Chapter 250 Fractured Arm
Stephanie was discharged after just two days in the hospital. Other than looking a little worn-out, she was making good progress in her recovery.
Since her return from the hospital, her attitude toward Amelia saw a complete change. She was polite and respectful, and she even took pains to show deference to her sister-in-law in all their interactions. The change was embraced by some people around them just as much as it was detested by others.
Olivia believed that her daughter had truly repented, and she was happy to see Stephanie and Amelia get along. On the other hand, Amelia was annoyed about the false front Stephanie was putting on. However, she kept her true feelings to herself and was always civil to Stephanie in front of Oscar’s parents.
The family enjoyed relative peace for the next three days in this state of artificial harmony.
The next morning, Amelia asked for a chair to be moved to the side of the lake. She wanted to kick back and enjoy a leisurely morning with some tea and snacks.
Ever since she found out that she might lose her sight, she had learned to appreciate the things around her more. Every flower, every tree, and every blade of grass was more exquisite than ever. Things she used to take for granted now seemed to hold special meaning by their very existence. Even the ability to enjoy basking in the sun was a luxury.
However, Amelia’s moment of tranquility was broken by the sound of her phone ringing. It was a call from Tiffany.
“Hey, Tiff,” Amelia said upon picking up her phone.
“Are you up?”
“I’ve been up since seven,” Amelia answered chirpily. “Have you finished your manuscript? You’ve gotten up quite early today.”
“Just finished it yesterday. Finally managed to catch some sleep last night.” Tiffany felt better after discerning no unhappiness in Amelia’s voice. “Dr. Leonard wants us to go in for a review today. You should go and get ready.”
Amelia was not keen on the idea at all. “Tiff, let’s postpone it. The fate of my eyes has already been sealed. Going for reviews is not going to change anything.”
“No can do! We can’t take things too lightly. Let’s go for the review and ask when you can undergo the surgery for the blood clot in your brain. We should not delay it any longer,” Tiffany stated firmly.
After thinking for a moment, Amelia relented, saying with a sigh, “All right.”
“Good, I’ll pick you up in a while.”
“No need. I’ll ask John to give me a ride to town. I’ll meet you there.”
“Okay, see you in a while then.”
After ending the call, Amelia shifted her gaze back to the tranquil lake in front of her. Unbeknownst to her, Stephanie was standing behind her, absorbed in her thoughts about what she had just overheard.
Amelia tarried for a few minutes before she went back inside the house. After getting dressed and saying a quick goodbye to Olivia, she got in the car and went to town with John.
Stephanie followed behind in her car, keeping a safe distance from the car John was driving.
“John, thanks for the ride. Please drive carefully on your way back,” Amelia said when they reached town.
The chauffeur nodded. “Please give me a call once you’re done, Ms. Amelia. I’ll come back and pick you up.”
“No need for that. My friend will send me back.” With that, Amelia hopped into Tiffany’s car, which had already been waiting for her by the roadside. Fastening her seatbelt, she told the other woman, “Let’s go.”
Tiffany started to drive off, and the car that was trailing behind hers followed suit.
Inside the car, Tiffany asked, “Did you sleep well last night?”
Amelia nodded in response.
“Did you experience any discomfort in your eyes the past few days?” Tiffany asked again.
“I experienced blurred vision a few times the day before yesterday. Other than that, everything’s fine. I also don’t wake up with a start so often anymore.”
“That’s good to hear.”
After about half an hour’s drive, they arrived at the Provincial Hospital. Tiffany parked her car and entered the hospital with Amelia.
Inside the car that had been tailing them, Stephanie was looking at the words “Provincial Hospital” in puzzlement. She could not fathom what had brought Amelia to this place. Logically, if Amelia needs any medical consultation, she should be going to the Principal General Hospital. It’s the right thing to do since the Clintons and the Lancesters are longtime friends. If Tiffany is not the one seeking medical consultation, something fishy must be going on.
Excited at the thought of potential drama, Stephanie hopped off her car and followed them in sneakily. She soon found herself at the entrance of the neurology department.
The woman frowned as she stared at the sign at the entrance, her mind churning with possibilities.
She hurriedly picked up her phone and dialed a number. “Lincoln, it’s me, Stephanie. You know the Deputy Chief of Provincial Hospital, don’t you?”
Lincoln said something in reply that seemed to irritate Stephanie. “Cut the crap. I need you to get the medical history of one particular patient. Take it as a favor I’ll owe you. I’ll give you money if that’s what you want. But I’m warning you, don’t have any designs on me. You know what I’m capable of.”
After a short wait, she said, “Yes, that’s it. I’ll send you her name and photo. Remember to get it done quickly. I need this information urgently. Once you’ve settled this for me, I’ll owe you a huge favor.”
After she ended the call, Stephanie kept her phone aside and cast another glance on the closed doors in front of her. A sly smile crept across her face as she turned and left.
Behind the closed doors, Amelia and Tiffany sat on the edge of their seats with a somber look on their faces, unaware of what Stephanie was plotting.
Noticing their anxiety, Dr. Leonard could not help but laugh and say, “Don’t be so nervous. Try to relax.”
Tiffany asked, “Dr. Leonard, I have a question. Based on Amelia’s condition, when is the best time for her to undergo surgery?”
