There was a fresh perfume smell in the bedding, which was similar to Elisa’s scent. William glanced at the four sides of the room.
The room’s decoration was not particularly good, and the decoration style was also popular ten years ago, but it could be seen that it was well maintained. The whole White family felt spotless, and everything was carefully maintained, with both the touch of life and the trace of protecting them.
Elisa’s room didn’t have much girl’s touch. Bookshelves, handicrafts, desks, wardrobes, dressing pads, et cetera, were simple and elegant in style, and there was no feminine thing. It might have something to do with her profession, William thought. Then he closed his eyes, and went to sleep.
**
Elisa went downstairs to wash dishes, and she was pulled aside by her mother.
“Your father and I have picked something for Bruce and your in-laws. Please see it.”
“William has nothing to lack at home. I think whatever you give them with all your heart, they all like it very much.”
“That’s what I thought, so I chose something practical and inexpensive.”
“Mom, you are clever.”
“You have to say that.” Emily gave her a white look. “I have prepared several sets of clothes for Bruce’s as a gift. I have never seen him play with toys, so I didn’t buy them. If I didn’t buy them properly, it would be a waste.”
“He doesn’t play what ordinary children play.”
Elisa took her mother’s shoulder. “Mom, don’t think so much. Just get the etiquette. Don’t be so pressured. You were not like this before.”
“It’s not that you married too well. How can I relax? If you don’t marry well, I will be worried, and if you marry too well, I am also pressured. It is not easy to be a mother.”
Elisa’s face brightened. “Then I will make you worried soon.”
“Elisa, do not say such things. Is this how you treat the mother who raised you? ”
Elisa pretended not to hear, she wobbly leisurely went upstairs. She knew that Emily just sighed, but she still didn’t spoil it.
**
After the New Year’s Day holiday, Elisa went back to work in the hospital and brought wedding candy and cakes to colleagues and leaders in the hospital.
Annie was beaming. “This is the best wedding candy I have ever eaten.”
“Annie, you don’t have to spare any effort to suck up.”
“I didn’t suck up. In the past, after going to your wedding to give red envelopes, I was given a bag of small wedding candies and biscuits. The taste was more delicious than what I bought in the supermarket. It was not comparable to wedding candy.”
Elisa didn’t bother to listen to her continue boasting and asked, “Where did Professor Malick go? I just went to his office, and his office was not open.”
“I don’t know. It seems that he went to a forum meeting on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.”
“I haven’t heard of a professional meeting recently.”
“I haven’t heard of it either, or maybe he went to another professional meeting. We are not from the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular departments. We don’t know much about it.” Annie said.
Elisa nodded and started the morning’s work. After she became the attending doctor, her work content had not changed much from before. Her working hours were much more regular than those of residents, similar to those of ordinary white-collar workers, unless she needed to work overtime under special circumstances and get off work at 6 pm at other times.
She had been a resident for a year and had no concept of vacation. She spinned around the hospital almost every day, and she had to be on call. That time, she suddenly became a regular, and she was a little uncomfortable.
Elisa was busy all day, and after two sentences with Annie, she got off work. That day, William had an appointment with Bruce’s family doctor for dinner, and she was not late for the first time. So, she drove back to the villa with excessive speed.
After entering the villa, she saw a gentleman with gold-rimmed glasses sitting on the sofa in the living room. The man stood up, held out his hand to her, and smiled. “Hello, Mrs. Brich, I am Sean Murphy, Bruce’s family doctor.”
“Hello, nice to meet you.” Elisa stretched out her hand and shook hands with him.
“I heard Mr. Birch says that you are a doctor in Westmead Hospital, it is an outstanding hospital.”
“Although we are peers, our strength and technology are too poor. I am asking Dr. Murphy for more advice.” Elisa spoke sincerely.
“Mrs. Brich, you’re too modest. Although Westmead Hospital is not one of the best hospitals in Australia now, its hardware conditions and doctors are not bad. Many famous doctors who can be named now are from Westmead Hospital. It is not certain that the next famous doctor is Mrs. Brich.”
“Am I modest, or are you right?” Her frank reaction amused Dr. Murphy.
William and Bruce came back from sports watching at that time. Bruce ran to Elisa and kissed her, then hurried upstairs.
Dr. Murphy always paid attention to Bruce’s movements. It was not until Bruce’s figure disappeared that he turned to William and Elisa. He said, “Bruce’s situation is better than I expected.”
William sat next to Elisa. “The difference between him now and before is that he has accepted one more person, and his performance in other aspects has not changed much.”
“This requires a process. For us, Bruce only accepted a person. For himself, he accepted a person who has never appeared in his life. The acceptance is still firm, and there is no rejection, which is extremely rare among autistic people. Other child psychologists and I have identified Bruce’s condition as atypical autism. He has some symptoms of autism and does not fully conform to the characteristics of autism. Bruce didn’t want to communicate before, and even the communication with Mr. Brich was necessary only when he needed help. His whole person was in a tense state. When I saw him just now, he didn’t show such a performance, and his body movements and expressions were relaxed.”
“This is the most important progress in recent years.”
“He has changed a lot, but he still doesn’t speak. If he doesn’t speak for a long time, his language function would gradually deteriorate. After all, he didn’t learn to speak for a long time, and the phonation system of the language has not been fully opened, and he has entered an autistic state.” William said.
Dr. Murphy also nodded thoughtfully.
“This is what we need exactly to do next. I need to give Bruce a general and psychological examination with the help of you two and then formulate the next course of treatment.” He added.
Elisa listened for a long time, but she still didn’t have an intuitive concept of Bruce’s illness. But thinking that Bruce’s language function would deteriorate, she also knew the seriousness of the matter.
If an adult didn’t talk for a month or two, it was tough to speak again.
A child who had just learned to speak for a short time had been silent for two years, and the consequences could be imagined.
Elisa asked, “The top priority is to let Bruce speak?”
“Yes. But you can’t act too hastily. It must be a step by step to avoid Bruce’s rebellious attitude.”
Elisa looked at William, and he was also looking at her.
“Let’s start with strengthening the interaction with Bruce. What do you think?” Elisa said.
William nodded.
Aunt Marites came from the kitchen. “Mr. and Mrs., dinner is ready.”