"How much longer can Eleanor hold on?"
"...President Gallagher, Mrs. Gallagher’s immune system is currently quite imbalanced, possibly... possibly..." The doctor hesitated, afraid to speak the truth.
Nathaniel Gallagher’s heart tightened, and he asked grimly, "Speak the truth."
"Under good conditions, approximately one to two years. If recovery is poor, possibly three to five months."
Boom!
Nathaniel Gallagher’s mind exploded, his entire being felt like it was sinking into an icy abyss.
In truth, he was already very clear in his heart.
Eleanor Churchill’s life had begun to count down.
In recent years, she had relied entirely on drugs and hormones to prolong her life. Her awakening had been a miracle in itself.
The doctor cautiously said, "President Gallagher, Mrs. Gallagher’s use of excessive hormones to maintain her condition is already a dical miracle."
"Of course, perhaps there will be better dical thods in the future. We are also trying our best to sustain her life."
Nathaniel Gallagher closed his eyes deeply, feeling a subtle tightness in his heart.
He had done everything he could.
The rest was left to fate.
"Use the best dicines and the best treatnt thods to let Eleanor hold on for as long as possible and minimize her suffering as much as possible."
The doctor nodded, "President Gallagher, rest assured, we will do our utmost."
"Go!"
"Yes."
Nathaniel Gallagher’s mind was blank, standing by the window, lost in a blur.
So things... truly seed to be a twist of fate.
Entirely beyond human control.
Even he had no way to change it.
"Is this really a calamity?"
If...
Eleanor Churchill hadn’t awakened.
His life wouldn’t have changed at all.
He and Josephine Thompson wouldn’t have divorced, and so many tragedies wouldn’t have happened afterward.
She would remain forever in his heart.
However, fate loves to toy with people like this.
Waking her halfway, separating him and Josephine Thompson, yet unable to accompany him to the end.
Her awakening seed to be just for a certain destiny.
Reflecting on life.
A nurse rushed out, "President Gallagher, Mrs. Gallagher is awake, she wants to see you."
Nathaniel Gallagher was stunned for two seconds, then walked quickly to the hospital room.
Inside the hospital room.
Eleanor Churchill lay on the bed, barely breathing, hooked up to an ECG and various monitoring devices.
Indeed, she seed to be beyond saving.
"Eleanor." Nathaniel Gallagher’s eyes turned sour, calling her tenderly.
Eleanor Churchill drowsily opened her eyes, weakly coughed, "Cough cough..."
"Don’t move."
Eleanor Churchill removed her oxygen mask, looking weakly and longing at his extraordinarily handso face.
He was still so young and handso.
Almost unchanged from ten years ago.
At 32, a man was at the peak of his charm. Mature and wise, both sharp yet restrained.
It’s wonderful!
Unfortunately...
She had beco like a withered flower.
Completely unmatched with him.
"Nathaniel!" Eleanor Churchill raised her emaciated hand, wanting to touch his face.
Seeing her trembling, fragile appearance.
Nathaniel Gallagher’s eyes turned sour, his heart ached.
He sat on a stool, holding her hand to his face, "Mm~, I’m here."
Eleanor Churchill’s fingertips touched his warm skin.
Her parched lips curved into a faint smile, yet her strength was so weak that she couldn’t even maintain the gesture, leaving Nathaniel Gallagher holding her hand.
She stared at the redness in his eyes, her voice ghostly faint, "Nathaniel, I... I know my health can’t hold on much longer."
Nathaniel Gallagher’s Adam’s apple rolled, gripping her hand tightly, his voice hoarse interrupting, "Don’t say foolish things, the doctor said with good treatnt, you’ll recover quickly."
"You don’t have to comfort , I know my own body."
Eleanor Churchill gently shook her head, her breathing shivering, "I was awake less, but in the fog I heard clearly... The things they said, I rembered them all."
She paused, eyes fawning, recalling the past, "Actually, this might be best, so I don’t burden you further. All these years, lying in the hospital bed, seeing you run around for , my heart... I have always felt guilty."
Nathaniel Gallagher’s eye sockets heated instantly.
He turned away, afraid she would see his reddened eyes, but couldn’t hide his choking voice, "Talk of burden? We’re husband and wife, it’s my duty to take care of you."
"Couple..." Eleanor Churchill repeated these two words, a trace of forlorn complexity flashed in her eyes.
Indeed!
No matter what, they were legally recognized as husband and wife.
Even if he had changed his heart.
