Chapter 218
Leanne had only shared what happened on that day with the police and her aunt. It had been ages since she last spoke of it, or even allowed herself to remember.
For a long while, visions of that pitch-dark factory and its lingering stench haunted her nightmares.
Belinda, initially shocked, gradually looked at her with eyes full of sympathy. “I had no idea you went through such a life…”:
“Belinda, I don’t have kids, so maybe I can’t fully grasp how you feel,” Leanne said. “But I know my mom would understand you because she loved me just as much as you love Jada.”
Tears welled up in Belinda’s eyes, and she raised her hand to wipe them away, but Leanne handed her a tissue from her pocket instead.
“You really should kick that habit of rubbing your eyes, especially with your condition. You need to be extra careful about eye hygiene.”
After cleaned her tears, Belinda tried to compose herself, but Leanne continued, “Yesterday, Jada asked me if I’d use my eyes to save my mom if I could. If I had the chance,” she said, “I’d pay any price, not just my eyes. Jada feels the same way.”
These words broke the dam of Belinda’s emotions, and she started sobbing uncontrollably, trying hard not to be too loud for fear of being heard by her child.
But Jada still came out of her room, wiping her mom’s tears with her tiny hands while her
own tears fell.
Belinda hugged her, and the two cried together, a heart-wrenching scene of a mother and daughter clinging to each other in sorrow.
Leanne turned away, took a deep breath, and forced her tears back.
She left the tissues with Belinda, gently patted her shoulder, and stood up to leave.
“Thank you, Dr. Castillo,” Belinda said through tears.
“For what?” Leanne replied. “I haven’t really helped you.”
Seeing them always brought a sense of guilt; her ability to help was so limited.
After leaving the room, Leanne sought out Dr. Yates, the hospital’s top expert in treating a rare form of cancer that Jada was battling.
Dr. Yates sighed upon mentioning Jada, “Every day she lives is a bonus at this point.”
Being a doctor, Leanne knew all too well the harsh realities of disease. Despite advancements in medical technology, there were still limits to what they could achieve.
12
Chapter 218
“You should talk to her mom again. We’re not talking about taking the child’s corneas now, but if the worst happens, her eyes could give her mother a chance to see the world again.” Leanne had already tried, but seeing the mother and daughter in tears was
heart-wrenching.
She was there for another reason.
“Dr. Yates, I’ll cover Jada’s treatment costs, whatever it takes.”
Dr. Yates paused his work, surprised by her offer. “Leanne, you’ve been around long enough to know better than to get so personally involved.”
He advised her as a senior, “We need to maintain a balance of empathy and detachment. We see so many patients; you can’t save everyone on your own.”
“I’ve made up my mind. Just this once.”
Leanne wanted to help any way she could, especially now, when she had the means to make a difference.
“I’d rather not go through charities or media. It’s too invasive for Belinda and her family. Can we arrange something internally through the hospital?”
Dr. Yates, seeing her determination, agreed to help without letting Belinda know.
When Leanne got home and finally woke up from a nap disturbed by a phone call, it was her grandmother.
“Wakey, wakey,” Mary teased. “Jerry’s downstairs to pick you up. Come home for dinner. You’ve missed enough family gatherings.”
Leanne, still groggy, realized she couldn’t escape the family dinner on Christmas Day.
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