Together Forever

Chapter 21.1

Final Chapter

Vital signs monitor, intravenous infusion pump, ventilator, syringe pump ... The green lights of these various pieces of equipment were flashing. There were doctors and nurses, garbed in isolation gowns, discussing in low tones and checking the numbers on the equipment.

All these had once been very familiar to him.

This was the hospital he and his mother had once worked in, and therefore, his access to and time in the ICU were not being restricted.

He waited until the elderly man was sound asleep before he stepped into the isolation change room outside the ICU and removed his isolation attire.

"The chief physicians of the various departments are all carefully keeping watch on Elder Gu's sickness. Nephrology even brought over 301 Hospital's [301 Military Hospital] Dong Changting. He's considered an authoritative voice and leading professor at the transplant centre." Beside him, the doctor who had always had quite a good relationship with him, Doctor Liao, was speaking in a quiet voice. "The situation may not be considered a good one, but you were in this profession before and should be able to accept whatever comes."

When Dong Changting came today, he had arranged ahead of time to have dinner with Gu Pingsheng.

Gu Pingsheng purposely did not show up.

In regards to this person, Gu Pingsheng had probably let go of all resentment toward him after his teenage years. As a young child, when he returned to China with his mother, he had still held some expectations and hope in his heart, and after time and again missing chances to see him, some bitterness had even started to build.

And hidden behind that bitterness were actually very clear and evident feelings of insecurity and inferiority.

To a teenager, the term, "father," itself, encompassed a power within it that could not be suppressed. Furthermore, that man truly was very outstanding, so outstanding that a sense of inadequacy and low self-esteem from being rejected had been produced in Gu Pingsheng, a mere ordinary Catholic school student at the time.

But after navigating through that age of feeling bewildered and hesitant about the future, the power held by that word had naturally dissipated.

Without answering, he handed the isolation gown to a young nurse. There were traces of dampness on his body from perspiration.

"Why hasn't your wife come all this time?" Doctor Liao also handed his gown over.

"We haven't officially gotten married yet, so it's not very suitable."

"Back when I was on internship with you, you could be considered the beau of the faculty. I never would have thought you'd be enchanted by a young girl." Doctor Liao let out a chuckle. "But that little girl really is a great girl. Just look at the divorce rates after SARS. This type of thing is not something that you can just say you've accepted it and then it happens. I'll say, what are you waiting for, not getting married all this time?"

"She hasn't graduated from university yet." His tone when he answered was placid as still waters. "After she has successfully graduated, we will marry."

Doctor Liao gave an "oh" and pressed the switch that controlled the glass door.

When the door slowly opened, he at last finished his musings, and with a faint smile, he patted Gu Pingsheng. "Born in the '90s?"

This question really did leave Gu Pingsheng taken aback.

After he had walked out of the hospital and sat into a taxi, he thought about that phrase again.