Take My Breathe Away

C20: Did She Meet Her Match

At the other end of the line, Emmett paused a little to think. "Mrs. Huo, where are you?" He asked instead of answering her question. 'Has she really gone to New York?' he thought to himself, a crease on his forehead.        
   

Trapped in his own musings, he heard Debbie say, "I'm in New York. I just got off the plane."    

Her voice trembled correspondingly, and then she added, "It's freezing cold out here." What she said was no exaggeration, and Emmett was more than aware.    

Back home, the climate was welcoming with the soft breeze of Autumn. In New York, however, the temperature had dropped to several degrees below zero. The young lady did not sound like she had any idea until she was there.    

Emmett's mouth was agape in shock for a bit. He had not expected her to push through with going to New York by herself. "Mrs. Huo, please find someplace where you can have a cup of coffee first. In the meantime, I'll arrange a car for you right away." Despite the grave possibility of a divorce, as long as it was not finalized yet, Debbie still had every right to enjoy all the respect and proper treatment as Carlos' wife. That was clear to Emmett, and so he insisted on being of assistance to the young lady.    

Although she wanted to refuse, it was snowing heavily outside and she did not exactly have a better plan in mind. After giving it some careful thought, she turned to the side and entered the nearest coffee bar that caught her eyes.    

Just as Emmett kept true to his word, a car picked Debbie up to drive her to the hospital where the old man she was supposed to see was currently confined.    

Upon entering the ICU ward, Debbie eyed the old man lying in bed, with all kinds of tubes and apparatuses inserted into his skinny and frail body.    

The mere sight of the man's condition nearly broke her heart. "What happened?" Debbie asked in a soft whisper, turning to the driver who had brought her to the hospital from the airport.    

"Mr. Huo's grandfather has been in poor health for years," the driver began, his chauffeur cap in his hand. "He has been in a coma for over three years now. Ever since he got seriously ill, the man has not awakened from it."    

Looking at the motionless old man once again, Debbie could not help but feel every kind of sadness. 'Poor man, ' she thought to herself.    

At his age, instead of suffering alone in an ICU ward, he was supposed to be surrounded by his children and their respective families.    

Although he appeared to be receiving every possible means of comfort, it was still different than to be resting in his own home. She then sent a text message to Carlos. "Why did you not tell me about your grandfather's condition?" If she had known about it, she might not have come to New York. The primary reason for her flying over had been to ask for an answer, but to her surprise, the old man could not even speak.    

Nevertheless, since Carlos and she were still married, strictly speaking, the old man was also her grandfather by law. Perhaps, it was a good thing that she had come to see him after all. Otherwise, she would never have guessed about his current situation. Turning to the driver, she asked, "Who's taking care of Mr. Huo's grandfather?"    

"Professionals, I hear. He's provided with around-the-clock care," the driver explained, squinting as though he were trying to recall. "Mr. Huo and his parents often come to check on him as well."    

After asking a few more questions, Debbie left the hospital. While waiting outside for the car, she stretched out her right hand to catch some snowflakes until her hand went numb with the cold.