After breakfast, Luke asked the driver to park the car on the porch of the villa, and then he put the wheelchair in the trunk. Feeling much relieved, he said to Estelle, “Estelle, take good care of Mr. Hans. The seats are limited. I’ll stay at home and won’t go with you.”
Estelle was settling her two daughters in the children’s seats. After doing that, she asked Yohan to sit next to her and then said to Luke, “Okay. Don’t worry, Uncle Luke.”
She hadn’t intended to take the children with them. However, the children insisted on going to the hospital with her and Cristofer, so she had to agree to their request.
Sitting in the car, the three children waved to Luke and said together, “Goodbye, for now, Grandpa Luke. We’ll be back soon.”
Seeing the adorable kids, Luke couldn’t help but smile. Even Cristofer, who usually appeared stern, smiled warmly and looked at the kids with affection.
The driver then took the family of five to the hospital. Upon arrival, the driver brought out the wheelchair, and Estelle helped Cristofer sit in it. Because the hospital was crowded, Estelle instructed the children to stay close to her and asked Yohan to watch over his sisters. Then, she took Cristofer, along with his medical records, to the orthopedic doctor’s office.
The doctor, in his fifties, was an orthopedic specialist. After rolling up Cristofer’s trousers, he examined his legs and furrowed his brow. “Didn’t I tell you not to walk in your current condition? Your fractured bone has dislocated again.”
Hearing this, Estelle turned pale and asked, “Doctor, is it serious?”
“It’s not severe. I’ll reset the bone for him. Did he engage in any risky activities that caused this dislocation?” The doctor asked, glancing between Cristofer and Estelle. He considered a possibility and gave them a meaningful look. Then he cleared his throat and said indirectly, “I understand young people are often passionate and may lose control easily. But for the sake of his legs, it’s better to be careful. You already have three lovely children; there’s no need to rush into having a fourth.”
Beside Cristofer, Estelle explained with an embarrassed expression, “Doctor, it’s not what you think.”
“Don’t be embarrassed,” the doctor responded, casting another meaningful look at Cristofer and Estelle. “Regardless of your relationship, it’s essential to exercise caution until he fully recovers. Avoid putting too much pressure on his legs or engaging in overly intimate activities that could harm his legs again.”
Seeing the conversation going off-topic, Cristofer sighed and said, “Doctor, you’ve misunderstood. My bone dislocation has nothing to do with her. I accidentally dislocated it last night.”
However, the doctor remained skeptical. Sitting on the office’s couch, Yohan overheard the conversation among the adults. He glanced at Cristofer and Estelle and nodded as if pondering something. Nearby, Yvonne and Christina were bewildered and couldn’t grasp what the doctor had said earlier.
Curious, Christina ran over to Estelle and held her hand. “Mom, did the doctor mean you can’t touch Dad?”
The doctor clarified with a smile, “It’s not that she can’t touch your Dad. I just advised her to be cautious so she doesn’t accidentally hurt him again.” He offered candy to Christina to lighten the awkward atmosphere and changed the subject, saying to Estelle, “I’ve seen you two in the news. Mr. Hans carried you at his grandfather’s birthday party. My granddaughter always says she envies you for having such a wonderful husband. You two seem like a perfect couple.”
Estelle hadn’t expected the doctor to recognize them. She smiled gently in response and said, “Thank you.”
Cristofer remained silent, lost in thought when it came to Gary’s birthday party.
The doctor continued with a smile, observing Cristofer and Estelle, “A loving couple like you should exercise restraint when one of you is injured. I once treated a young man whose bone had dislocated. When he was almost recovered, he lost control and embraced his girlfriend affectionately. Unfortunately, it resulted in another dislocation.”
Understanding that explaining to the doctor wouldn’t be fruitful, Estelle nodded and said with embarrassment, “I understand… I’ll be more careful in the future.”
Pleased with her response, the doctor added, “I didn’t mean to suggest that you can’t have intimate interactions. It’s just that his mobility is limited, so if you two really…”
Anticipating what the doctor was about to say, Estelle quickly covered Christina’s ears. As expected, the doctor continued, “If you two do have any physical needs in that regard, you can take the initiative to fulfill those needs…”
Following this remark, an awkward silence enveloped the office. Cristofer remained speechless and glanced at the doctor with mixed emotions while Estelle’s face turned even redder.
At that moment, a soft child’s voice interrupted, “Mom, what kind of need makes you and Dad look so worried?” Yvonne asked innocently.
Feeling embarrassed, Estelle grabbed at an excuse and stammered, “It’s… It’s the need for water.”
“The need for water? Then why didn’t you let me listen to it? Mom, is there something that you hide from us?” Christina, who didn’t hear what the doctor had said, asked in confusion.
“No, I hid nothing from you,” Estelle said helplessly, caressing Christina’s little head. “You thought too much.”
Hearing this, Christina looked at Estelle and pouted, “I didn’t think too much. Mom, you and Dad have a secret! Is it about me?”
At this time, Cristofer, who had been silent, finally said, “We don’t have a secret, Christina. What the doctor said has nothing to do with you. You will understand it when you grow up.”
“Really?” Christina almost believed what Estelle and Cristofer had said. But after looking at the two of them suspiciously for a while, she shook her head and said firmly, “I don’t believe it. You lied to me!”
With her round eyes wide open, Yvonne said, “Mom, you are not honest. You lied to us.”
“Well… I… I’ll explain it to you in the future, okay?” Estelle coaxed them, hoping that they could end the topic immediately.
Not quite understanding the doctor’s words, Yohan thought that Cristofer and Estelle might need something hard to obtain, so he kindly offered, “Mom, if you and Dad need help, just let us know. Maybe we can assist you.”
With an embarrassed smile, Estelle thanked him but declined, saying, “Thank you, Yohan, but it’s not necessary. I think your Dad can handle your questions. I’ll go pay the medical bills. I’ll see you shortly.” She then picked up the bill and stood up, feigning composure. She hurriedly left the doctor’s office, quickly disappearing from their view.