“Not that bad? This is a serious injury! Your arm is severely fractured. Why did you come here so late? There’s a risk of tetanus, which could be fatal! Quickly take off your clothes. I’ll disinfect the wound and put you in a cast!” the doctor exclaimed, stood up, and began preparing for the treatment.
Hearing this, Cristofer was stunned.
“Why are you just standing there?!” the doctor exclaimed anxiously when he noticed Cristofer standing motionless. “Take off your clothes quickly, or I won’t be able to treat your wound. Look at your sleeve, it’s soaked in blood.”
“Doctor, I can’t undress myself. Can I just roll up my sleeve?” Cristofer requested.
“Why don’t you ask your wife for help? Hurry up, there’s no time to waste,” the doctor urged.
“She’s not…” Before Cristofer could explain, Estelle began unbuttoning his suit jacket. As she finished unbuttoning, she realized he wasn’t wearing a shirt, leaving his upper body exposed. Cristofer explained that he couldn’t put on a shirt by himself, so he wore only the suit jacket.
Soon, the doctor returned with medical instruments and said, “I’m going to disinfect your wound now, and it’s going to be painful. If you can’t bear it…”
Cristofer interrupted, “Okay, I can handle it.”
The wound on his forearm was quite extensive, with a large area stained with blood. Some parts of the wound had scabs that needed to be removed before cleaning it with hydrogen peroxide.
As the doctor cleaned the wound with cotton balls soaked in hydrogen peroxide, Cristofer grimaced in pain. His entire body tensed, and veins bulged on his neck. Sweat droplets formed on his forehead and trickled down his face. After a while, he couldn’t help but tremble.
“Are you okay?” Estelle asked with concern.
“Yes… I’m… fine,” Cristofer managed to say, but before he could continue, Estelle leaned in and kissed him, her lips cold and soft against his.
Cristofer was taken aback by Estelle’s sudden kiss, leaving him momentarily stunned and frozen. Observing his reaction, the doctor swiftly cleaned the wound, stopped the bleeding, and wrapped it in a bandage.
“It’s done,” the doctor declared with relief as he finished securing the gauze.
Upon hearing this, Estelle ended the kiss and stood up straight. Cristofer, however, remained in a state of shock, forgetting about the pain in his arm. He stared at Estelle with a mixture of surprise and puzzlement in his eyes. After a few seconds, he finally realized what had happened, and his eyes lit up with joy.
Feeling his intense gaze, Estelle blushed slightly and turned around to wipe her lips with the back of her hand. She cleared her throat to hide her embarrassment and then addressed the doctor, “Doctor, will his arm be able to recover?”
The doctor adopted a serious tone and replied, “His arm has suffered a severe comminuted fracture, and the nerves and muscles are also significantly damaged. I’m afraid his arm won’t fully recover to a healthy condition.”
Concerned, Estelle asked, “Will he be able to lift things on his own in the future?”
“It will be challenging for him to do so. Luckily, you two have a strong relationship, and he can rely on your help. He may need your help when using his left arm, especially during activities like showering, where he may struggle to put on and take off his clothes. Additionally, make sure the wound doesn’t come into contact with water. The recovery process will take at least three months. Take good care of him until then. You can take him to the orthopedics department to have his arm cast now.”
“Okay,” Estelle replied with an embarrassed smile. She turned to Cristofer and offered her help, saying, “Let’s go to the orthopedics department.”
Cristofer nodded weakly and tried to stand up, but he almost lost his balance. He trembled slightly, prompting Estelle to grab his arm tightly to prevent him from falling. She realized there was a significant disparity in their physical strength, with Cristofer being much taller and stronger. Fortunately, Cristofer quickly steadied himself by placing his right hand against the wall.
With a self-mocking smile, Cristofer remarked, “I’ve been getting more and more useless lately. I can’t even stand steadily.”
“You’re the bravest and strongest patient I’ve ever encountered,” the doctor commended. “Most people with injuries as severe as yours would have cried out in pain during the treatment, but you endured it without anesthetic. You’re truly remarkable.”
Cristofer smiled and replied, “It was indeed excruciating… But it was worth it.”
“Worth it? What do you mean?” the doctor inquired.
“Never mind,” Cristofer shook his head and said. “Thank you, Doctor.” With Estelle by his side, he left the doctor’s office, leaning on her for support. Since Cristofer was still weak, his steps were unsteady, and the arm that Estelle was assisting trembled slightly.
The shock of the recent kiss had faded, and Cristofer was now feeling the sharp pain in his arm again, causing him to furrow his brow tightly.
“Are you okay?” Estelle asked, noticing the pain etched on his face.
Cristofer nodded and assured her, “I’ll be fine. I can endure it.”
Estelle suggested, “How about I ask the doctor to prescribe some painkillers for you?”
Cristofer declined, saying, “No, thank you.”
Estelle persisted, “Painkillers can effectively relieve your pain, and they have no side effects if you take them occasionally. You don’t have to suffer through the pain.”
“I…” Cristofer paused, clearly lost in thought. He then asked Estelle, “Which type of pain do you believe is more unbearable: the pain caused by cancer or the pain caused by a fracture?”
Estelle was taken aback by the unexpected question and didn’t know how to respond.
“I’ve never experienced cancer, and I can’t understand the extent of the pain you endured,” Cristofer continued. “Now, the pain I’m going through is my way of atoning for what I put you through.”
Estelle replied with a mix of emotions, “I’ve already told you that I don’t hate you anymore.”
Cristofer confessed, “But I would prefer it if you did.”
“Cristofer…”
“Okay, I understand. I won’t say such things again,” Cristofer interrupted, sensing her unspoken words. He softened his tone and continued, “Estelle, give me three days. Just three days. We’ll go to the amusement park with Christina and keep her company before her operation. After those three days, you’ll regain your freedom. You can be with the man you love forever and start a new life, a happy life without me.”
With her head lowered and her lip bitten, Estelle hesitated before finally asking, “What about you?”
“I’m not important,” Cristofer replied with a smile. “I’ve consumed too much of your time and caused you too much suffering. All I want now is to see you happy.”