A Love Trap

After finally persuading her grandpa to have some food, Ellie got out of the ward.

"Doctor, how's my grandpa doing?" Ellie asked as she entered the doctor's office, worried.

The doctor recognized Ellie. He had seen her rush to the hospital when that old man was sent here. And since then, she had stayed in the hospital to take care of him. This devotion was rare in this time and age.

"To be frank, his illness can't be cured in our hospital given our current capability. All we can do now is use medicine to prevent his condition from getting worse.

But all medicines have side effects. Even though the medicines we are giving him will allow him to live for months or, at most, a year, his health is going to inevitably get worse. Besides, he's at such an old age that his organs are weak and his ability to absorb medicine is not as good as younger people."

Ellie felt a crushing weight of sorrow as she heard what the doctor had said.

She had deep love for her grandpa, and she hadn't yet gotten the chance to show her respect for him. She didn't expect such a thing to happen to her and didn't know what to do.

But Ellie saw a silver lining in what the doctor had said. She looked up at the doctor in anticipation and said, "You said my grandpa couldn't be cured in your hospital. Do you mean he has a chance of surviving in other hospitals?" Ellie had never been as desperate as she was now.

"Yes. You can see for yourself. The devices we have here are creaky. Maybe your grandpa can be healed if you manage to send him to the more reputed hospitals in J City. They have medical facilities that are way better than ours.

But remember one thing: your grandpa is old and can't afford a long, tiring journey. You may have to think it over if you decide to take him to J City. Also, the cost of treatment in J City is much higher than what you spend here. I'm afraid it's beyond your budget." Watching Ellie take care of her grandpa had told the doctor that she was a kind girl. He liked her, so he wanted to alert her about the problems she might run into.

and tell her grandma of her grandpa's condition in the hope

would do anything to save her grandpa, no matter the cost.

City was not as prosperous as J City, but it boasted fresh air and a good environment with green mountains and clear waters. There

a creek, by which locals did

house and saw her grandma sitting under a tall big pagoda tree immersed in

taken care of her grandpa day and night and had almost fainted from exhaustion. So

and went back home.

once-agile fingers were old now. Whenever she reminisced her youth and the days she had spent doing embroidery, she would take out a needle

you home. How's your grandpa? Can he be discharged?" Laura said as she

replied, "Grandpa wants to leave the hospital, but he hasn't recovered completely yet. I can't let him leave the

he wants to leave the hospital, I guess he has almost recovered. It's not comfortable for him to stay there. So complete the discharge formalities. I

days here. It's time for

everything her grandparents were saying was out of worry that her work in J

won't be fired." She was the boss now. No one could fire her.

not planning to tell this to her grandparents now. It was not the right time yet.

with you. It's about

grandma interrupted her. "Your grandpa doesn't have any illness. His health is good. He just fell