Chap 8

Eudora rushes back to her cramped boarding house, quickly removes her makeup, changes clothes, and hops on a bus straight to the hospital where her daughter is being treated.

As soon as Donna sees her mom, she excitedly shouts, “Mom! You're here!”

Eudora sits down on the bed, kisses Donna on both cheeks, and asks, “Were you a good girl today? What did you have for lunch?”

“I was good, and the nurses gave me bread with mashed potato and minced meat soup for lunch, I ate a big bowl!” The little girl says, waving her hands in a large circle to illustrate.

Eudora is amused by her daughter's dramatic way of telling the story. She gently tucks a strand of hair behind Donna's ear, her love for her daughter evident in her eyes.

“Donna's mom, what do you do for a living? You're always coming and going at odd hours, it's so unpredictable.” A middle-aged woman, a relative of a patient in the same room as Donna, curiously asks.

“I take in sewing work. You know I used to be a tailor back home, right?”

Rosy says, “Oh, I see,” She nods. “With your skills, you could be making good money at a factory, plus you'd get insurance and all that. Doing it at home, there's not much in it.”

Eudora sighs, “I know, but factory work is so strict with the hours and overtime. Where would I find the time to come here and take care of Donna? I'll try for a few more months, wait until she's done with surgery, then I'll find a more stable job.”

Rosy nods. “You're on your own, so that's a good plan. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on Donna while you're at work. My grandson really likes her. He eats more now whenever they eat together.”

Eudora smiles. “Thanks, Rosy. Donna likes Benny too. She's been sick since she was little, so she doesn't have many friends to play with.”

Hearing that, Rosy sighs. “Benny's the same way. They're both just unfortunate kids.”

Eudora chats with everyone for a while before heading to the nurses' station to find Dr. Christian, Donna's doctor. Dr. Christian, though only in his early thirties, is already a big name in cardiology. Tall, handsome, and single, he's the object of many a single woman's affections in the hospital.

Eudora arrives just as Dr. Christian is coming back from seeing a patient. He doesn't rush inside with his colleagues but stops in the hallway and says,

“Eudora, looking for me?”

“Yes. I was at work today, so I wasn't here when you saw Donna.”

Christian smiles. “Don't worry, she's doing great. She just needs a month of physical therapy and then we can do the next surgery.”

Eudora beams. “Really? That's fantastic!”

She murmurs, “Thank goodness,” a few times, then looks at Christian with a hesitant expression. After a long pause, she finally asks,

“Doctor, can I ask how much the next surgery will cost? Could I pay it off in installments?”

She's completely broke, with nothing to put up as collateral, and no idea how she's going to get the next loan.

Knowing how tough things are for Eudora, Christian feels for her. He says gently,

“The cost will be about the same as last time. Don't worry about it now. The hospital will only ask for payment closer to the surgery date.”

Eudora lets out a big sigh of relief, but her face doesn't lighten up much. The cost of surgery is a huge amount for her. She has no idea where she's going to find that kind of money in a month. Right now, she wouldn't even dream of asking Katy for money, because even if she sold herself, she wouldn't be able to pay back the interest. And on top of that... now she's being controlled by Ryan with a debt note.

As if he can see the worry in Eudora's eyes, Christian sighs.

“If you're worried about money by then, just let me know. I can lend you some, and you can pay me back slowly.”

He doesn't know much about Eudora's family. All he knows is that she's a single mom, struggling to take care of her sick daughter and pay for medical bills, with no one to help her and nowhere to go. Her strength and determination make Christian feel sorry for her. Who would be heartless enough to leave such a beautiful woman? If that person knew she had given birth to a daughter as beautiful as an angel, would they regret it? The old saying “beauty is fleeting” is definitely true.

Eudora shakes her head when she hears him say that.

“No way, doctor. You've already done so much for me and my daughter.”

“I'm not saying it's free. If you need it, just borrow it. You can pay me back whenever you have the money.”

Eudora waves her hand in refusal.

“Thank you for your kindness, doctor. But I'll take care of the surgery costs. My daughter and I have already put you through enough. I can't let you worry anymore.”

Eudora has already said so much, so Christian doesn't want to push it. He just feels even more respect and sympathy for Eudora. He will let her handle it on her own. If she can't raise enough money for the surgery, he will step in to help. It's not too late.