My Handsome Uncle, Please Be Mine!

Chap 57.

At 04:15 AM.

Clara’s hospital room.

Clara woke up, blinking her eyes to sharpen her focus. The ticking of the clock was audible, resonating clearly in Clara’s ears.

Then, she closed her eyes again, recalling what happened last night. Joe running while carrying her, then supporting her to leave the building.

Upon reaching the door, she heard a man’s voice asking Uncle Joe to stop. The next moment, Clara heard the sound of three gunshots.

Joe fell with fresh blood flowing from his temple. After that, Clara couldn’t remember anything else.

“Are you awake?” Freedy Lim asked. He observed his granddaughter’s hands, noticing that she was awake from her sleep.

Clara opened her eyes, looking at the middle-aged man standing by her bed. She had never seen or known his face before, yet Clara felt strangely familiar with his presence.

“Good morning, Miss Clara, I’m glad you’re awake. Let me introduce myself, my name is Zio, and he is Mr. Lim. You can call him Grandpa Lim,” Zio joked.

Clara swallowed nervously.

“Grandpa?” she whispered.

“Yes, Clara, I am your grandfather. I am your mother’s father,” the middle-aged man said. “I am very thankful that you woke up. I hope you’re okay,” he expressed, smiling and feeling extremely happy. Finally, his worries disappeared, replaced by relief.

“Where is Uncle Joe?” Clara asked with a louder voice. She sat up in bed, remembering Joe’s face with blood streaming down his cheek.

Silence.

“Um, I worried about you all night, but when you woke up, you worried about someone else! How about that?” Freedy Lim complained.

Clara flinched. If this man was indeed her grandfather, Clara shouldn’t disappoint him.

“I’m sorry, Grandpa! I just…” Clara stopped her sentence. She bowed her head, unsure of how to respond.

“No, Clara, I am truly happy to see you okay. Do you want to go home? Grandpa feels guilty towards you; I want to make it up to you before it’s too late!” Freedy Lim said, choking up with tears.

Silence. Clara looked into the eyes of the middle-aged man. His expression of sadness weighed heavily on her chest.

“I am sorry to your mother and father; I didn’t give my blessing to their relationship.” Freedy Lim looked down, hiding his sorrow; regret resurfaced.

Clara listened to every word her grandfather said.

“Sir,” Zio whispered, patting the middle-aged man’s back. However, Mr. Lim pushed him away.

“Clara,” he called.

“Yes,” Clara replied, turning to face him.

Before Clara could stand up, Freedy stood up first and hugged his granddaughter.

Clara’s tears flowed in her grandfather’s embrace. Longing for her mother and father overwhelmed her.

“Grandpa!” Clara called.

“Yes.” The grandfather released the hug. He observed Clara’s face, which resembled her late mother’s.

“Take me to see Uncle Joe, then I’ll go home with Grandpa,” Clara said.

“Are you sure you want to go home with me?” Mr. Lim asked to confirm. His eyes sparkled upon hearing Clara’s statement. The opportunity had come, the opportunity to make amends for his past actions.

“Of course, but I want to see Uncle Joe first, Grandpa,” Clara requested.

The grandfather nodded, agreeing to his daughter’s wish.

==❤==

In the morning, Gaston, along with other doctors, examined Joe’s condition. After conducting a thorough examination, Gaston intended to meet Joe’s family. He would inform them of what had actually happened.

He felt guilty; Joe wasn’t in good condition after all. After a series of examinations, it turned out that Joe’s condition had deteriorated.

“Dr. Gaston, you went home last night, we’ve been waiting; can we see Mr. Joe now?” Antoni asked. Along with Mrs. Linn and Mr. Bond, he waited for Dr. Gaston’s arrival and wanted to see Joe’s condition immediately.

“Last night, we successfully removed the bullet lodged in Joe’s temple, but now he is in a coma,” Gaston explained concisely. However, he had to inform Joe’s family of Joe’s true condition.

A coma is a term that describes a state of unconsciousness in a patient until they cannot react to their surroundings.

Medically, a coma is characterized by the absence of cerebral motor responses to pain throughout the extremities, making it impossible to wake up the coma patient even though they have been given pain stimulation. They do not provide a normal response to pain or light stimulation, have no sleep-wake cycle, and cannot perform voluntary actions.

In addition to being unconscious, a person in a coma experiences almost no brain activity. This means that coma patients also cannot respond to sound, touch, or even pain.

Coma patients will regain consciousness over time. However, each patient requires a different amount of time to regain consciousness.

Some may take weeks, but others may need to be in this condition for years. The speed at which a patient regains consciousness depends on the extent of damage to the brain area and how much of the brain area can still function.

Patients in a coma cannot eat or drink in the same way as normal individuals. Because coma patients cannot swallow or chew, food or drinks will be provided in a different form.

