Chapter 478 Almost Too Late

All I could do was nod my head as I felt Ace loop an arm around my shoulders to support me up. Everything felt like a blur, and I couldn’t think straight. All the ominous thoughts that ran through my head were too distracting. Ace led me to the car and then we were on our way to see my mother at the hospital.

“It’s going to be alright, Rina. We’ll get to the hospital soon and then we can talk to the doctor about your mother’s condition,” Ace said calmly as he continued driving.

Ace said something of that effect time and time again as he assured me repeatedly that everything was going to be fine. I prayed that nothing was seriously wrong with my mother. We just visited her not so long ago and she seemed fine. I promised that I would go back to see her soon and more often. Back then, I had no idea that something like this would happen and now I was scared that everything just might be too late. The feeling of guilt overwhelmed me, and I realized that I would never forgive myself if something were to happen to my mother. It just felt like it was my fault, and I couldn’t stop blaming myself.

“Rina, calm down. Your mother will be fine,” Ace said reassuringly.

“I’m sorry..” I muttered before I started sobbing out loud.

I could no longer hold it and I had already started weeping. Although I didn’t know just how bad my mother’s condition was, I still felt so guilty for being so far away and not being there to take care of her. Ace reached for my hand and took it in his before giving it a little squeeze.

“If you’re going to cry, you better do it now. When we get to the hospital, you’ll have to be focused..” he told me calmly.

“Ok..” I murmured.

..

“Rina..”

I had never felt so happy to hear my mother call my name. Even though her voice was raspy and soft, the way she called my name sounded like music to my ears. By the time we arrived at the hospital, my mother had already regained consciousness. She looked tired and had unhealthy dark circles underneath her eyes. I quickly sat down on the stool next to her hospital bed before taking her hands into my own.

“Mum, how are you feeling? What happened?” I asked as I tried to stop tears from welling up in my eyes.

“I don’t know. I guess I was just tired,” she replied before smiling at me.

“Auntie gave me a call. We tried to come as fast as we could. Thank heavens you are ok..” I said before bending down to give her a hug. historical

“I’m fine now. I just feel a little tired,” she said as she stroked my back.

When I got the call, I had imagined that my mother to be in much worst shape. When I saw that she was conscious and still able to exchange conversation with me, I felt quite relieved. However, I still needed to talk to the doctor to find out what exactly was wrong with my mother. After chatting with her for a bit, I excused myself to go talk to the doctor in charge of my mother’s case.

“I’ll be right back. Please stay with Auntie for now,” I told her with a smile.

I followed Ace into the doctor’s office where he was waiting for us. After greeting us briefly, the doctor went right into my mother’s case. I could tell that he was very busy and that he needed to get right to the point, which was also what I wanted.

“It’s nothing serious. She probably felt dizzy and fainted because of accumulated fatigue. Stress might have played a factor in what happened as well. Then again, this can happen sometimes because of her age,” he explained.

“I see..” I murmured.

“I’ve already given her some vitamins and nutrients that should help through the IV drip so she should be fine after some good rest,” the doctor told us.

“Thank you very much, doctor,” Ace thanked him politely.

“Thank you for your help,” I murmured.

We left the office after the doctor explained a little more on how we should take care of my mother. I was relieved that it wasn’t something serious; however, it quickly dawned on me that something like this could happen again. My mother wasn’t going to get any younger as the days went by. There was no guarantee that she would not faint or get ill again while she was living alone.

“You should go and spend some time with your mother. Don’t take too long, we should probably leave her to get some rest,” Ace advised.

“You’re right. Thank you..” I thanked him again.

I felt like I needed to thank him not just for driving me all the way to the hospital but also for being the calm and collected one. While I was losing it, Ace remained level-headed and helped guide me through what had to be done.

“Let’s just stay at my mother’s place or a hotel somewhere nearby here,” I suggested.

It was late and I didn’t want to burden Ace with the trouble of driving back. We didn’t pack anything because we were in a rush, but I was sure that we could survive one night.

“I’m fine if that’s what you want to do. Should we head to your mother’s house or a hotel?” he asked.

“Let’s go to a hotel..” I replied while thinking that it would be easier that way.

Auntie had volunteered to stay in the hospital with my mother. Although I wanted to stay, my mother was adamant that I should head back with Ace. Not wanting to argue with her, I decided to take my leave after telling her that I would be back to visit her tomorrow.

“She should be discharged tomorrow. You don’t have to look so worried, Rina,” Ace said as he wrapped an arm supportively around my shoulders.

--To be continued..