Chapter559TechnologyTransformsLife
PeFinished
Josiah<b>was</b>fullyawarethathewasatfault.Indeed,heborethefullresponsibilityforthat<b>incident</b>.
Heawkwardlytouchedhis<b>nose</b><b>and</b>said,“Thereward…”
Hethengentlystrokedthekitten’shead,hisvoicesofteningconsiderably.“CouldIhavetheopportunity<b>to</b>careforthelittlefeline?Forexample,helpitcleanitslitterbox.Thatwouldn’tbetoomuchtoask,wouldit?
Indeed,itwasn’tunreasonable,butLysanderstillcouldn’tagree,rejectingitoutrightandwithouthesitation.
“Iwon’tconsiderit.You’vejusttaughtmethatthemostimportantthinginmanagingpanyistoseparatepublicandprivatematters.Weshouldneverletpersonalfeelingsinterferewithourwork.Now,you’rehelpingmenmyworkandfitintoThorneConstructionsandEnergies,whichisaprofessionalmatter.However,myhomeismy personalspace.After work<b>,</b>Istillwanttobeonmyown.”
TheimageofAdrianhelpingLysanderwalkthedogsurfacedinJosiah’smind,causing<b>a</b>slighttwitchatthecornerofhismouth.Someonedidthat beforeandfailed.Idon’tthinkIshoulddothesame.
Itwasn’tthatkittensandpuppiesweren’tadorableenough,buthervigncewassimplytoohigh,leavingnoroomforanyslip–ups.
Lysandernoticedhehadfallensilent,andshecouldn’tresistaddinganothementtpletelyquashanyremainingobjections.“Besides,itonlytakesafewminutestocleanupthecat litter.IcouldeasilydoitwhileI’mpouringassofwater.Ididsomeresearch.Takealookatthis.”
Lysanderhandedover herphoneforhimtosee.
Onacertainorange–coloredapp,theproductlistedwasanautomatic,no–scoopcatlitterbox.
“Technologychangeslife,”Lysandersaid.
Josiahdidn’tsayanythinginresponse.
ThepetiteRagdollkittenhadbeenyingonhimforjustashortwhilebeforeitgrewtired.UponhearingLysandermentionthatshewasgoingtobuysomethingforit,thecatimmediatelyhoppeddownfromthecouchcoverontothefloorandswiftlymadeitswaytoLysander’sfeet.N?velDrama.Org content.
Meow<b>!</b>
Thekitten’smewwas<b>soft</b>andendearing,tuggingatLysander’sheartstrings.Withouthesitation,shebentdownandscoopeditontohep.Onehandcontinuedtostrokeitssmoothfurwhiletheotherkeptflippingthroughthedocuments,jottingdownnotesandsketching.Shemanagedtodobothwithoutany
hindrance.
<b>Josiah</b><b>,</b>ontheotherhand,satempty–handedonthecouchbehindher.Withnothingelsetodo,heresortedtoopeninghiptopandbegandealingwiththeemailsinhisworkinbox.
Carolhadalreadyreturnedfromhertripabroadpilingthesituationintoareportforhim.Hereaditwithanimpassiveface,hisgazenotwavering<b>even</b>slightly.Thismatteris<i>finally</ipletelyresolved.
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Chapter559TechnologyTransformsLife
ShenoticedtheiingcallwasfromLynnandcasuallyansweredit.
Finished
Uponhearingthesoundofaphonecall,Josiah immediatelyshiftedhisgazefromthescreen,hisearsperkingupatattention.
Lysanderwasoblivioustothesubtlechangeshappeningbehindher,cheerfullychattingwithLynn.“Whatmadeyouthinkofcallingme?Hasitbeenlessbusyinyourdepartmentrecently?”
Lynnheavedasighontheotherendoftheline.“HowcouldInotbebusy?I’mswamped,Dr.Thorne.Duetomyhectic schedule,Ihadtosqueezeoutsometimetocallyou.”
“Whydoyoumakeitsoundlikeyou’reinjail?”Lysanderlightenedupconsiderablyastheystarted.discussingtheeventsatthehospital.<b>“</b>Goahead.What’sup?”
Josiah’sexpressionrxedwhenhesawthatthecallshewastakingwasfromLynn.Hesimplystaredather,lostinthought,hisgazefilledwithahintoflonging.It’sbeenawhilesinceI’veseenhersohappy.
Watching herlipscurveintoaslightsmile,Josiahfelthisheartflutteringalongwithit.
Asitturnsout,caringfortherightpersoncan<i>be</i>sowonderful.Caringforthewrongperson,ontheotherhand….Josiahrestrainedhisemotions.Fortherestof<i>her</i>life,she’llreturntolivethelifethatwasoriginallyhers.LysanderandLysannearebacktowherethey’resupposedto<i>be</i>.
