Chapter 5 Ch 5.

Doctor's office.

"So...how long have you known about his kidney disease?" the doctor asked.

Mom turned to me with a deep frown, she turned back to the doctor and shook her head.

"My husband doesn't have a kidney disease, he's just suffering from asthma" she said.

"Asthma?" the doctor asked.

"Yeah" mom replied.

The doctor frown, he shifted his gaze to me and stared at me questioningly.

"Is that what Mr Marco had been telling you? That he's suffering from asthma?" he asked us, me precisely.

I sighed.

"Yeah, that's what he told us, but I accidentally stumbled upon his medical report a few days back and found out about his kidney disease" I said.

He nodded, while mom gave me a surprised look. I know she's about to explode, so I gently massage her shoulders to calm her down...but as expected, the massage didn't help much.

"You knew about your father's condition all along? You knew he's being lying to me?"

"Mom...."

"Collaborated with him to feed me with lies? Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?" she interrupted me.

"We lied to you for your own good, you know...."

"Don't tell me it's for my own good, has his condition improve since you were hiding it?"

The doctor cleared his throat, which drew mom's attention from me.

"Mrs Marco, now's not the right time to cast blames" he said.

Mom shrugged my hands off her, she folded her arms on her chest and leaned back on the chair, with a grumpy expression on.

"I should be honest with you, Mrs Marco..."

He paused and searched his drawers, then pulled out a blue file and pushed it towards mom.

Mom doesn't look like she's ready to check it out, so I reached for it instead and flipped it open and glanced through it.

"... that's your husband's medical report, his condition is getting worse each day..."

He paused and opened another file in front of him, a small frown appeared on his face as he read it.

"...based on our tests today, we found out that his kidney can't be saved anymore and he's gonna need a transplant now"

"A transplant?" Mom and I asked at once.

"Yeah, he's hide this disease for too long, hence treatment has been delayed which caused a lot of damage to his kidney already"

Mom and I exchanged looks, I believe we're both thinking the same thing right now... Money!

"His life is on the line now and the only way to save him is having this transplant, I'd advise we start making arrangements for his surgery as soon as possible" he said.

"But having a transplant, isn't that gonna cost a lot?" I asked.

"Hmm" he shook his head. "It's not that much"

"Like how much?" we asked at once again.

He smiled.

"$12,000,000" he said casually.

"$12,000,000?!" we exclaimed loudly.

We exchange looks, then turned to him.

I shakily dropped the file I was holding and sat on the chair next to mom, I suddenly felt cold and began shivering.

"$12,000,000? Is that what you call not much?" mom asked him.

"Hm" he hummed.

I took deep breaths to calm down, but it wasn't working, it felt as if I'm having a hypertension.

"Doctor, that's a lot of money, is there no other way?" I asked.

"No, the transplant must be done or I'm afraid, you're gonna get yourself ready for his....funeral" he mentioned the last part almost inaudibly.

Mom glared at him for talking about dad's funeral, while he's still alive.

I quickly reached for my phone and checked my account balance, my shoulders slumped in disappointment at the amount I saw.

It's $1,590,000, that's the only money I have, that's my whole life's savings. Where on earth can I get the rest money from?

"Can we get a cheaper one, doc?" I asked.

"Hmm" he hummed.

Mom and I stared at him anxiously, praying he'd say yes and lessen our worry but...

"No" his words broke our hearts. "We don't have a donor yet, we only have cheaper ones when there's a donor" he explained.

There was total silence as neither mom nor I have nothing to say, we're just too frustrated to think.

"Is there really, really no other way?" Mom asked him again.

"No, he must undergo surgery as soon as possible" the doctor repeated his words from earlier.

Why is this happening now? Where will get such a huge amount of money? I mean, I can't make such amount even if I sell myself.

What should I do now?

"Doc, how much time do we have left?" I asked.

"Er... according to our observation, your dad has very limited time" he paused.

My palms were already sweating as I was so nervous, I was scared he'd say dad had only two weeks left, or worse two days.

"Your dad have three months left, but he should stay at the hospital for observation and treatment for those three months..."

He looked between mom and I.

"...we can try our best to keep him alive for three months, that's the least we can do for him" he said.

I nodded quickly.

"Thank you, doctor"

He replied me with a smile, then turned his attention to mom. I also turned to her, only to find her crying.

"Mom, it's fine" I comforted her.

"Did you hear the doctor, Perry?"

"I did, mom"

"He said your dad has only three months, three months" she lamented. "From where do you expect us to get $12,000,000 in three months? How are we gonna save him when we're this broke?" she cried harder.

Not knowing what to do, I got up and hugged her closely and let her cry for some time.

"Mom, it's ok, let's go see dad first and think of how to raise fund for his surgery"

"Why is this happening to us right now, Perry?"

"It's fine, mom, what's done is done" I said.

She shook her head in disagreement, she doesn't look like she's willing to get up, she's so downhearted.

I tried my best and pulled her up, wrapped an arm around her waist to support her.

"Mom, let's go see dad, he's still alive"

"Alive?" she scoffed. "You called his condition being alive?"

"Let's be positive, dad's gonna be fine, we're gonna save him" I comforted her more.

Mom didn't say anything, she simply turned and headed towards the door. I faced the doctor and smiled at him.

"We're leaving now" I told him.

"Alright, do get some rest too"

"Huh?"

"You look tired, get some rest or you might break down, we don't want that right?"

"Yeah, I will, thanks" I said and rushed after mom.