Coma patients eat and drink through intravenous fluids that are inserted into their venous blood vessels. These intravenous fluids contain electrolytes, which consist of salts or other substances, to prevent coma patients from experiencing hunger or dehydration.

“When will Joe regain consciousness?” Mrs. Linn asked, tears welling up in her eyes. Her throat felt choked; Joe was in a coma?

“We can’t determine that yet,” Dr. Gaston replied. “And to assist with breathing, we have already placed a ventilator on the patient’s body,” the doctor explained.

A ventilator is used to deliver oxygen to the lungs and body. Additionally, the ventilator helps to remove carbon dioxide from the body.

The ventilator is placed by connecting the machine to a person’s respiratory tract through a ventilator tube. This tube is inserted through the mouth, nose, or through a hole made in the front of the patient’s neck.

Although the ventilator helps patients who have difficulty breathing, its use also has side effects, especially when the ventilator tube is placed for a long time.

The main risk of ventilator use is infection. The breathing tube can introduce germs into the lungs, mouth, or nose, increasing the risk of pneumonia and sinus infections.

The process of inserting a ventilator tube can also irritate the throat or lungs. This condition can make it difficult for someone to cough. However, coughing can help clear dust and allergens from the lungs.

Ventilator use can also make it difficult for someone to speak because the ventilator tube passes through the larynx (voice box) containing the vocal cords.

Other side effects of ventilator placement can also cause lung damage due to excessive air pressure or excessive oxygen.

“So we don’t know when Joe will wake up?” Mrs. Linn’s voice trembled, accompanied by tears streaming down her cheeks. “What do we do now, honey?” she complained, leaning on her husband’s arm.

“Can we see him?” Mr. Bond asked.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

“Of course!” Dr. Gaston nodded, allowing Mr. Bond and Mrs. Linn to check on Joe’s condition.

The husband and wife entered the ICU room. They walked in, seeing Joe lying in the hospital bed. There was a white bandage on his forehead. His eyes were closed. A ventilator tube was connected through his mouth.

Mrs. Linn’s tears couldn’t be held back any longer. “Joe…,” she whispered, reaching for her son’s fingers. The woman sobbed, praying in her heart for her son to wake up soon.

Silence. Mrs. Linn’s sobs were heard amidst the rumbling of the ventilator.

“Will Joe recover, honey? Can Joe return to his old self?” Mrs. Linn asked resignedly.

Mr. Bond nodded, unable to speak. This was the first time he saw Joe in such a bad condition.

“Honey, I’ll do anything to make Joe recover. Do you believe Joe can recover?” Mrs. Linn’s sobs became more frequent. Kimmy, the company, her life. How would everything go on if Joe remained like this? No! Mrs. Linn’s heart screamed, unable to accept her son’s current condition.

Clara stood in front of the glass door of the ICU. Seeing Mrs. Linn and Mr. Bond, as well as Joe still lying there. There was only one person she wanted to meet, Dr. Gaston.

“Where are you going, Miss?” Zio asked from behind her. Faithfully, he pushed the IV pole and followed Clara’s steps.

“I need to see Dr. Gaston!” Clara answered. She walked towards the doctor’s room.

Zio followed her.

The door opened, and Dr. Gaston lifted his face to see Clara and Zio entering his room.

“What happened to Uncle Joe, doctor?” Clara asked as she sat down in front of the doctor. “Is it true that Uncle Joe is in a coma?”

“Yes.” That’s all that came out of the doctor’s lips.

“When will Uncle Joe wake up, doc?” Clara asked despairingly, wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes.

“I don’t know, Clara. We just have to pray; hopefully, Joe will wake up from his coma soon,” Gaston replied. He took a deep breath to ease the heaviness in his chest.

“What should I do to help Uncle Joe wake up?” Clara asked again. Kimmy, the image of Kimmy asking about her daddy, flashed in her mind. What would happen to the little girl?

“Accompany him, Clara. The presence of loved ones can help him wake up quickly,” Dr. Gaston revealed. Although unsure, the man was sure that Joe would be happy if Clara was by his side.

“Doctor, I’ll take my leave!” he requested. “Accompany me to see Grandpa!” Clara asked.

Zio nodded. They left Dr. Gaston’s room. They walked back to Clara’s room.

Clara quickened her pace when she saw her grandfather sitting in a metal chair in front of her room.

The man smiled at Clara’s arrival. In a moment, he would instruct the nurse to remove the IV from Clara’s hand and take her to Singapore this morning. There was a personal doctor who would examine his granddaughter’s health.

“Finally, I can go home with my granddaughter!” Freedy Lim said, smiling as he saw Clara’s arrival.

“Sorry, Grandpa, I can’t go home with you right now!” Clara said.

To be Continued.