A Wound that Never Heals
Chapter 134

Chapter 134

Chapter 134 Let Her Go

Darlene had been unconscious for the entire night. By the time she woke up the next day, it was alreadyclose to noon.

Avery adopted Seth’s suggestion. Other than taking her for a physical examination, he took her for apsychological one as well.

The result was out in the afternoon. When Leana came to the ward with the psychological diagnosisresults, her face was solemn.

When she came in, Darlene had eaten something and had fallen asleep again.

Leana handed the results in her hand to Avery, who was sitting by the bed, and said, “She had a relapseof depression. And Mr. Gallard, I think you know why.

“Patients with heart failure should avoid great mood swings the most, and patients with depression aremost prone to emotional instability. Mr. Gallard, my advice is that if you don’t want her to die, you’d betterrespect her own choices so that she can feel

better.”

Avery took the results, and his voice was obviously skeptical. “She was reviewed not long ago, and thediagnosis was that her depression had been cured. How long has it

been?”

Leana was a bit speechless for a second, and then she explained, “Depression is similar to manyphysical diseases. She might behave normally temporarily, but if she gets agitated, she may still have arelapse.

“Her relapse has just started. If she gets stimulated again, it is entirely possible that her depression willcontinue to worsen, as will her heart failure.”

Avery looked at Leana and did not speak for a few seconds. He was suspecting her.

Leana sneered and closed the medical record folder in her hand, “I am only telling you about the resultsand offering my suggestions.

“Mr. Gallard, if you don’t believe me, feel free to replace someone else to examine her. Or you can justpretend that she is fine. It’s all up to you.”

She sounded sarcastic, “After all, you didn’t believe her the last time Ms. Garcia was diagnosed withdepression, right?

“Back then, your beloved woman, Ms. Sheridan, colluded with Dr. Hansen in claiming that I wasfabricating the results and lying. Now that the same thing happens again, of course, it is understandablethat you do not believe me.”

Avery didn’t like others to mention his foolish past, and his face became cold. “I see. You may get on withyour work.”

Leana was obviously not interested in talking to him, and she did not expect to change

his mind.

She left while glancing at Darlene on the bed with some sympathy.

Leana thought, I feel bad for Darlene. As a heart failure patient, she is already miserable enough, andnow she has a relapse of depression no less. No one is there to help her, and I wonder how many daysshe has left.

Maybe Nathen can be of help? But I’m afraid that his possessiveness might be a bit too excessive. Iknow about it better than anyone else.

Maybe he can give Darlene a hand. However, even if she leaves with him, things might not get better forher.

Avery sat by the bed. Once Leana left, the ward became quiet again.

He turned the results over and over, clenching his palms slowly.

The matching heart for her still hadn’t turned up. She could continue to rely on. medicine or implant anartificial heart.

He grabbed Darlene’s hand which was hanging by the bedside into his palm. Her wrist was so bony andfragile that it seemed that he could break it without even having to

exert force.

She could not afford to have great mood swings. However, people with depression had

no way to maintain a stable mood.

Perhaps there was a way, yet the premise was that he let her go. Avery refused to think about thatpossibility because he didn’t want her to go.

He put her hand back into the quilt, got up, and went to Giovanni.

Giovanni was still in the office. When he saw Avery come in, he had already known the

reason.

Darlene’s tests were back. She had terminal heart failure. At best, she only had about

two months left.

The implantation of an artificial heart, in her case, would be very tricky.

Avery sat down on the chair opposite Giovanni, his face slightly tense. “Maybe we should give it a go. Dowe have to go abroad if we go the artificial heart way? Mr. Dawson, do you know any reliable hospital ordoctor in this area?”

Giovanni was silent for a long time. He clicked on a video of a simulated artificial heart transplant on hislaptop, reversed the laptop screen, and placed the laptop in front of

Avery.

Giovanni’s voice was solemn. “Watch this video first. If it were that simple, many patients with advancedheart disease would have chosen an artificial heart already. Moreover, artificial heart technology is notvery mature either at home or abroad.”

Avery looked at the video. After the patient’s own heart was removed, two artificial chambers wereimplanted into the patient’s chest, connecting to a large air pump. outside the body by connecting tubesthrough the body’s chest wall.

Avery felt his scalp go numb. The living human being was like a cold machine. The

connecting tubes were pulled out of the patient’s body, and what was more, the patient couldn’t live onesecond without the cumbersome power source.

Giovanni explained in a deep voice, “The artificial heart will be bigger and heavier than the patient’sheart, about three times as heavy. Ms. Garcia is petite, and even the basic migration process can bedifficult for her.

“Even if the transplant goes well, she will need to carry more than ten pounds of external power with herat all times and ensure that it is always connected. Also, she needs a lot of blood thinners to maintain herbody temperature…‘

Avery found it hard to keep listening any longer. It sounded to him that Giovanni was talking about anobject, or a machine, instead of a living human being.

When Avery opened his mouth, he failed to calm down. He said, “Mr. Dawson, are you saying that she isnot suitable for an artificial heart? The only option she has is to stay on medication and wait for a suitablehuman heart. Right?”

Giovanni looked a little embarrassed. “It’s about her life, and I’m not at liberty to decide on behalf of youand Ms. Garcia. I can only say that my advice is to wait as long as

possible for a suitable live heart.

“Implanting an artificial heart means that Ms. Garcia’s own heart will be taken out. After that, the chancesof putting her heart back in her body will be almost zero. If anything goes wrong with the artificial heart,without having a live heart, she might die

in a few days.”

Avery opened his mouth. His throat was so hoarse that he could not speak.

The video on the laptop was still playing in a loop, and though he couldn’t bear to watch. it anymore, hestill stared at the laptop screen and watched it again and again.

Giovanni felt bad for Avery. He took the laptop back and turned off the screen. “I suggest that you wait fora while longer. After all, you have tried so many ways. Maybe a suitable heart for her will come uptomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

“Of course, if there is still no luck, no matter how unfavorable the artificial heart way is, you have no otherchoice. If things do come to that, I won’t try to talk you out of it

anymore.”

“I’ll

Avery clenched his fists so tightly that veins on the backs of his hands popped up. wait for another week.If there is still no suitable heart after a week, I will take her abroad for an artificial heart. Given hercondition, she can’t afford to wait any longer.”

Giovanni looked at Avery for a while and said with some hesitation, “Forgive me for being blunt. In hercurrent condition, there isn’t much point in medication other than.

waiting.

“She is suffering from both heart failure and depression. If she can make it another two months, keepingher mood steady is the most important thing for her.

“Avery, if you do care about her, even if it is for the sake of her life, you should let her go

to the place she wants to go and do what she wants to do.”

Seeing that Avery was silent, Giovanni continued solemnly, “With her current

condition, it’s hard to imagine what would happen if she had another great mood.

swing.”

Avery’s expression was extremely tense, yet he still did not speak.

Gustave stood outside the ward with the door ajar.

Only when the conversation in the ward stopped did he turn and leave.

He received a call from the shrink he had arranged for Abigail. “Mr. Walpole, the results of Ms. Bullock’spsychological examination are back, and they’re not what you think.”