Dementia

Chapter 79: Dementia

"Did you think your skull will patch up itself, huh.. Miss?" The doctor around 50's questioned Ling Yue as he looked at her medical reports. He was the most reputed doctor in the country who had treated politicians and worked for military in the past. He had good relationship with Uncle Shen and hence made time for Ling Yue's check up on his humble request.

Uncle Shen requesting him meant that the patient must be important to him. And he was also aware that Uncle Shen wouldn't bother him if the situation was not critical, and just as he thought, the reports in his hands were not all a good news.

Ling Yue pursed her lips hearing his question but didn't answer. It will not patch up on itself. She knows that. Wasn't that the reason she is here? But his remark and ugly expression on the face didn't bother Ling Yue much. She was very well aware of her body. And this wasn't the first time she was visiting a doctor regarding this issue. And none of her previous visits to any doctor were satisfying.

But the young man sitting beside her didn't have the same nonchalance as her. Li Wei was tensed and anxious. He had never visited hospital for any critical cases. His hospital visits were only for the regular check ups. The only time he visited hospital for someone was when Li Mei had a leg fracture after falling down from her bicycle.

"Mr Huo. How is her condition? She will be fine after we do the surgery right?" Li Wei addressed the doctor making the doctor look back at him.

"Who are you?"

"..."

"I am asking you young man. Who are you to her?" the doctor asserted again. The girl whose reports he was studying wasn't even bothered how bad her condition could be, but this young man seemed like his soul would leave his body anytime soon.

"I am her ... her friend." Li Wei replied. The doctor raised his eyes and looked at Li Wei carefully.

"Are you Shen Ling's nephew? That spoiled brat of Li family?" Li Wei's face blanked hearing this. Is this what his uncle had been telling his friends about him. A spoiled brat? On the other hand Ling Yue chuckled. Uncle Shen sure holds grudges. Poor Li Wei. He can now understand why this doctor and his dearest uncle were friends. Li Wei didn't bother to correct the doctor and simply nodded. These people don't know what it will be like if he truly behaves like a spoiled brat. Hmph..

The doctor didn't make fun of him anymore and faced the both of them to talk about the reports.

"Miss Ling. Before I make any comments about your reports I have to ask you few questions with I hope you will answer honestly." Ling Yue earnestly nodded.

"How frequent are you headaches?"

"Daily. Though the intensity varies. Sometimes it is very mild and I wouldn't even notice it if I am busy doing something. Sometimes it is bad, but still bearable and I would be okay after sleeping a bit. Some times it's terrible and I often faint." Doctor Huo noted whatever she said in his notepad.

"What medicines are you using right now?" Ling Yue clenched her fist under the table at this question.

"I am not using any medicines." The doctor lifted his eyes to look at her. No medicines. Are the youth these days so busy that they can't go to hospital to get a check up when there is some problem. Li Wei held her fist under the table. He opened her fist and entwined his fingers between her's. Ling Yue didn't look at him but tightened her grip around his hand without her knowing.

"Do you have any breathing issues during these headaches?"

"Not always but only when the pain hits suddenly and when it's extreme." the elderly doctor nodded and made the notes.

"What about your food habits?"

"No junk and I mostly prefer fruits and something light. Non-veg twice in a week." the doctor didn't look at her and kept scribing in his notes.

"How about your memory? Do you often forget things?" this time Ling Yue didn't answer on spot. She took her time and thought back to that incident when she had already served her pets breakfast but went to serve again because she didn't remember it. She didn't know if it was a simple slip-up or really something related to her brain. But aside from that one incident, she didn't have that kind of situations again.

"No." Though she said this, there was a little doubt in the corner of her mind but she shoved it aside. This injury might not escalate to that point. Or that what she believed for now.

"Your original injury was not life threatening Miss Ling, but that was years ago. Had you and your parents, who ever they are, payed a little more attention to it, then it would have not been this complicated now." Doctor Huo pinned the CT scan on the wall behind him and turned on the light to explain the youngsters in his office. Taking a pen, he circled the region where her injury was and sat back on his chair.

"What complication are you talking about Doctor Huo?" Li Wei asked and now it was not him holding Ling Yue's hand for support but the opposite. Ling Yue rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb noticing it turning cold.

"That thing what I have circled is a blood clot forming just beside that cut. In simple terms, that region is infected because the injury hasn't been cured for too long now. And if I am not wrong, the blood clot had already been there for some time now because it is not small. If not removed immediately, it will cause vascular dementia."

Ling Yue and Li Wei stayed silent hearing this. Ling Yue didn't know she now carried a blood clot in her brain. Great! And it might cause dementia. Fantastic!

"D-Dementia? By when should we do the surgery so that she won't be in danger?" Li Wei asked hurriedly. Why did this come to dementia? The doctor glanced at the young man before opening his mouth again to speak.

"Doing it within a year will be better. But we might need to perform it earlier too because from now the clot will keep on increasing."

"But since you people have already got most of the tests done and even your blood reports says everything is normal aside from this, I assume you won't be delaying it this time?" the doctor raised his eyebrows at Li Wei. Li Wei didn't respond since he knew the answer. They weren't ready for the surgery yet. The were not the complete blood reports.

Today morning after getting the X-rays and scans done they did all the blood tests too. But Ling Yue removed the test report where her poisoning was mentioned. Rather she deleted every data about her going for a blood test and replaced it with a dummy one. Though what they showed the doctor were the reports from the morning, they weren't complete. Reason? Ling Yue didn't trust the doctor completely to reveal this.

"I was poisoned sometime ago. Though now I am completely fine and recovered from it, is it okay to go for a surgery now?" Ling Yue asked carefully.

"You cannot go for it if you are still suffering because of it. But since yours blood stream seems to be clean, there won't be any issue." the doctor explained and Ling Yue nodded. She didn't speak anymore, and it was mostly Li Wei doing the talking for the rest of the time. He talked about the medicines before and after the surgery. About the medical team. About the food she should take and what she should avoid. He took the list of medicines and also wanted to meet the doctor team once and the doctor agreed.

Ling Yue smiled looking at Li Wei but didn't think curing her would be possible in such a short time.

"Is the surgery safe? She will be okay once it is done, right?" Li Wei asked expectantly but the answer disappointed him.

"Although the surgeons are careful and thorough while operating, brain surgery is always associated with several risks. On an average the long term survival rate will be 50-70%. Some people recover completely from the surgery, while some relapse. It is impossible to tell before the surgery is done."

Li Wei too quieted down hearing this. So their was still uncertainty in this. Nothing could be guaranteed yet. Suddenly Xenxi's and Min Hua's faces flashed in front of him. There was nothing different from theirs and Ling Yue's face except for the eye color. And knowing how death always get it's way to embrace them, his heart shook thinking about losing Ling Yue. He never lacked love and warmth, but if he loses her, then he will lose the meaning of his existence. He had seen what kind of life Jiang Yuan and Rem led after they lost their love. It was not beautiful at all. It wasn't life at all. They were simply living for the sake of living. Li Wei didn't want that kind of life.