The next day, Hannah was awakened by the soft moans that came from Penelope. Her eyes were still closed. Hannah stood up and pressed the button beside the bed to call in one of the nurses.
A while later, a nurse came in and checked Penelope's vitals and went out. She came back in with the doctor, who examined Penelope and asked Hannah to see him later in the office.
"Good morning Hannah". Raymond greeted as he entered the room. "I went to settle the bills and I overheard the doctor telling you to meet him in his office. I am going with you, so get changed so we can go to his office.
Hannah let out a small 'hmm' and left.
Several minutes later, Hannah and Raymond, we're seated in the doctor's office
"Good morning sir and madam". The doctor greeted and both of them nodded in response to his greeting. After exchanging pleasantries, the doctor went straight to the reason he called them.
"We did some blood work and we found out that the child has a severe case of leukaemia. Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia to be exact. It is a very rare kind of cancer and it's a common childhood disease. It is progressing rapidly and her chances of survival is a 50:50 chance, if not treated, it may be fatal in a few months". The doctor said, and Hannah could already feel her heart squeezing in pain.
"Can it be cured?" Hannah asked in a shaky voice.
"Yes''. The doctor replied. "There are recent advances in treatment and it has significantly lengthened the lives of patients with ALL. But it all depends on several factors including biological factors and age".
" How long will the treatment last?" Hannah asked.
"It lasts for as long as two to three years". The doctor replied.
Hannah was already in tears as she listened to the doctor. She sobbed silently in her seat next to Raymond but this time around, Raymond was not happy.
Seeing her cry the night before made him happy but for some reason, he felt sad seeing her cry now.
"When can we start the treatment doctor?" He asked.
"As soon as possible. As I said earlier, if not treated, it may be fatal in a few months. The earlier the better". The doctor said, "She is still in the early phase, so she can continue to live her normal life, but when the symptoms start showing, it may be painful for her".
"Okay doctor, we will take our leave now". Raymond said and stood up with Hannah. He needed more information Hannah's tears are making him unable to sit still. He needed to comfort her.
As soon as they stepped out of the office, Hannah left Raymond without a word and went into the restroom. Raymond didn't try to stop her because he knew she was hurting. He hopes that she stops crying soon.
Hannah entered the restroom and broke down in tears. She didn't understand why she was crying. Penelope was not her child. She is the daughter of a person who means nothing to her, so why was she crying so much? How did she get so attached to the child? She walked to the mirror and stared at her reflection. Seeing tears on her face surprised her. She couldn't remember the last time she cried. Or better still, she didn't want to remember the last time she cried.
She switched on the tap and splashed water on her face continuously. The rim of her eyes was already red and she took deep breaths to steady her heartbeat.
"I can't cry now. I needed to be strong for Penelope. I won't allow anything to happen to her!" She said to herself.
She took a towel from the rack and wiped her face. After taking deep breaths, she stepped out of the restroom and went straight to Penelope's ward.
Hannah walked in on Raymond who was sitting on the bed beside Penelope, making small talk with her as she giggled lightly. Both of them seemed to be talking about something interesting as they didn't notice Hannah in the room.
Hannah walked closer to them, in an attempt to listen to what they were saying, but they suddenly stopped as they had already sensed her presence.
Raymond turned to look at Hannah and was relieved that she had finally stopped crying. He stood up and walked to her.
"Are you alright?" He asked and Hannah replied with a slight nod.
She walked closer to Penelope's bed and placed her hand on Penelope's head. "How are you feeling?" Hannah asked.
"I'm fine aunt". Penelope replied, her voice slightly weaker than her usual cheerful voice.
Hannah was glad to hear Penelope's voice again. She rubbed Penelope's hair and kissed her forehead.
Raymond's lips parted as he saw Hannah dropping a kiss on Penelope's forehead. Once again, Hannah had managed to surprise him. It seems like this child is just what he needs to awaken different emotions in Hannah's heart. He had a lop-sided grin on his face as he thought about it.
"Raymond". Hannah called" I need to speak to you"
Raymond jolted out of his thoughts when he heard Hannahs's voice. "What do you want to speak about?" He asked and Hannah gestured to the door, asking him to leave the room.
Raymond turned around and walked out of the room and Hannah came out a second later, shutting the door behind her with a soft click.
"I need you to help me with something". Hannah began, " I want to adopt Penelope". She stated.
Raymond was not surprised because he had already expected something Like this to happen. He had even prepared the adoption papers ahead of time, all that was needed was her signature.
"I have already started walking on that, all that is needed is your signature. I will ask Lucas to bring the papers soon". He assured
Hannah's eyes grew soft as she looked at Raymond. She was happy that he had thought about this sooner.
Raymond, on the other hand, smiled widely when he saw the look in Hannah's eyes. This was the first time her eyes were not glaring ice at him. 'This child….', Raymond thought. He was happy there was something that could awaken emotions in Hannah.
" Aside from that Hannah, you also need a new place to live in". He said, "You and Penelope can both stay in my house if you have no problem with that". He proposed but Hannah shook her head immediately.
"I won't stay in your house, Raymond". Came her straightforward reply. " I just need a new place to live in".