Meanwhile,Lynnwasincessantlysighing.“I’vereallyrunintosometrouble.Iencounteredapatienttodaywhoimedto havespecificallyforourhospital’srenownedobstetricsandgynecologydepartment.ThemomentIheardthis,Iwasimmediatelyfilledwithagreatdealofenthusiasm.Butnow<b>that</b>theexaminationresultsareout,I’pletelydumbfounded.”
BackwhenLysanderwasstit CentralHospital,thereputationofherdepartmenthadalwaysbeenontherise.Thisstandingonlygrewstrongerasseveralhealedpatientsspreadtheword,turningthedepartment<b>into</b>thefinalbeaconofhopeformany.Hence,evenaftersheresignedandleft,herinfluencelingeredintheindustry.
ItwassaidthatsomepatientsfromoutlyingregionswouldevenmakeaspecialtriptoHarborbrook.Theybelievedthatiftheirconditioncouldn’tbetreatedthere,theywoulpletelygiveuphope.
SeeingLynn,whowasusuallysooptimistic,insuchastateofdistress,Lysanderknewshewasfacingamajorproblem.Hence,Lysanderquicklyofferedwordsofortbysaying,“Whatexactlyistroublingyousomuch?”
Lynnhadfoundsomeoneshecouldtrustimplicitly.Withhernoticeablymorerxedvoice,sheasked,“Dr.Thorne,areyoufreeatthemoment?Couldyousparesometimetodiscussthepatient’scondition?”
“I’mfree.Goahead,”shesaid.
“Thepatientcameinthemorning/imingshewasengagedandwantedtoundergoathoroughmedical.examinationbeforeherwedding.However,shewasevasiveaboutwhyherfiancéwasn’twithher.Isensedsomethingwasoffbutdidn’tthinkmuchofit.Isimplyinstructedhertocollectherreportintheafternoon<b>,</b>asperourusualprocedure.”
Itseemedthattheissuemostlikelystemmedfromtheresultsoftheexamination.
Lysanderdidn’tdwellonitmuch,simplyasking,<b>“</b><b>Is</b>thereanissuewiththereport?”
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Chapter550TechnologyTransformsLife
“Senditoverformetotakealook.
Finished
“Don’thangupjustyet.I’mgoingtosendyouascreenshotfrommputerrightnow.”UponhearingLysander’swillingnesstohelp,LynnperkedupandimmediatelysentherthecolorDopplerultrasound
filmandhormestresults.
Lynnheldherphone,barelydaringtobreathe,waitingforLysandertosaveherfromthecrisis.“Dr.Thome,takealook.Canthisbetreated?”sheasked.
Lysanderponderedforamoment,havingalreadydiscernedthecruxofthematter.“Thepatient’shormonelevelsseemtobefine,butthere’s somethingpeculiaraboutthisfilm.Isthiswhatyouwereunsureaboutjust:
“That’sright!”Lynneximedemotionally.“Dr.Thorne,youneedtotakealookquickly.I’mtrulyafraidImighttarnishourdepartment’sreputation!”
Evenafterallthistime,whenevershediscussedhospitalmatterswithLysander,shesubconsciouslytreatedherasoneof herown.
Lysanderwasdeeplymoved.
Aftercloselyexaminingthefilm,Lysanderunderstoodwhatwasgoingon.
“There’snopointinyoushowingmethispatient.Shehascongenitaluterinehyposia.It’shighlyunlikelythatatreatmentcouldimprovehercondition.”Lysanderheavedasighandadded,“Givenyourexpertise,you<b>should</b>understandthisaswell.”
“That’strue,butthegirlisstillsoyoung,andsheholdssuchhighhopesformarriage.Whenevershespokeofherfiancé,hereyeswouldlightup.Ijustcouldn’tbearit.IreallythoughtIcouldhelpher.”
Lysanderadvisedher,“Iunderstandhowyoufeel,butthere’snothingwecandoaboutit.Trytforther,okay?”
Uponhearingthis,Lynnletoutasighonbehalfofthepatient.“It’struethatnothinggooeswhen.facedwitplexillnesses.Whenthatyounggirestocollectthereportthisafternoon,Ireallydon’tknowhowtobreakthisbadnewstoher.”
Insuchasituation,therewasnoneedforanytreatment.
Lysanderwasalmostamotherherself,soitwasinevitablethatshewouldfestrongsenseofempathyinsuchmatters.Withahintofregret,sheasked,“Youjustmentionedthatthepatientcameforapre–maritalcheck–up.Doesthatmeanshe’snningtohaveachildsoon?”
Lynnthoughtaboutitandanswered,“Ibelieveso.Basedonherwords,herfiancéismucholderthanher,nolongerinhisprime,hencetheurgencyforchildren.”