Chapter 115

When Latisha woke up, she was in a hospital bed with an IV in her hand. The sharp pain in her abdomen had subsided to a dull ache. She was alone in the room.

She glanced at the IV bag; it was nearly empty. Propping herself up, she pressed the call button next to her bed.

A few moments later, a young doctor came in. He changed her IV bag before turning his attention to her.

"How are you feeling?"

Latisha looked at him for a moment, then patted her pockets for her phone. Spotting it on the nightstand, she picked it up and typed.

[Doctor, what's wrong with me?]

The doctor looked surprised at the typed message but quickly composed himself. It was the standard reaction whenever someone discovered she was mute. Latisha was used to it.

"You fainted. After your IV is finished, go see your attending physician. She'll explain everything."

Latisha then noticed the ID badge on his chest. He was an intern. She nodded and lay back down, waiting for the IV to finish.

The room was quiet. In the far corner, an elderly man lay paralyzed, unable to speak. The two of them, both silent, filled the room with a profound sense of loneliness.

She checked her phone. It was already past four in the afternoon. Her screen was dark; no one had messaged her. She turned it off and looked over at the old man. After a while, a white-haired woman entered, carrying several bags. She went straight to the old man's bed, skillfully took out a basin and towel, and began to wash him. After that, she started feeding him, chattering away to herself about her grandson getting into trouble at school and how much money her son had sent home.

Her chatter slowly turned into complaints—how she had never had an easy day since marrying him, and now she had to care for him in his old age. The old man couldn't speak, but his eyes followed her every move.

The woman's voice grew thick with

emotion. You just stay strong, you hear me? I've been i I've been taking care

You fam

you for eight years. Knowing you lying here in this hospital... it gives me something to hold on to."

Latisha watched them, noticing the glint of tears in the old man's eyes. His fingers trembled, as if he were trying to lift his hand to wipe away his wife's tears, but he couldn't.

Latisha turned her head away and stared out the window. The sky was dark with heavy clouds. It looked like it was going to rain again.

After the last IV bag was empty, she went to find the doctor. Coincidentally, it was the same one from her last visit. The doctor looked at her with a mixture of frustration and disappointment.

"You've been here before, haven't you?"

Latisha nodded and handed over her ID. The doctor typed her name into the computer and pulled up her file. Her expression soured.

"Weren't you here trying to save a pregnancy last time?" she scolded, her voice sharp with anger before she caught herself, clearly trying to hold back harsher words. "don't understand you young people these days. You just had surgery. Couldn't you wait even a month?"

Latisha understood what she was implying and lowered her head in shame.

“This is a uterine infection causing the bleeding,” the doctor continued. “And from

the looks of it, it's been going on for several days. Why did you wait until it was this severe to come to the hospital?"

Latisha said nothing, twisting the hem of her shirt. Every word felt like a brand on her skin.

"Young lady, don't say I didn't warn

you," the doctor said, her tone serious. "If you don't start taking care of yourself, this could become much more than just an infection It could lead to cervical erosion or even cervical cancer. I'm not trying to scare you.”