Yet he still kept his promises and did everything he could for her.
How could it not be deep love?
"But I know you don’t have in your heart anymore. You love... Miss Thompson, don’t you?"
Nathaniel Gallagher’s movents halted abruptly, unconsciously tightening his grip on her hand.
He hadn’t expected Eleanor Churchill to suddenly ntion Josephine Thompson.
Those feelings of guilt and regret he intentionally buried surged to the surface instantly.
"Eleanor, don’t speak such foolish words. My love for you is eternal, no one can compare to you."
Eleanor Churchill gently patted the back of his hand, a touch of relief in her tone, "You don’t have to fear I’ll be upset."
"Lying in the hospital bed all these days, I’ve co to understand many things. Love isn’t about forcing, it’s about seeing you well."
Nathaniel Gallagher’s heart felt pierced with needles, he reached out to wipe her tears gently with his thumb, his voice unusually tender, "It’s my fault, not handling these matters well, letting you suffer."
"In the future, let’s not ntion these unhappy matters, let’s enjoy our life, don’t let irrelevant people affect us."
Eleanor Churchill sighed with a smile, "Really?"
"Of course it’s true."
Eleanor Churchill: "Do you hate ?"
Nathaniel Gallagher: "Silly, how could you think like that? How could I possibly hate you? Without you, there wouldn’t be what I have today."
Eleanor: "Do you really not hate?"
Nathaniel: "Don’t ask such silly questions."
"Nathaniel, I know I don’t have much ti left. In my final days, I want to go ho."
Nathaniel hesitated for a few seconds, "...No, you are too weak right now. You need to stay in the hospital for treatnt. Once you get better, we’ll go ho, okay?"
"I don’t like the hospital. It makes constantly feel the breath of death. I want to go ho, quietly spend the last days."
"Eleanor, don’t be so pessimistic. With today’s advanced dicine, your condition can surely be cured."
"In the future, we’ll grow old together and live to be a hundred."
Eleanor gave a bitter smile, filled with deep emotion and a hint of daze. "Will I have that fate?"
Nathaniel’s throat tightened, and he held her hand more firmly, repeatedly rubbing the back of her gaunt hand as if trying to convey warmth to her. "Of course, you will! Rember when the doctors said you might not wake up after the car accident, and you pulled through? It’ll be the sa this ti. We’ll take it slow, you’ll definitely get better."
Eleanor just lightly shook her head, her eyes revealing no great anticipation, only a calm acceptance of life and death. "Nathaniel, I’m not afraid of dying. I’m just afraid...that when I go, I won’t have returned ho."
"The balcony of The Rose Garden can see the sunset. You always used to say my soup tasted great, and the orchid in the study you gave , I wonder if anyone has been watering it properly..."
As she spoke,
her voice grew softer, her gaze drifting towards the ward door, as if she could already see the view of The Rose Garden.
Nathaniel looked at her, feeling as though his heart had been hit by sothing heavy, a deep aching pain.
He remained silent for a few seconds, his Adam’s apple moving, and finally relented. "Alright, we’ll go ho. I’ll have the hospital equipnt moved to The Rose Garden, and I’ll hire the best doctors to stay at ho for care. Is that okay?"
Eleanor’s eyes brightened slightly, and a genuine smile appeared on her dried lips, like a wilting flower suddenly graced with dew. "Okay... Thank you, Nathaniel."
"No need to thank ." Nathaniel turned his face away, wiping the moisture from the corner of his eyes.
When he turned back, his voice softened considerably, "You rest well first. I’ll make arrangents and we’ll be ho soon."
Eleanor softly murmured "Mm."
Nathaniel gently placed the oxygen mask back on her.
She closed her eyes, exhausted, as her breathing gradually steadied, seeming far more at peace.
Nathaniel sat by her bed for a while, making sure she was asleep, then quietly left the ward.
Upon reaching the hallway,
he called his assistant, his voice carrying a faint, undetectable tremble. "Arrange imdiately to have the best mobile dical equipnt from Audenburg University Hospital moved to The Rose Garden, and have the cardiology and immunology expert teams stay there for 24-hour care."
"Also, have the housekeeper tidy up the study and balcony at The Rose Garden, especially make sure the balcony chairs get lots of sun, and have the gardener tend to the orchid in the study."
"Yes, President Gallagher, I’ll do it right away." The assistant, noting his urgent tone, dared not delay and agreed imdiately.
After hanging up the phone,
Nathaniel leaned against the wall, his face pale.