“Ms. Winters’ condition is rather peculiar. We need to come up with a complete surgical plan to treat it. Her blood clot is located right next to several cranial nerves. Any slight miscalculation could lead to massive bleeding in her brain. The risk is very high. We will talk about surgery later. Let’s start with the checkup first.”
Amelia nodded meekly upon hearing him.
She was then led through a battery of tests by the nurse. After that, Dr. Leonard looked at the report and asked, “Ms. Winters, have you been experiencing any headaches recently?”
“The headaches come at night and wake me up every couple of hours. The quality of my sleep is poorer than before,” Amelia answered truthfully.
Dr. Leonard nodded, more to himself than her, before continuing, “How are your eyes?”
Amelia described her condition factually.
“Alright, that’s all for today. You may go back first. I’ll discuss this in a meeting with the doctors from other hospitals. Remember to take the medicine that I have prescribed for you. They can help alleviate your blurred vision temporarily,” Dr. Leonard said.
“Yes, Dr. Leonard. I will,” Amelia replied as she took to leave.
“Babe, are you all right?” Tiffany immediately asked as the two of them started walking out of the hospital.
Casting a glance at Tiffany, Amelia answered casually, “I’m fine. Oh, I suddenly have a craving for fried chicken. Tiff, can you come with me? I’m feeling a little peckish.”
“You really want to eat fried chicken?”
Amelia nodded her head.
“Fine, let’s eat to our hearts’ content today.”
As they were walking down the stairs, Amelia’s vision suddenly blurred, causing her to miss a step. Tiffany froze in shock as she watched her friend tumble down the stairs.
Running after her friend, Tiffany shouted, “Amelia!”
The woman rushed forward as Amelia landed at the bottom of the stairs. She squatted down beside her friend, wishing she could comfort her but not daring to touch her in case it hurt.
Amelia remained in a daze as she lay on the ground like a rag doll, with pain shooting through every part of her body.
“Amelia, are you all right?” Tiffany asked anxiously.
Some passers-by started walking over and chipped in, “Miss, are you all right?”
The nurses from the hospital soon heard about what happened and arrived on the scene with a stretcher. They placed Amelia on it and moved her into the hospital in a hurry.
After a detailed examination, the woman was found to have a serious fracture on her arm.
Her arm was bandaged up, and there were also many abrasions on her legs. Her face was pale due to all the pain she was experiencing.
“Does it really hurt?” Tiffany asked, her heart aching for her friend.
At that, Amelia shook her head slightly.
“I’m fine, Tiff. Don’t worry about me,” she said reassuringly.
Tiffany was guilt-stricken. “Babe, I’m so sorry. I should have walked beside you to help you down the stairs.”
Amelia shook her head with a smile on her face. Inside, her heart was in turmoil. She had not expected her condition to be so serious. She felt bad that she was already creating trouble for the people around her even before she had lost her sight.
Seeming to notice Amelia’s sorrow, Tiffany clutched her friend’s hand and said, “Amelia, don’t overthink things. It was just an accident.”
With a bitter smile, the injured woman muttered, “I’m fine.”
Tiffany did not know what else to say. Faced with so many setbacks, it was understandable that Amelia would be going through an emotional roller-coaster, no matter how resilient she was.
“Tiff, I’m fine, really. I just don’t know how to explain things to Oscar. Should I say I fell down the stairs because I wasn’t paying attention to where I was walking?” No one would be fooled by such an excuse.
“Why don’t I go back with you? Just say it was my fault that you got hurt. Oscar and I are already at loggerheads anyway. It won’t hurt for me to chalk up one more offense,” Tiffany suggested.
Immediately, Amelia shook her head. “It’s okay. You’ve chalked up enough offenses against Oscar on my account. I’ll explain my injuries to him myself. Don’t get yourself involved.”
After some consideration, Tiffany decided to rest her case.
After collecting the medicine, she helped Amelia walk out of the hospital carefully. She also helped her into the car and fastened the seatbelt for her.
“Tiff, you are being too careful. I only fractured my arm. I’m not handicapped. You really don’t have to help me do so many things.”
Tiffany did not respond.
She got into the driver’s seat and started driving.
Tiffany was silent throughout the journey. Casting a glance at her, Amelia wanted to start a conversation but decided not to after some consideration. Instead, she kept quiet and let the tension continue to simmer in the car.
They drove in silence until they arrived at the Clinton residence. Tiffany got out of the driver’s seat to open the door for Amelia and unfastened her seatbelt for her. Then, she carefully helped Amelia out of the car.
Olivia, who was on the phone, hung up immediately upon seeing Amelia enter the house with her arm in a bandage. She hurried toward them.
“Amelia, what happened to you? You’ve only gone out for a while. How did you end up with all these injuries?” Olivia asked with a concerned look on her face.
The woman sat on the sofa and answered with a smile, “Mom, I’m all right. I accidentally fell down the stairs and fractured my arm. I’ll recover soon enough. Don’t be too worried about me.”
Sounding both deeply concerned and slightly angry, Olivia said, “Your arm is fractured, yet you still insist you’re fine. Your body has been weak ever since you got into that accident. Now, you’ve got yourself injured. When can I ever stop worrying about you, my child?”
Amelia listened in silence as the woman continued to nag her.
