195 A Recurring Illness (2/2)
”I know.” An Sun's face was expressionless, but his voice was menacingly patient.
Aiguo turned slowly to look up at An Sun, and a tense silence settled like a thick blanket over them as the two stare at each other. After a few seconds, Aiguo blinked and unexpectedly, his eyes were brimming with tears. His throat tightened as he started to let out a choked sob.
An Sun sighed. He extended a hand and patted the boy on his back in a comforting manner.
He did not know what to say.
”She's strong, remember that.” He managed after an awkward silence.
”But…But…” Aiguo's words were barely audible.
”She'll be fine.” An Sun said with a sigh, his voice bleak and devoid of feeling.
His dark gray eyes looked up at the ceiling and his pupils dilated as he sank deep into his thoughts.
”She'll be fine.”
…
By the time the physician arrived, Rin finally drifted off to sleep out of exhaustion. Bai Han and General Guo stood by the side of her bed while the physician checked her pulse. There was silence for a long time.
Finally, the old physician lifted his head to look at the two men anxiously waiting.
”Does the young miss have a history of this illness?”
General Guo and Bai Han looked at each other. Throughout the years of raising Rin, they were familiar with this recurring illness. It had been the first winter after they adopted her when she suddenly became ill. That night, they awoke to the sound of a vicious cough only to find out, she had coughed blood.
The little girl, at the time, reassured them it was a recurring illness from when she was young. It had been two years since she last had these symptoms. However, this didn't sit well for the two, and they quickly contacted every physician they could find.
After a few weeks of rest, the coughing stopped, but her body was still too weak to stand. It was only when winter began to fade that she recovered.
A year later, the same illness occurred again. In the third year, Bai Han decided to send her to visit his family in the Southern Empire where it was warmer. Only until winter was over, would she return home.
This method seemed to work until the day Rin was taken as An Sun's strategist.
General Guo nodded to the physician's question. ”It's been like this since she was young. However, it only ever occurred during the winter.”
Right now, it was spring.
”Hmm…” The physician thought deeply. ”Has the young miss experienced any stress lately?”
Bai Han's brows furrowed. ”What does this have to do with it?”
The physician didn't seem affected by Bai Han's sharp tone.
”It's quite common for stress to affect an individual's health, making the person susceptible to infections.” He concluded.
”That…” Bai Han had been about to respond when he paused. His weary eyes went to the frail girl on the bed.
A sense of guilt warped around his stomach and climbed its way to his chest. While Bai Han was silent, the physician looked at him before letting out a deep sigh.
”I can try providing the young miss with a tonic. But she'll need to take it for a long time to lessen her symptoms. Possibly for a few months.”
”Is there a cure for this?” Bai Han's brows frowned.
The physician shook his head. ”The only cure would be for the young miss to continue her treatment and take in plenty of rest.”
There was silence. General Guo and Bai Han swept their eyes over the girl on the bed, both sharing the same complex and distressing emotions.
Rubbing the space between his brows, Bai Han sighed.
”Very well. Prepare it.”
The physician nodded and bowed his head before vacating the room. With just the three left, Bai Han closes his eyes, dread etched in his face. General Guo looked at him with furrowed brows.
”It's not your fault.” He tried to reassure.
Bai Han laughed self-mockingly. ”Isn't it? Was it not I who rejected to hear her words? Was it not I who caused her to show such a painful expression?”
His eyes lowered down to the floor with a harsh stare.
”…I try protecting her, yet all I do is cause her pain.”
”Bai Han…” General Guo looked at the old man with a troubled expression.
There was silence once more.
Outside of the room, a figure leaned against the wall with crossed arms. He listened to the men speaking inside and tilted his head back against the wall and sighed.
”Idiot.”