He knew what Eleanor’s wanting to go ho signified.
It signified...
They were all tacitly agreeing that "treatnt is futile," and the only thing left was to accompany her through her final journey this way.
But he had no choice.
Rather than let Eleanor anxiously await death in the hospital, going ho could at least give her so peace.
...
At 3 PM.
The Rose Garden was fully prepared.
A heart monitor was set up in the living room, the room next to the main bedroom was converted into a temporary treatnt room, and the gardener was carefully watering the orchid at the study door.
Nathaniel personally carried Eleanor into the car, his movents gentle as if afraid to break a fragile porcelain doll.
Eleanor leaned against him, taking in the familiar scent of his cologne and the scenes rolling by the window, her lips perpetually curved into a faint smile.
At the last monts of life.
She just wanted to cherish the feeling of being with her loved one.
Upon arriving at The Rose Garden,
Nathaniel placed her on the balcony’s lounge chair, covered her with a thin blanket. The sunset fell perfectly on her, warm and comforting.
Eleanor squinted, looking at the distant sunset, speaking softly. "See, the sunset at ho is still the most beautiful."
Nathaniel sat beside her, holding her hand, following her gaze toward the sunset, his voice gentle. "We’ll see it every day from now on."
Eleanor said nothing, just turned her head slightly, quietly studying his profile.
The sunset’s glow fell on his features, softening his usual stern deanor, adding a hint of warmth.
"Nathaniel, can you step back from work recently? Spend more ti with ?"
"Alright, from now on, I’ll be with you every day."
Eleanor sighed, "It’s a pity Henny has gone abroad. If Henny were here with , I’d have no regrets."
Nathaniel: "Silly, once you get better, Henny can co back."
"Nathaniel, if... if I go, don’t be too sad. I’m just worried about Henny. You should find him a good stepmother."
Nathaniel frowned slightly, "Eleanor, don’t say such disheartening things."
Eleanor gave a weak smile, as if delivering her last words, "Vivian is a good girl, smart, lovable, we know each other well. Besides, she treats Henny well, and Henny really likes her."
"After I’m gone, putting Henny into her hands would relieve sowhat..."
When Nathaniel heard this, his head buzzed, "Eleanor, what kind of nonsense are you talking? Vivian is your niece; in my eyes, she’s just a little girl."
Eleanor paused in her breathing, a touch of persistence in her eyes, but her voice remained weak. "I know she’s my niece, but I can see it in her heart, she cares for you, and truly cares for Henny. All these years I’ve lain in bed, she’s often co to play with Henny, and Henny is close to her..."
"You needn’t worry about this for ." Nathaniel interrupted her, with a subtle resistance in his tone. "Henny has , and I’ll take good care of him. As for Vivian, you don’t know what she’s done, and there’s no need to bring her up again."
He hadn’t planned to tell Eleanor about Vivian’s underhanded actions.
She was already fragile enough, and couldn’t bear this additional blow.
But Eleanor appeared not to hear his rejection, gently shook her head. "I know you have no interest in Vivian, but isn’t living about finding soone good for the child, soone good for the family? With your cold personality, you need a gentle companion..."
"Eleanor!" Nathaniel’s voice deepened, his grip on her hand tightening involuntarily. "It’s too early to talk about this now. You need to focus on getting better. When you recover, we’ll take Henny to the amusent park together—you’ve always wanted to accompany him there, haven’t you?"
He intentionally changed the subject, wanting to brush past this topic.
Eleanor observed his tense profile, a flash of understanding in her eyes. "So, you’ve been thinking about Miss Thompson, haven’t you?"
He’s still so young.
After she passes, he will inevitably seek another partner.
But she didn’t want it to be Josephine Thompson.
This feeling was strange.
Maybe it was jealousy, maybe it was unwilling acceptance, maybe it was fear of being forgotten.
In any case, he could find anyone, just not Josephine Thompson.
"Eleanor, you’re tired. Let take you back to your room to rest!" Nathaniel didn’t answer her question, directly moving her wheelchair, pushing her back inside.
In her final monts!
He would be there with her to the end, and fulfill all her wishes.
Except this one, he couldn’t promise her.
Everything he was doing now.
It was all to have Josephine back in his life.
He was absolutely confident that Josephine would fall in love with him again.
Their lives would return to how it used to be.
"Nathaniel, tell the truth, you still love Miss Thompson, don’t you?" Eleanor felt a chill in her heart, her jealousy rising uncontrollably.
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