TWISTED BOND

CHAPTER 5

Stephanie's hands trembled as she walked with Dr. Ramirez into his office. Her legs were weak

and wobbly. Walking the short distance to his office felt like an eternity. Her panicked heart

wasn't even helping matters.

Finally, they got to his office and Dr. Ramirez told her to sit down, while he hung his

stethoscope. His office was dimly lit, and the heavy air was filled with a mixture of antiseptic and

unspoken tension. Stephanie sat on the edge of her seat, her heart racing, watching the doctor's

every move.

Ramirez took his seat, bent his head slightly, and sighed, before looking at her. Her dread

deepened. She could only try to mentally prepare herself for the bad news that was coming. It

was no good lying to herself that it might be good when all the signs were glaring.

“Miss Cole, we have quite a case on our hands.” He began. Silence followed as Stephanie only

adjusted on her chair, giving keen attention to him. Seeing there was no reply, he continued.

“We diagnosed that your mom had developed kidney stones. And because it wasn't properly

treated, it had worsened. She suffered a chronic inflammation, and this led to the heart attack

she suffered.” he explained.

Stephanie shut her eyes in pain, ruminating on the words of the doctor. This spelled trouble.

She didn't think she could afford the bills to keep her mother alive. And still, she couldn't bear

the thought of losing her mother. But, kidney stones? How come?

“Em, thanks for the…. details doctor. But please, what could have caused this? She has been

fine and hasn't given any signs of nursing kidney stones.” Stephanie said, fighting to tame her

emotions again and keep her voice steady.

“I'm guessing this diagnosis might be new to you but not to the patient. Probably, she hid it from

you, so as not to get you worried,” he replied, feeling sorry for her already.

Stephanie released a sigh. She bit her lower lip hard to stop the tears that threatened to fall.

“So, what's the way forward?” She asked, even though she knew fully well what needed to be

done.

“She would need to undergo surgery to remove the kidney stones. Then we can carry out other

medications on her to help fight the complications this has caused.” Ramirez replied,

maintaining his calm.

Stephanie nodded. “What's the cost?” She had finally asked the question she dreaded. Ramirez

sighed.

“Seventy-five thousand bucks Miss Cole” he simply replied and watched Stephanie's face grow

red instantly with shock.

Stephanie knew she wouldn't be able to handle the sum. But she didn't expect it to be that huge.

Seventy-five thousand bucks??! Where in hell would she get that from??! She couldn't restrain it

anymore. She let the tears fall, holding the desk to steady herself.

“I can't afford this. I'm going to lose my mother” she whispered, her face stained with tears.

“You can't be sure, Miss Cole. Please remain assertive. I'm sure you can reach out to some

financial institutions and charity organizations for help. Don't give up yet dear. Though time is of

the essence, relax. It will be fine” the doctor said, trying his best to encourage her.

Stephanie faked a smile, her face still stained with tears. She nodded slightly, appreciated the

doctor, and took her leave. As she stepped out of the doctor's office, she rested by the wall,

fighting hard not to fall to the ground.

This was too much for her. None of the charity organizations had responded to her messages.

What made her believe things would get better as it now concerned her mother's health.

Then came the fear again. She was going to lose her mother. She would be left alone with only

memories of the times they shared. The periods when her mother had shown up for her. When

she was the only shoulder she could cry on, and lean on. Now, she would lose all that because

she couldn't afford the bills, for her surgery.

She couldn't hold it anymore. She sunk to the ground, and wailed aloud, drawing attention to

herself. When she realized people were looking at her, she managed to get up and walk

gingerly to her mother's ward. With each step she took, nearing the room her mother was in, the

voice of her fears echoed through her ears.

As she entered the ward, taking a good look at her mother, she knew she couldn't let death win

this battle. She was stronger than this. She refused to be the loser. Maybe she could give it

more try. She would still reach out to as many charity organizations as she can. If none heard

her cry, she would source for loans from financial institutions. She was willing to risk everything

but her mother's life.

She picked up her phone and sought help from the organizations she knew and even more. She

kept sending letters until she became tired. She decided to rest a bit and continue later on. She

was determined to see her mother live.

Maybe she had tolerated nonchalance regarding Crestview's needs. But this was her mother. It

was her responsibility to see to it that she lived. And that, she would ensure it happened.

Regardless of the means. Finally, she decided to take a nap. The day had been stressful.

Risking her health would only aggravate the situation, not help it.

A few hours later, Stephanie woke up with a yawn. She took a good look around the

surroundings, before facing her mother, who remained asleep. Stephanie wondered why she

hadn't woken up since last night. She hoped the doctor had a good explanation for this. She

would ask him about that later. But first, she needed to send more pleas for help.

As she got out her phone, luck seemed to shine on her. One of the charity organizations she

had reached out to finally replied. Her eyes shone in disbelief and excitement. She squealed in

delight when she realized how real that was. She didn't expect it to be so fast. Quickly, she

opened the message to grasp the full details.

“Hi, Stephanie. We have received your numerous requests regarding your school and your

mom's current condition. We deeply apologize for the late replies. Please let's meet at

Hexadigital Innovations by 6 pm today. Will be expecting you.”