he next day, I went to the hospital to meet with Julian. He seemed mildly irritated that Jill had entioned the new drug to me.
he can’t even tell the difference between cold medicine and antibiotics, yet she recommended you for is trial?” he muttered, flipping through my test results quickly before taking off his glasses.
va, the radiation exposure from the quarry has had a significant impact on your body. It’s not looking
jod.”
was the first time I’d seen him without them. His expression grew more serious, making him look even ore professional.
s bluntness hit me hard, and I sat there nervously. “Is my cancer going to relapse?”
‘s not certain, but the probability is high,” he said, not sugarcoating the situation. He pointed out several oubling indicators in my test results, and I felt the hope slowly drain out of me.
had thought my body would hold up long enough to at least uncover the truth about my father’s death. it now, it seemed like just staying alive was going to be a struggle.
our body’s too weak. The chemotherapy, combined with the radiation exposure from the stones, has ken a toll on you,” Julian explained.
ight now, it’s like you’re a software with too many bugs. It’s still running, but at any moment, it could
ash.”
e paused, then added, “I recommend you be hospitalized for 24/7 monitoring. If anything happens, we’ll
tch it immediately, and I’ll be here to handle it.”
ilian didn’t usually speak this gravely, and I knew my condition was worse than I had thought.
had read up on this after the incident, learning that workers exposed to the same type of radiation from ose stones often developed leukemia or cancer.
‘en though my exposure was brief, my weakened immune system made me highly susceptible to more
image.
è didn’t rush me for an answer, giving me time to process it. I should have talked through this decision th someone, but in reality, there wasn’t anyone I could confide in.
ter a moment of silence, I shook my head. “I can’t be hospitalized.”
was a firm line I couldn’t cross. If I were admitted, Leonard would find out everything.
orse, once my illness became public, it would limit my ability to investigate my father’s death.
lian thought for a moment before pulling out a file.
his is the new drug I’ve been working on in my Melgrove lab. It’s still in clinical trials, but it might help tigate some of the effects of the radiation.”
ut…” he continued, pointing to a section in the file. “There are side effects.”
quinted at the unfamiliar medical terms, trying to decipher the risks.
he side effects could include nausea, dizziness, nosebleeds, and, in some cases, potential nervous stem complications. But the specifics are still unknown.”
ould it trigger a third relapse?” I asked cautiously.
Chapter 131 Too Heavy to Carry
2/2
“The chances are very low. This drug is designed to combat radiation effects, not cancer recurrence.”
Relief washed over me. If Julian said the odds were low, then I trusted him. He was cautious but thorough.
“Alright, I’ll try it,” I agreed. If it gave me a shot at avoiding another relapse, it was worth it. Cancer treatments always came with risks, and at this point, I had little to lose.
After signing the consent forms, I left his office, planning how to manage my schedule for the twice- weekly hospital visits.
But as I walked out, I caught sight of Alisa practically collapsing into Leonard’s arms. He was struggling to hold her up, looking visibly uncomfortable.
Alisa noticed me first and clung tighter to Leonard, draping her arms around his neck.
“Leonard, can’t you carry me like they do in those romantic shows? You know, like a princess carry?” she whined, clearly playing up the damsel act.
Leonard’s face flushed, and he looked completely flustered. His voice wavered as he awkwardly stammered, “Uh, I’m sorry, but, uh, I’m not really into weightlifting… And, uh, your weight-”
He immediately tried to backtrack, realizing how his words sounded.
“I–I mean, it’s not that you’re heavy! It’s just, uh, I’m a bit weak… yeah, that’s it! I’m weak. It’s not you!”
