Deer Luhan, With Love

81

Chapter 81 – In Which I Almost Die Again

Deer Luhan,

Hospital sucks.  Have I ever mentioned that hospital sucks?

Leigh

I could actually understand most of what the doctors were saying when I came to.  A little surprised, I opened my eyes to stare.

It was a big mistake.  They really hurt.

My yelp of pain must have attracted attention, because hands grabbed my wrists to stop me from rubbing at my eyes.

“No, honey, leave them alone.  If your eyes hurt, don’t touch them.”

That gave me pause.  After a moment or so, I consented to having my arms lowered, and I inched my eyes open, only to shut them again quickly at the pain.  But I’d been able to get a glimpse of the two nurses hovering over me.

“You’re not Chinese,” I said dumbly.

“No, honey—”

“You’re English.  You’re even speaking English.”

“That’s right, sweetheart.  You were air-ambulanced in from a hospital in Changsha just a couple of hours ago.”

I frowned.  I wanted to open my eyes to give whichever nurse had spoken a quizzical look, but the idea of feeling like my eye was being stabbed again wasn’t really one that appealed.

“Where am I, then?”

“This is University College Hospital, London.  We’d like to get in contact with your parents, sweetheart.  We weren’t given a nearest of kin contact number.”

“My dad’s a doctor.”  I could feel my consciousness slipping.  “Works at Morfield’s.”

“Can you give us a name, number, anything?  We were asked to contact your family when you arrived, but we currently have no way of doing that.”

I managed to give them my dad’s mobile number.  I wasn’t totally sure if it was correct, because it felt kind of like I was still on very strong painkillers.  Just before I slipped back into oblivion, I heard one of the nurses say to the other, “Her right eye didn’t look at all healthy.  We should probably make sure that gets checked.”

My dad’s voice was the first thing that filtered into my consciousness when I next woke up.

“Morning, sweetcakes,” he greeted me when I groaned and tilted my head to the side, this time remembering not to open my eyes.  “How are you feeling?”

“Rotten,” I grumbled.

“I’m not surprised.  You nearly killed yourself falling out of bed, you know.”

I looked at him in shock and promptly yelped, snapping my eyes shut again.  He smoothed my hair away from my forehead.

“How did you know?” I demanded.

“I’m a doctor.  I can see your medical records, and that was the reason they listed behind putting you into surgery yet again.  You had to get another blood transfusion, Leigh.  What have I told you about exerting yourself when you’re ill?”

I squirmed sheepishly.

“They put you out for a while so they could run some tests,” he added.  “Fortunately all the surgery over in China was well done, so they’re not going to have to open you up again unless you get peritonitis, which could well happen with the amount of abuse your abdomen has been on the receiving end of.  You’re exceptionally lucky you didn’t get any organs removed.  It’s the third time your spleen has ruptured and I gather it was only because of Luhan insisiting that they bothered trying to save it this time around.”