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Nolan gasped as the realization hit him of what his sister had been suffering from, "Every time she would feel angry and not eat, she would inadvertently be making her own health worse even though she was there sleeping in a hospital ward with all of those doctors around here.."

Ellie brushed him off, "Nolan, I don't care about those doctors.I don't care about what happened at that hospital.I care about right now.So based on what you've been saying . . . I have very little understanding of medicine as I spent most of my school years on a racing track . . . but if I stop taking the drug they've been giving me to numb my pain I should recover?I just have to quit morphine."

Wu looked at her with a wary expression."I wish it was simple.Then I wouldn't have to deal with so many addicts.If you stop your drip, the drug will still take a while to clear from your system.You should have your will to eat restored which will help you eat normally.But, you haven't eaten normally in a while so I'm afraid you will inadvertently cause stomach issues.The body can't deal with rapid changes.If you go off the drugs that you're on, you might be in so much pain that you'll just go back.Further down the line, we have to worry about you walking, the metal in your back could shift and cause nerve damage.I think for the time being since the secondary concern is still present, you could try not walking while dealing with the withdrawal symptoms."

Wu's tone was oddly light.Ellie picked up on the strange quality in it, she had heard from Nolan about this doctor's status in the medical community."They don't call you a witch for nothing do they?What alternative ideas do you have?You're given me the answers I have sought for months.I'll do anything you say.I'm down."

"I'm glad the stubborn of the Chens run deep.The road I see for you is my expertise--surgery.It is in my opinion a better option.It is coming with it's own risks, but keeping the metal piece inside your body is also a danger.With or without the surgery it could move.The complication that could result includes septicemia which could kill you with your current weakened immune system."

Ellie rolled her eyes."I was going to die anyways.I'm more interested in the other possibility.What if I recover completely?"

"If you do recover completely -- which there is a chance, if we are careful in monitoring your condition.Nolan told me you were a race car driver.You could probably be driving--not at full speed or competing professional, of course--but if it was a small car, maybe at the end of the month."

Nolan gasped, he blindly reached around to find his sister to see fresh tears in her eyes as she sighed with the first ghost of a smile he had seen on her face since the accident.Ellie couldn't believe it.She hadn't even thought about living in a long time.To have that possibility was like a cool drink of water on a hot day.It quenched her.She had been odd to suddenly have this refreshing thought.

She squared her shoulders and looked at Dr. Wu with a dark look, "How soon is an operation possible?"