Vivian hung her head in despair. Beside her lay Lily, still unconscious in the coma that had gripped her for days.
After undergoing several procedures, the doctor finally decided to move Lily to the ICU room. This was done so that intensive care and monitoring could be focused on by the doctors and nursing team.
“Doctor, why is my aunt like this? Why has she been unconscious for days?” Vivian was naturally anxious. Dark thoughts were swirling in her mind. Where could she have known that the accident Lily had suffered would have such fatal consequences, leaving her unconscious like this?
“All of this is due to the severe impact the patient experienced, leading to a closed traumatic brain injury,” the doctor explained gently to Vivian.
“What do you mean by a closed brain injury, doc? I really don’t understand, and I’m completely unfamiliar with this.”
The doctor then showed the results of the CT scan that had been done earlier. Holding a pen, he pointed to the areas he had mentioned earlier.
“Here’s how it is: the severe impact from the patient’s accident resulted in head injuries, especially to the brain. Due to this strong impact, brain function has been disrupted. In fact, as you can see from the attached results, the patient also has a blood clot.”
Vivian looked crestfallen. Hearing what the doctor was explaining, it seemed that Aunt Lily was indeed in a very serious condition. For God’s sake, she feared that something unwanted might happen. Vivian certainly hoped that the person she cared so deeply about would recover soon and be back with her as before.
If something serious were to happen or if Lily’s life couldn’t be saved, she might go crazy. Then, who else would she turn to for support and to share her troubles?
“Does my aunt still have a chance to recover?”
The doctor nodded, trying to understand Vivian’s current distress by providing the most detailed explanation possible.
“Actually, a brain injury itself can be treated maximally. However, the chance of someone waking up from a coma can’t be accurately predicted. It depends on the severity of the injury, the cause of the brain injury, the patient’s age, and how long the patient has been unconscious,” the doctor explained. “That’s why we’re moving the patient to the intensive care unit for more treatment. Our medical team will continue to monitor her progress, make sure there are no infections, and provide balanced nutrition.”
“Then, is there anything I can do?”
Once again, the doctor nodded.
“For the patient’s family, you can try some methods to stimulate the patient’s primary senses. For example, by giving her gentle touches, talking to her occasionally, and doing things she likes. This way, we hope the patient will be stimulated and respond to what we’re doing.”
Recalling the doctor’s explanation from the day before, Vivian felt sad. Even the medical team couldn’t predict when Lily would wake up or emerge from the coma.
Moreover, the upcoming end of her leave from work was making her even more worried. Initially, Vivian had taken a 6-day leave. When she found out about Lily’s accident and subsequent coma, she extended her leave until next week.
If her granted leave were to expire and Lily still hadn’t regained consciousness, Vivian was at a loss for what to do. On one hand, she could get fired for being absent from work for too long. On the other hand, she couldn’t just leave Lily alone in the hospital. Considering she was Lily’s only relative, the situation was equally challenging.
Meanwhile, at home, Darwin appeared to be busy taking care of Veronica, who was still running a fever. In fact, early this morning, her temperature had reached 40 degrees.
Here’s the translation of the provided text into American English:
Due to his concerns, Darwin tried to persuade Veronica to see a doctor. However, since she refused, Darwin finally called the doctor to make a house visit and examine his wife’s condition earlier this morning.
“How’s my wife doing, doc?” Darwin asked anxiously. He couldn’t hide his worry, fearing that something bad might happen to his wife.
“Mrs. Veronica has just a common fever, Mr. Darwin. It could be due to overexertion and fatigue,” the doctor explained, making Darwin feel a bit relieved.
“So, there’s nothing to worry about my wife’s condition, right, doc?” Darwin confirmed once again.
The doctor smiled and nodded, then handed a prescription for some medicine to Darwin to pick up later.
“Yes, Mr. Darwin. Based on the symptoms, it’s just a common fever. That’s why I’ve prescribed fever-reducing medication and a multivitamin for her to take. For now, let her rest completely for two to three days. If, after three days, the fever doesn’t subside or keeps fluctuating, please bring her to the emergency room for intensive care.”
“Alright, doc. What about her diet? Are there any restrictions?”
“No, there aren’t,” the doctor shook his head again. “Just make sure she gets healthy, balanced meals. But the most important thing is to get enough rest so that her condition stabilizes.”
After the doctor finished explaining and bid farewell, Darwin returned to the room with a tray of chicken porridge in his hand. He walked closer and approached Veronica, who was lying down.
“Sweetie, have your breakfast and then take your medicine.”
From her bed, Veronica nodded. Gathering her strength, she tried to sit up and leaned against the bed’s headboard. She also didn’t resist when Darwin helped feed her the chicken porridge.
“Finish your meal so that you don’t feel weak.”
Veronica nodded again. While chewing her food, she tried to converse.
“I think I got this fever because I skipped lunch yesterday.”
“What did you skip for lunch?”
“Lunch, Win,” Veronica honestly replied. “After the meeting with Dad, I didn’t join them for lunch because I had to meet another client. And then, it suddenly became evening. When I got home, I started feeling feverish.”
Darwin nodded. Now he understood why his wife was running a fever like this.
“It could be because of your acid reflux or your recurring gastritis, right?”
“It’s possible,” Veronica nodded. She had been suffering from that condition for a while.
“No wonder the doctor gave you an antacid prescription as well. In that case, let’s finish the porridge quickly. After this, I’ll help you take your medicine.”
Veronica then finished the porridge in her bowl. Once done, she readily accepted the medication that Renata had picked up earlier from the pharmacy near their home.
Making sure his wife had breakfast and took her medicine, Darwin asked Veronica to rest again.
“You should just keep resting. I need to finish some work in the next room.”
Veronica didn’t immediately agree. She appeared puzzled, seeing her husband, instead of getting ready for work, choosing to go to the workspace next to their room.
“It’s already nine o’clock, Win. Aren’t you getting ready for work? You might be late.”
Darwin shook his head. Knowing that his wife wasn’t feeling well, he decided to take a day off to stay home and take care of Veronica.
“I’ve decided to work from home today. Besides, there are no important meetings or appointments today.”
“Are you sure?”
Darwin nodded repeatedly.
“Yes, dear. Besides, I can’t bear to leave you alone at home in this condition.”
“But we have Renata here, Win. I just have a common fever.”
“Well, it’s also okay if I stay with you, right?”
“Yeah, I guess. But don’t do it too often; you might inconvenience others,” Veronica worried.
“If your condition stabilizes by tomorrow, I’ll go back to work as usual. That’s why, since you’ve had breakfast and taken your medicine, it’s time for you to rest now.”
Before leaving the room, Darwin kissed Veronica’s forehead. He helped tuck her in and let her rest completely so that her condition would improve soon.