Toward the end, Layla was sobbing so hard that she could no longer speak, and Ivy immediately wiped away her tears with a tissue. "Don't cry, Layla. You are both fine... you are both alive! You will soon be discharged, and Uncle Eric is going to get better," Ivy said. "This kind of disaster won't happen again. Once Uncle Eric gets better, our parents won't be opposed to the idea of you marrying him anymore.""Ivy, I don't think he's in that good a state..." Layla had been with Eric the entire time, and she knew how close to death Eric was. "He gave me his jacket and was only wearing a really thin sweater. It was so cold, and he was wearing so little. He never intended to survive and told me that it would take some time for rescue to come, so I needed to survive until then..."Ivy started sobbing as well. "Layla, I thought that Uncle Eric was a great person, but after what happened, I realize he is so much more than that. He has a tender heart and a beautiful soul. Once he recovers,
ECMO stood for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and it was a machine that was designed to be used on patients suffering from severe dysfunction of their hearts and lungs.When the patient's lungs and heart could no longer function independently, the doctor would use an ECMO machine to help the patient circulate their blood and air. The machine was meant to take the place of the heart and lungs. It helps keep the patient alive, but since it is an extremely expensive procedure, ordinary people would never be able to afford it.Though Eric did not have to worry about the cost of such treatment, the treatment itself would be a challenging ordeal. The machine could be used to ensure the patient stayed alive, but he would not be able to open his eyes or talk like a living person if he were to rely on that machine. Eric would be no better than a copse, and if Layla had known that, she would definitely have broken down. Ivy looked up the term and fell silent after reading the descr
Layla turned to Ivy. "Ivy, go home! You've already wasted a lot of time staying by my side.""I can always get a tutor afterward, Layla. I want to stay with you.""I'm better now," Layla said and glanced at Robert. "Robert, take Ivy back. The two of you need to go back to school.""Let us stay with you for a few more days!" Robert said."I'm fine. Besides, I have Mom, Dad, and Hayden with me.""Fine!" Robert said in resignation. "But we are still coming to Bridgedale with you because I want to see Uncle Eric."Layla did not argue further.The four boarded a private jet and arrived at Bridgedale ten hours later.Once they arrived at Avery's house, she grabbed Layla by the arm and studied her up and down."Mom, I'm really fine. I felt weak at first, but they dripped me for three days in a row, so I'm much better now," Layla said. "How is Eric doing, Mom?"Knowing that Layla would ask about Eric, Avery had already prepared her answer ahead of time. "He needs a new heart and lung
"You and Ivy are going back on the private jet, and I'm staying here with Layla. Remember to keep an eye on Ivy once you get home. I don't know when I can come back," Elliot said.Ivy was standing next to them as Elliot spoke to Robert."I will take good care of Ivy," Robert promised."Go to sleep and head back tomorrow!" Considering how long they had spent on the plane, Elliot said, "Call me if anything happens. Do not make the call without consulting me.""I know, Dad."Elliot then turned to Ivy and said, "Ivy, don't worry about a thing and focus on your studies. Once things start to look up over here, we will come home."Ivy nodded and said, "Did the doctor tell us to hire a psychologist for Layla?""We will talk to Layla about this. Your mom will talk to her."Ivy nodded. "Dad, you have gray hair." Ivy was standing close to Elliot and could see everything.Elliot knew it but did not mind.Avery walked over and ran her fingers through his hair. "I will buy hair dye tomorro
Mike burst out laughing. "It's probably the same concept as polishing a shoe.""Dyeing someone's hair is definitely going to be more difficult than that," Chad said. "But Avery is a smart woman so she should be alright as long as she followed the instructions."Elliot shuddered."Mom, why don't you just take Dad to a salon? Your hands might get dirty," Hayden suggested.Hayden had always been skillful with his words when he wanted to be. He was concerned that Avery would fail but simply said that he did not want Avery to get her hands dirty."Your mom wants to do it for your dad. Don't you know what this is?" Mike threw his arm around Hayden's shoulders and said, "It's called 'spicing things up'. You don't have a girlfriend, so you won't understand."Hayden responded to his sarcasm with silence."It's getting late, so Chad and I will leave now," Mike blurted out before Hayden had the chance to retort.Avery saw them out the door and returned to the house before asking Hayden, "
"Layla, Uncle Eric won't be mad at you when he wakes up. He is going to be over the moon when he sees that you are doing perfectly fine." Ivy wanted Layla to remember how Eric felt about her when he saved her life.Layla smiled when Ivy said that Eric would wake up. "I will wait for him to open his eyes."After taking a shower, the two went back to the living room and saw Avery dyeing Elliot's hair, while Robert assisted her."Are you nervous, Dad?" Ivy walked over and watched Avery.Elliot had been nervous, but he decided to abandon his fear after a while. Avery did not have any experience when it came to dying hair, but once she figured it out, she would know what to do. "Dye it black. Even if she fails, it won't be that bad," Elliot said. "When we grow old and have gray hair, your mom will still have to dye it for me again anyway. She will become an expert soon."Ivy was moved by his answer."And what if Mom has gray hair? Will you dye it for Mom?""I'm fine with it if yo
Avery tapped Layla on the shoulder. "Let's go out!"Layla remained frozen in place and could not hear a word that she was saying, so Avery took her hand and pulled her out of the intensive care ward before helping Layla remove her protective equipment. "Don't cry, Layla. He will get better," Avery said. "This is just temporary. Once he gets the surgery he needs, he won't have to rely on the machines."Layla threw herself into her mother's arms and broke down in tears. "Mom, you have to save him... There's still so much that I need to say to him...""I know." Avery ran her hand down Layla's back. "He has done our family a great favor, and we are all grateful, so we are doing whatever it takes to find a matching donor... Once we find one, Eric will get better.""How can we speed up the process, Mom?" Layla desperately wanted to help, no matter the cost."Layla, I know that you are anxious. So am I, but you don't come across a matching donor with just money. We are already searchin
"My aunt used to be the host of a TV show, but she quit after she fell ill. She works as a tutor now, but she is quite picky with who she teaches. I majored in broadcasting because of her. I've always looked up to her," the girl said."I picked this major because of my respect for a certain broadcaster as well," Ivy said."Oh? Who is it?"Ivy did not know what to say because the broadcaster she respected was from Taronia.All the shows she had watched and the news she had consumed had come from Taronia, so she did not know much about broadcasters or television hosts in Aryadelle."I don't know her name," Ivy lied."Ivy, you never join any gatherings. Do you not like going to gatherings, or does your family forbid you from going? It is quite a lot to stay in the residences near our campus, so your family must be quite rich!""No, my family doesn't care about that. I just don't like gatherings. I would join if those activities hold credits, though.""Hahaha! You are so funny. The