Fan Fiction |
by F4_fan
“Ok, she’s going through a rough first trimester. That’s not unusual, right?” I asked.
“Mr. Xi Men, the problem is more serious than that. Your wife is very sick.”
“Would you define ‘very sick,’ please?”
“She could die.”
“That’s impossible.” I said.
Xiao You had been healthy the entire time I knew and been with her. I couldn’t even recall the last time she had a cold. I waited for the doctor to tell me that this was some kind of a joke.
“She is, Mr. Xi Men,” the doctor said. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this.”
I insisted that she made a mistake, that there was some screw up or something. She replied with as much compassion as she could that Xiao You’s blood test had been repeated three times. She recommended to get a second opinion from a specialist if I wanted. In fact, she could refer us to ---
I waved my hand to cut her off. I wanted a moment to let it all sink in.
“What did you tell Xiao You?”
“Nothing. It was the holidays. It could’ve wait for a while, so I didn’t tell her yet. Besides, I wanted to conduct more tests to be sure. I was planning to tell you both at her next appointment with me.”
“So now, when do we have to tell her?”
“At this point, it’s up to you.”
Up to me! At this point, I wasn’t even up to breathing.
The doctor explained that Xiao You had a heart disease for some considerable time. She needed Xiao You’s previous records to check her medical history, see if there were any signs of it in the past. Since this was not her area, she referred us to a cardiologist. In her opinion, Xiao You might have to undergo surgery. But since she’s pregnant, it could complicate matters. So at this point, it was up to me. She is going to send Xiao You’s records that she had to the cardiologist she mentioned. That would buy me time to think about our next recourse while the cardiologist studied her case.
But at that moment all I could think about was how absurd this whole thing was.
“She’s only twenty-three!” I told the doctor, shouting, I think. She nodded, very patiently, knowing full well Xiao You’s age, but also understanding what agony this was for me.
“What do I do?” I firmly asked. “what should I do for her?”
She told me to act normal for as long as possible.
Normal? Normal!
.
.