Winifred Dawson was in a daze, her dark pupils reflecting an endless void. No matter how much Leland Burns touched her or how close he got, she couldn’t feel it. She stubbornly called out “Leland Burns” repeatedly. Was it love or hate? Perhaps even she didn’t know.
Finally, Winifred Dawson cried out, “Daddy… I don’t want Leland Burns anymore. I don’t like him anymore… I don’t want to like him anymore…”
Leland Burns’s already reddened eyes seemed on the verge of bleeding. He froze and took a moment to react.
“Winifred Dawson, what did you say? Say it again for me?” Leland Burns held Winifred Dawson’s face, desperately seeking an answer from her.
But Winifred Dawson didn’t repeat those words for a long time. Did he hear wrong? He thought he heard Winifred Dawson say she didn’t want to like him anymore. Did that mean she once liked him?
“Winifred Dawson, tell me the truth. Did you ever like me?”
“Don’t like Leland Burns. He’s no good… I don’t want to like him. It hurts.”
This time, not only did Leland Burns hear it clearly, but even the nurse behind him heard it distinctly.
Leland Burns’s eyes stung with tears. He didn’t know if Winifred Dawson was acting or if this was real.
If this truly were a gamble, then Winifred Dawson had won.
What had he always wanted most? For Winifred Dawson to like him, to see him as a real person to be liked, not as a dog or a substitute.
He had always thought Winifred Dawson had no heart. What he wanted seemed unattainable despite all his efforts.
But now Winifred Dawson said she liked him?
A seemingly light statement hit Leland Burns so hard that he couldn’t react for a while, unable to distinguish between surprise and joy.
“Winifred Dawson, say it again. Who do you like? Do you like Leland Burns?”
Winifred Dawson struggled: “No… I don’t like.”
“You must like! You must continue to like me, from liking to loving to being unable to live without deep love.” How could he allow her to give up on him after finally getting her affection?
This was something he had fought hard for. Since Winifred Dawson had liked him once, he would never allow her to give up; if she liked him once, she must like him forever.
Winifred Dawson struggled for a while and seemed exhausted. She closed her eyes, panting.
The medical staff had already arrived but stayed outside, leaving the space inside for Leland Burns.
Winifred Dawson’s condition wasn’t new tonight. Putting on restraints would prevent her from getting hurt again.
Leland Burns watched as Winifred Dawson closed her eyes. He touched her chin and leaned down to kiss her cold lips lightly-a kiss completely different from before. There was no burning desire or revenge meant to hurt her; this gentle kiss was more affectionate than any deep kiss before, filled with tenderness.
“When will her condition improve? Can she get better?”
The doctor explained that Winifred Dawson’s symptoms of Delirium Syndrome were due to stress. Typically, Delirium Syndrome is common among elderly patients.
The doctor asked Leland Burns: “Has Miss Dawson had any other mental illnesses?”
“Yes, she has severe bipolar disorder and was treated for about a year in the U. S., taking medication.”
That explained it. The Delirium Syndrome symptoms Winifred Dawson exhibited were primarily due to memory damage. The human brain is complex; if compared to a computer, the brain is the mainframe.
When the brain is damaged, it initiates self-protection by blocking all external stressors. Besides memory damage, there are also orientation disorders where she can’t accurately name people around her and often mistakes identities.
Like earlier when Winifred Dawson had an episode-she exhibited perceptual disturbances typical of Delirium Syndrome.
The doctor couldn’t give her too much medication; they had used it once before and too much would be harmful. Restraints could control her actions well enough since Winifred Dawson wouldn’t be agitated for long after waking up; she’d tire and fall asleep within five minutes.
Winifred Dawson’s surgery was scheduled for eight to nine in the morning-the first operation of the day. Initially, it could have been done last night, but her hand injury was too severe. Leland Burns wanted to ensure that Winifred Dawson’s hand could heal as best as possible and return to normal.
So he requested a renowned surgeon who could only come this morning at the earliest.
Winifred Dawson was wheeled into the operating room for treatment. The doctor advised not to have high hopes; if they could restore normal function, that would be good enough-playing piano or drawing would be impossible. No matter how well the surgery went, there would still be scars; aesthetic concerns were out of the question.
With an anxious heart, Leland Burns watched as Winifred Dawson entered the operating room. When the door closed, he felt his heart clench sharply.
There’s a saying online: hospital walls hear more prayers than church walls-how true that is.
What was Leland Burns praying for? He knew that while Winifred Dawson had many injuries, none were life-threatening. So he prayed that Winifred Dawson’s hand would fully recover and that she would retain one symptom of Delirium Syndrome-memory loss-perhaps forgetting all the harm he caused her and only remembering the time when she liked him.
He never knew that Winifred Dawson once liked him; he wanted to truly experience what it felt like for Winifred Dawson to like him.