For Jiang Ruo, the two-day college entrance examination felt like a tribulation. Even without checking the answers online to verify her scores, she knew she must have messed up. From the moment she entered the exam room on the first day, she felt off, and it wasn’t because she couldn’t solve the questions; rather, she was unable to focus at all. On the second day, all she wanted was to sleep. Her head felt heavy, making it impossible to concentrate on the questions.
After handing in her papers and exiting the exam room, Jiang Ruo immediately spotted Jiang Zhou waiting outside. Dragging her weary body towards him, she playfully whined, “Brother, I’m so tired!”
Outside the exam venue, Jiang Zhou’s heart raced with excitement and anticipation as he eagerly waited for Jiang Ruo to emerge—she had promised to give him her answer after the college entrance exam. But the moment he saw Jiang Ruo, he immediately noticed that something was off with her complexion. Hearing her complain of fatigue, Jiang Zhou reached out to check on her forehead. “Why are you so hot?” He said, frowning with worry.
Jiang Ruo felt dizzy, unable to muster any strength. “I think I caught a cold. I’ve been feeling unwell these past two days. Now, I can finally relax a bit.”
Jiang Zhou immediately lifted her into his arms and carried her horizontally. He put Jiang Ruo on the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt. “Let’s not go home yet; we are going to the hospital first. Just close your eyes and take a rest for a while.”
Jiang Ruo shook her head. “Dad told me to go home immediately after the exam. He said there’s something important he wants to talk to me about.”
Jiang Zhou naturally knew Jiang Huai’s intentions. He handed a cup of warm water to Jiang Ruo and said, “Drink some water first. Don’t worry, we can go home later. Let’s go to the hospital first for a check-up. If there’s nothing wrong, we both can feel assured.”
Facing Jiang Zhou’s insistence, Jiang Ruo finally stopped arguing. She managed to push through the grueling two-day exams relying solely on her determination, but now she had hit her limit, feeling completely drained the moment she stepped out of the exam room. Going to the hospital seemed like a good idea.
Jiang Zhou hurriedly drove the car to the best private hospital in the city, then accompanied Jiang Ruo to complete the registration process and see a doctor. After taking Jiang Ruo’s temperature, the doctor proceeded to inquire about her recent symptoms. With each response from Jiang Ruo, the doctor’s expression grew more and more serious.
Jiang Zhou’s expression also gradually became solemn. During the period before the college entrance examination, he did notice that Ruoruo seemed to tire easily and feel sleepy, but he attributed it to pre-exam stress and didn’t give it much thought after reminding Ruoruo to rest properly. Now, he was completely taken aback when he heard her informing additional symptoms to the doctor, such as loss of appetite, back pain, nausea, and frequent urination at night—things he was completely unaware of.
Finally, the doctor wrote a lab order for Jiang Ruo and told Jiang Zhou to take her for further tests.
Looking at the long list of routine tests, Jiang Zhou felt a bit anxious. “Doctor, is her condition very serious? Isn’t it just a common cold and fever? There’s no need for so many tests!”
The doctor replied calmly, “It’s hard to say at the moment. Take her for the tests listed on the paper first, then bring the reports to me.”
Jiang Zhou couldn’t discern anything from the doctor’s expression, so he could only take Jiang Ruo for the tests. Fortunately, this private hospital was not as crowded as the public hospitals, so the lines were short. They quickly finished the tests and obtained the results in no time. After collecting all the test reports, Jiang Zhou accompanied Jiang Ruo back to their initial doctor. Upon examining the reports, the doctor explained, “Her current state requires IV fluids to lower her temperature. Please complete the admission procedures for her.”
Jiang Zhou nodded hurriedly and went to complete the admission procedures for Jiang Ruo. Meanwhile, Jiang Ruo went to the ward accompanied by a nurse to receive IV fluids. After completing the admission procedures, Jiang Zhou didn’t immediately go to Jiang Ruo’s ward and went to find the doctor who was diagnosing her instead, wanting to inquire about the specific situation.
Looking at Jiang Zhou, the doctor asked, “Are you a family member of the patient?”
Jiang Zhou nodded. “Yes, I’m her brother.” Although Ruoruo wasn’t his biological sister, they were currently registered under the same household, so calling himself her brother posed no problem.
The doctor nodded. “The patient’s condition is quite complex. According to the initial test results, she is suffering from chronic kidney failure, and she has already reached the advanced stage.”
Jiang Zhou had never heard of ‘chronic kidney failure’ before, but the word ‘failure’ alone was enough to send him into a panic.
The doctor, accustomed to life and death, showed little emotion. “Once the patient is admitted, the hospital will control her diet, and we will wait for more detailed test results before we can start devising a treatment plan.”
After a long silence, Jiang Zhou finally asked, “If it’s confirmed as chronic kidney failure, can it be completely cured?”
The doctor shook his head, “With the current level of medical technology, the chances of a cure are very slim.”
“T-then… how long can she… can she live?” Jiang Zhou stuttered, finding it very difficult to voice the question.
“It varies,” the doctor answered truthfully. “If left untreated, she could live just a month or two. Of course, she might live longer.”
“What if she actively follows the treatment?” Jiang Zhou immediately asked.
“If she actively cooperates with the treatment and regularly comes in for dialysis, she could live for over a decade, maybe even longer.”
The doctor provided nothing but cold, hard data, yet Jiang Zhou felt a stab of pain in his heart. He looked hopefully at the doctor and asked, “What about a kidney transplant? I can donate one of mine to her.”
The doctor was surprised by his willingness to offer a kidney to his sister so readily. “What’s your blood type?” He inquired.
“I’m type A,” Jiang Zhou responded quickly.
The doctor sighed and shook his head, “The patient has a rare blood type, Rh-negative blood, also known as ‘panda blood’. Your blood types aren’t compatible; she can’t use your kidney.”
Hearing this, Jiang Zhou felt dizzy. He slumped onto the chair, unable to think what to do next.
After discussing Jiang Ruo’s condition and arranging her initial treatment plan, the doctor ended his shift and went home. Seeing Jiang Zhou’s distressed look, the nurse responsible for caring for Jiang Ruo tried to comfort him, “Your sister’s condition isn’t the worst. As long as she has regular dialysis, her situation will gradually improve.”
Jiang Zhou gave a bitter smile, “Dialysis… That means for the next decade or so, she won’t be able to live a normal life, right?”
The nurse explained gently, “Aside from needing regular dialysis, avoiding heavy work, and managing stress and diet, she can live much like anyone else.”
Jiang Zhou nodded, “Thank you for explaining all this to me. I want to go see my sister now.”
The nurse reminded him, “Your sister will need to stay in the hospital for now. You should contact other family members so you can take turns staying with her. It’s too much for one person to handle alone.”
Jiang Zhou nodded and stood up, heading toward Jiang Ruo’s hospital room.
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Tsk. Tsk. Poor thing.