31 Belated Reunion

A private car waited for them right outside to pick them up and take them to the hospital where Chang's mother was admitted. The grey fog of the evening clinging to the building made the hospital look somber and imposing. She tightened her grip around

Jian's hand and let him lead her inside and to the receptionist nurse's desk. A kindly looking, plump middle aged woman sat behind the desk. When she saw Chang's ashen face and huge wet eyes, her eyes softened.

"How can I help you?"

"We are here to see Mrs. Dumont, a one Li Hua. "

The nurse shuffled through her paperwork before finding the correct file.

"Are you her immediate family? With the patient's condition, we are only permitting immediate family members to visit at the moment."

"What's wrong with my mom?" Chang's voice broke, the more time went on, the more serious this seemed.

The nurse looked at her incredulously. "The patients ongoing condition just flared up. For patient confidentiality, I cannot reveal more, you will have to talk to her yourself in room c-42. It will be on the fourth floor second door on your right past the elevator." She gave Chang a pitying look as Jian and her headed to the elevator.

Chang wanted to rush to her mother's room after receiving the room information, but she had to be slow and cautious in the busy hospital. Every step seemed a mile, but the corridor to the elevator seemed to stretch on to eternity. Eventually they came to c-42, a private room with the door shut. Chang reached out a nervous shaking hand to the door knob, her pulse pounding in her ears. She tried to swallow the dryness in her mouth but it stayed chalky. What was on the other side of the door? What kind of condition would her mother be in? Do I have the courage to see this?

"I am here." Jian said, even though the words were simple they touched and reassured her.

'I need to be here for my mom, like she always was.' Chang gave him a smile, turned the knob and pushed open the door, 'I will face whatever awaits with Jian.'

Tears of relief instantly sprang to Chang's life to see her mother whole. When she had first heard her mother was in the hospital, Chang had feared the worst. Chang smiled through her tears, 'mom's alright, everything is ok, Jian was right.'

By her side, seeing her smile of relief Liang Jian Amal couldn't help feeling his heart twist a little. He pulled them both a couple of chairs from the corner of the room to Li Hua's bedside, to wait for her to wake up.

"This might be awhile before she awakens, you haven't eaten today, what would you like?"

"Mm I don't feel hungry right now."

Jian pursed his lips at her answer and whipped out his phone. Chang's attention was on her mother waiting for her to wake up, she was so nervous but so excited. From the rollercoaster of emotions she had just been through, Chang felt exhausted and layed her head down nestled in her arms, on her mother's bedside.