would send him into fits, and he had no idea what medicine tasted like. All he knew was the taste of sugar water.
He was only three years old; just a sensible child. If anyone had to bear this suffering, why couldn’t it be them, his parents, rather than him?
Tang Zhinian patted Ren Li’s shoulder, and understanding his cue, she picked up the glass once more, but the water inside had already cooled. She had no choice but to fetch some hot water again and slowly feed it to Chengcheng through the feeding tube.
They didn’t know if the medicine would help. After a while, Chengcheng’s face regained some color and his breathing smoothed out, but he still remained unconscious. They had no other options but to wait for time to pass, and for the return of Tang Yuxin.
The hospital had tried everything they could but were unable to wake Chengcheng. They had even done things they probably shouldn’t have. They said transferring hospitals would make no difference. The doctors declared that Chengcheng might have been bitten by a snake and the venom had travelled to his brain. He may eventually become comatose.
And he was only three years old. He was still a child who knew so little. He could barely walk on his own and required constant care. He was still waiting for his sister to return. He had saved so many treats for her.
Now, the hospital had already begun to treat Chengcheng like a comatose patient. They even told them that it was unnecessary to keep Chengcheng in the hospital any longer as they couldn’t cure him.
The words, “He cannot be cured,” felt like a bolt of lightning striking on a sunny day.
Zhang Xiangcao, who blamed herself for not watching Chengcheng closely and allowing him to get bitten, was in a distressed state, alternating between bouts of crying and laughing. She even fell ill. Sisi had stopped attending school and was now taking care of her.
There were lots of things that needed attention at the construction site, but Tang Zhinian was currently unable to attend to them. He was spending days and nights together at the hospital, juggling multiple responsibilities, unaware how long he could bear this immense pressure.
Tang Yuxin had just landed, and it was already around nine in the evening. She hailed a cab, gave the driver three hundred yuan for the round-trip fare, and had him drive her straight to Qing’an City. At night, the roads were empty, allowing the cab to drive at top speed. By around three in the morning, she had arrived outside the hospital.
She looked up at the hospital, where Chengcheng was. She hurried inside. She had stayed awake for almost an entire day and night. Her eyes were sore, but she knew she could not sleep.
She pushed open the door to the ward. Ren Li was hunched over the bedside, and Tang Zhinian was sitting right there, alongside Little Fatty, who seemed like he was dehydrating quickly.
“Yuxin, you’re back,” Tang Zhinian turned his head and saw Tang Yuxin standing at the door.
“Yuxin…” Ren Li suddenly sat up, grabbed Tang Yuxin’s hand hurriedly and said, “Yuxin, Yuxin, quickly look at Chengcheng! The doctor said he is going to become comatose. What do we do? What do we do?”
Tang Zhinian quickly pulled Ren Li away.
“Li, don’t panic. Let Yuxin examine Chengcheng. Pulling on her like that won’t help her check on him, will it?”
Ren Li clung to Tang Zhinian and began to sob uncontrollably. She was scared—truly terrified—that something might happen to their son. She feared he would remain unconscious, that their three-year-old son would become comatose, never calling out to her or asking her to hold him, never able to grow up.
Tang Yuxin stepped forward and reached out to touch Little Fatty’s hand. His hand was cold. The last time she had visited, he was a warm little fellow, just like a small furnace. But now his small hands seemed to have lost all warmth.
She placed her fingers on Little Fatty’s wrist, where there was hardly any pulse.
Little Fatty’s tiny body was now full of tubes, even in his stomach. He was so small and had barely experienced even a common cold. She had always been reluctant to let him take medicine. This was her precious little brother who she wanted to see grow up healthy, not lie here for the rest of his life.
She reached out and promptly removed the needle from Little Fatty’s forehead, followed by the feeding tube. She then took off her own clothes and wrapped Little Fatty in them.
“Dad, we’re going home. There’s no use staying here.”
“Okay,” Tang Zhinian quickly started packing their things with Ren Li. Soon, they managed to complete the discharge formalities.
All the while, Tang Yuxin cradled Little Fatty in her arms. It had been half a year, and she thought her little brother would have grown larger. But why did he feel even lighter than before, significantly so?
Tang Zhinian found an on-duty doctor and quickly completed the discharge procedures. Then, they drove back to Li Tang Village.
Little Fatty was laid on the bed. His small face was still pale and his lips were blue.
Tang Yuxin placed her medical kit beside her, opened it, and started sterilizing the needles. One by one, she inserted them into Little Fatty’s tiny body.
Tang Zhinian covered Ren Li’s eyes; he didn’t want her to see this. Those ten, dozens of needles, how painful it must be to get them pricked into one’s body, and now they were all being pricked into little Chengcheng.
Tang Yuxin then took out another needle, pulled over Chengcheng’s little hand, and pricked it into his middle finger. Black blood started to flow out, dripping into a small bowl.