Katrina is grateful Farrah accidentally found out about Carl. "Farrah, thank you for telling me this! No one informs me about his condition,"After hanging up the phone, she sets aside her work and requests some time off from her captain. Then she rushes to the hospital.
No matter what the rest of the family will do to me, no matter how much they slander or insult me, if Uncle Anderson is seriously ill, I have to see him!
Uncle Anderson has done so much for me! He"s the only parent I have now. Even if he"s not my biological father, he"s always been a father to me. He always treated me like his own daughter!
Katrina arrives at the hospital and looks for the room Farrah gave her directions to. She stares at the label on the entrance of the room with disbelief. I can"t believe Uncle Anderson is in the ICU!
Maybe he got into an accident, she hopes. Maybe his condition is not that serious. I wish he could recover early and leave this hospital.
She takes a deep breath and pushes the door of the room open, thinking the whole time, Maybe he"ll be okay.
As soon as Katrina opens the door, she finds a frail man lying in bed. Her eyes widened in shock. He looks like he aged 20 years old!.
The sight leaves Katrina speechless. Shocked was written on her face. She can"t believe that a good man like her Uncle Anderson would fail into a certain illness.
How long has it been since I last saw Uncle Anderson? He looked healthy the last time I saw him! How did it come to this? Why did he become so ill?
Once a prosperous middle-aged entrepreneur, Carl Anderson was dignified both in the family and in the business circle.
But he now looks frail and weak. He is lying on the hospital bed, surrounded by various tubes and machines.
The image makes Katrina emotional. He looks like he"s on the brink of death… No matter how prestigious a person has been, everyone will end up fragile and vulnerable on their deathbed.
Farrah wasn"t exaggerating at all. He really looks like he won"t even last a month. He looks like he"ll pa.s.s away at any time.
Katrina"s greatest fear in life is the person she cares most about suddenly leaving. She still remembers the day her own father died when she"s young.
My father suddenly died all those years ago. Now, the only parent figure who cares about me will leave too. Lord, why is this happening in my life? You took all those important people who love me.
Katrina scrunches her nose and blinks away the tears welling up in her eyes. I can"t let my emotions affect Uncle Anderson! I have to be strong for him! I need to show him that I am not sad about his current condition. He needs more encouragement than weak sympathy.
"Uncle Anderson, what happened to you?" she asks, approaching the hospital bed with a worried look and grabbing Carl"s thin hands.
The sound of Katrina"s voice snaps Carl out of his daze. Life returns to his eyes as he focuses them on Katrina. He lights up with a faint smile and croaks, "Katrina, you"re here! Where have you been?"
Katrina squeezes his hands. "Yes, I"m here. I rushed over as soon as I heard you were in the hospital."
She was seeing Carl having difficulty smiling, and talking fills Katrina"s heart with unspeakable sadness. Her chest tightens; it feels like a large boulder is crus.h.i.+ng her heart.
"Katrina, I knew you"d come! I knew you"d visit me!" he says, trying to squeeze Katrina"s hands back. His palms feel as rough as sandpaper.
They all told me she wouldn"t come, but I knew it wasn"t true!
Katrina has lived with us for so many years. She"s a kind and compa.s.sionate girl, and there"s no way she would refuse to see me!
Carl visibly relaxes. I know I don"t have much time left. But before I go, I"m glad I get to see Katrina first…
Katrina sits on the chair beside the bed. She holds his hands and says in a gentle voice, "Don"t worry, Uncle Anderson! You"ll be all right! "
Despite knowing that hope is bleak, she doesn"t want to appear negative in front of Carl.
I can"t bear to see him like this…
Maybe a miracle will happen. Maybe Uncle Anderson will get better day by day.
With a tight smile, Carl says with some difficulty, "Katrina, I know what"s wrong with me. I"m just happy that you"re here."
The tears in Katrina"s eyes finally fall down. Her voice chokes, "No! Uncle Anderson, it can"t be you! You"re such a kind person! It"s not fair that you have to go through this! I haven"t repaid you for your kindness yet..."
"Uncle Anderson," she pleads, "can you give me a little more time? I"ll be better, and I"ll visit you every day, I"ll show you how much you mean to me! Please! Please get better! "
Before Carl became sick, Sophie and Samuel were always plotting to get her into trouble. Believing Katrina was trying to get a portion of the family property, Winnie also had her guard up against her. She even accused her of being Carl"s mistress.
To avoid unnecessary trouble for herself, Katrina lessened her visits to Carl.
But none of that matters now. As long as I can see Uncle Anderson, their misconceptions and opinions don"t matter. What matters most is Uncle Anderson!
I still owe him so much, but time is running out now…
No matter how much I want to take care of him, he won"t wait for me.
I just need more time… I"ll take good care of him and repay all his kindness. Please give me more time… she prays.
Carl watches Katrina crying in front of him with deep sorrow. He squeezes her hand and says, "Katrina, don"t be sad. You don"t owe me anything. I"m the person who feels guilty."