Lillian suddenly woke up, only to find that Conrad had already pulled his hand back.
She felt a bit dazed as she glanced out the window and noticed the blanket draped over her.
Looking at Conrad, she saw he wasn’t even looking at her. He was holding the steering wheel with one hand, looking impatient.
Lillian rolled up the blanket, silently preparing to get out of the car.
“Do you have any manners?” he asked.
“Well…Thank you for bringing me home.”
The car door closed automatically, and Lillian quickly rushed into Taylor Mansion.
She stood by the door, listening for a while, and only relaxed when she heard the sound of the car’s engine start up. She let out a sigh and sank onto the floor.
Nancy heard the noise and came out, seeing Lillian in her half-dry clothes, clinging to her body.
“Oh my, Miss Lillian, what happened to you? Quick, go upstairs and take a shower, I’ll prepare a cup of hot milk for you!”
“Okay, Nancy, make sure to lock the door. Really lock it.”
“Got it, Miss Lillian. Do you want some cold medicine?”
“No, just lock the door, thank you.”
Lillian had had a nightmare all night. She dreamed that she was trying to leave with her grandmother, but Conrad stopped them halfway and forced them to come back.
Still groggy, she got out of bed, and when she went downstairs, she almost missed a step.
So, when the hospital called, Lillian was still a little disoriented. Her head felt foggy.
“Miss Lillian, can you hear me? Your grandmother has woken up. Can you come to see her? Her emotions are a bit unstable.”
“I’m-! I’m here! I’m here!” Lillian almost jumped up.
After hanging up, she stood there, confused, turning in circles.
Nancy heard the noise and came out from the kitchen. “Miss Lillian, what are you looking for?”
Lillian looked at Nancy, crying as she said, “My grandma! My-my grandma woke up.”
“Oh my God, that’s the best news ever!”
Lillian suddenly hugged Nancy, then pulled back and said, “I- I need to go prepare things right now. What should I bring? Should I dress up? My grandma hasn’t seen me in so long, will she forget what I look like?”
Nancy smiled and said, “No, Miss Lillian, you’ll always be beautiful. As long as she sees you and is happy, that’s enough. Should I make some nutritious food to send over? What does your grandmother like to eat?”
“I’m sorry, my mind is a bit scrambled.” It took Lillian a while to get everything straight.
After giving Nancy her instructions, she quickly drove to the hospital.
There were too many people by the elevator, so she ran up the stairs and climbed all the way to the 26th floor without stopping.
When she reached the door to her grandmother’s room, her hand hovered over the doorknob, then hesitated. But the next moment, she gathered her courage and opened the door.
Sunlight poured into the room, spilling across the floor.
Her grandmother was sitting on the bed, eyes closed, covered with a blanket. The old-fashioned stereo Lillian had brought was still playing music. It was the song of her grandmother’s favorite singer.
Hearing the noise, her grandmother slowly opened her eyes and saw Lillian standing there.
The young girl had red eyes and stood there not knowing what to say or do.
At that moment, Lillian felt like she had crossed time and space, seeing the old version of herself running into her grandmother’s arms.
From being held by her grandmother when she was a child to now being able to support her grandmother in return.
Unconsciously, so many years had passed.
“Grandma,” her voice was soft and faint.
Yet, in this hospital room, it still felt so abrupt.
The elderly woman slowly opened her eyes and looked toward the door. She seemed to be trying to recognize who was there. She looked at Lillian and asked uncertainly, “Is it… my little girl?”
Lillian quickly walked over, and only then did her grandmother clearly see her.
“Lillian, it really is you!”
She sized Lillian up, holding her hand and patting it, “Lillian, you seem to have grown up?”
Lillian wanted to smile and nod, but the smile was more painful than crying, with tears blurring her vision.
“Lillian, don’t cry. You won’t look good if you cry,” her grandmother said. Her hand didn’t have much strength, but she still couldn’t bear to let go, as if she were afraid that if she closed her eyes for a moment, she would fall asleep and miss this chance.
The nurse heard the commotion and came in. “Congratulations, Miss Lillian. Please watch your grandmother’s emotions, don’t let her get too excited.”
“Okay, I understand.”
“All her vital signs are still good. If you need anything, just call us.”
Her grandmother waited for the nurse to leave, then softly said, “Lillian, you’ve lost so much weight… it must have been hard, right? I can see you’ve gotten thinner.”
Having been bedridden for three years, her grandmother’s hair had turned gray, and her hand kept stroking Lillian’s hair. “My little girl, you’ve suffered. Grandma knows everything. I know everything.”
The elderly woman patted Lillian’s hand, unable to say anything else, just repeating those words over and over. Her eyelids slowly closed.
Lillian became a little nervous. She stood up, checked her grandmother’s breathing, and only relaxed when she confirmed it was steady.
She quickly got up and went to find Dr. Beck.
“Miss Lillian, here’s the situation: your grandmother’s health is currently stable, but a person’s body needs a recovery period. She’s been in a coma for a long time, and she’ll need time to adjust to the waking hours again.”
“Is this normal?”
“From what we can tell, this is normal. My personal advice is that if there are no major issues with her health, before the next surgery, it would help to bring her to a familiar environment, somewhere she feels comfortable. It will lift her spirits.”
Dr. Beck paused for a moment and then continued, “This plan is very risky, but if you don’t have much time, you can also choose to continue conservative treatment in the hospital. However, I must inform you that the next surgery is critical and carries significant risks. After the tumor is removed, given her age, the surgery could drain her vitality and pose life-threatening risks. But if the surgery isn’t done, there’s a chance that another neurological event or fainting episode could occur.”
Dr. Beck signed, “So, it’s up to you, Miss Lillian, to decide.”
“So, the same expert will perform the surgery?”
“Yes, you can rest assured about that. The expert is very concerned about your grandmother’s health. If you decide to go ahead with the surgery, he will certainly be there.”
Lillian stayed in the hospital for a long time before deciding to take her grandmother home for now.
She wanted to stay with her grandmother.
She had waited at the hospital until her grandmother woke up. When the elderly woman woke, she seemed somewhat disoriented, but she still recognized Lillian.
“Go home?”
“Yes, Grandma, I have a big, beautiful house. How about you come to live with me, Grandma?”
Her grandmother nodded. “We… we have a home?”
Lillian felt a pang in her heart at her grandmother’s words. “Yes, we have a home.”
“Then I want to see it. I want to see Lillian’s home.”
Lillian quickly packed her grandmother’s things. Just as she was wondering how to get her grandmother downstairs, the door to the hospital room opened.