Aiden Didn't Want His Grandmother To Worry

Aiden swallowed a huge lump in his throat. If his grandmother was doing just fine, then she would be released by now. On the other hand, he did not want to think about the worst possibility. Maybe the doctors discovered something and just wanted to talk to him about it.

Yes.

Aiden put his phone into his jeans pocket and jumped on his bicycle to ride to Saint Johanna's hospital.

Grandma Thompson was delivered to the emergency station upon entering. After an initial check-up, the luckier patients were released after the doctor in charge wrote a few prescriptions for vitamins and informed the families to keep the patients hydrated and well-nourished. The unluckier ones were assigned to the specialists, and that was the first clue that something serious was happening.

The doctor in charge of Grandma Thompson was Dr. Hunter, a specialist in oncology. When Aiden first heard about his specialty, his heart lurched to the bottom of his stomach.

"Possibly leukemia...?"

Aiden's mouth dropped open in disbelief. His grandmother had not had any health problems before, so how did Dr. Hunter arrive at such a grim diagnosis?

Maybe the doctor read the disbelief and distrust in Aiden's eyes, so he proceeded to open his grandmother's patient file and gave a proper explanation.

Grandma Thompson had come a few times to the hospital due to some health complaints, among which were fatigue and unexplainable bruising and bleeding. The doctor conducted a Complete Blood Count test and discovered that she suffered from red blood cell deficiency. When the result was shared with the patient, she refused to come back to conduct further testing. When she collapsed that morning, she was brought to the hospital but she still refused to conduct further testing.

"Aiden, listen. As I said, we have not arrived at the final conclusion, but your grandmother is showing all the symptoms that point to leukemia. I need to do a biopsy, then I can be sure. If it is really leukemia, it is best to treat it as soon as possible."

Dr. Hunter pushed the medical file toward Aiden.

"I need you to persuade your grandmother."

Aiden went out of the consultation room and went through his grandmother's medical file. It contained only the result of the Complete Blood Count test. At the bottom of the judgmental sheet of paper, a series of future tests were recommended. There was no mention of leukemia yet.

Without realizing it, his feet took him to his grandmother's bedroom door. Aiden took a deep breath and knocked three times.

"Come in."

Aiden entered the foreign bedroom and saw his grandmother sitting on the bed with a forlorn look.

"Aiden."

"Grandmother."

Aiden went over and hugged his grandmother.

"Aiden, let's go home. I want to go home."

Aiden shook his head. He released his grandmother and grabbed the latter's shoulders.

"Grandmother, I believe it is best if you stay a few more days for a few tests. Just to be safe."

His grandmother's lips started to tremble and big beads of tears dropped to the front side of her yellow blouse.

"I don't want to stay! I am not sick!"

Aiden was close to crying himself but he restrained his feelings the best he could. He could not afford to be weak in this situation. He had to be strong for his grandmother.

"Grandma, I know you are not sick," Aiden lied between his teeth. "I just want to make sure. Everything will be fine. After the results come out, we can go home, alright?"

The elder woman looked pitiful. She opened her mouth a few times but ended up saying nothing at all.

"Grandma, what is it?" Aiden pressed at his grandmother's upper arms. "What are you not telling me?"

"Aiden, we cannot afford it."

"... Huh?"

Grandma Thompson asked his grandson to sit and then explained how things currently stood.

After Aiden moved back with his maternal grandmother, his father had been sending money every month to sustain the little family. After Aiden reached his eighteenth birthday, his father sent a one-time large sum of money to cover Aiden's university fees until he graduated. After that, he did not send any more money.

"Do you understand, Aiden? We don't have extra money to pay for any hospital test or treatment."

The elderly woman did not inform Aiden because she didn't want him to be sad, and at the same time she refused to ask for more money from the man who cheated on her daughter while she was pregnant with his child. Aiden shared the same opinion regarding his biological father. He would never in life go back to the Matthews family, especially not to beg for some money. But, he also refused to pretend that nothing was going on with his grandmother.

"Grandma, listen to me. I can earn back the money. I will find a good part-time job. For now let's just not worry too much about it, alright?"

"Aiden, my child, you do not understand... The cost of one of these tests is..."

Aiden refused to hear more about money concerns and cut his grandmother mid-explanation.

"Grandma, please do not worry. I will handle it, alright?"

She shook her head. How could she not worry about it? Aiden did not know about the exorbitant amount of hospital fees that one would end up paying if one agreed with every test and every treatment.