Dr. Joe said hello to old Sterling and looked at Savannah. "Miss Schultz." Obviously, he knew the girl.
Savannah nodded politely. She thought doctor Joe would examine old Sterling, so she stood up to give her place to him.
"Savannah, will you please pour two cups of jasmine tea for Dr. Joe and ?" Old Sterling said softly.
Savannah was stunned for a mont and imdiately nodded, "Okay." Then she went out.
After partly closing the door, Savannah took a few steps down the corridor and felt a little uncomfortable.
Each ti Dr. Joe ca to see old Sterling, he would take his dical kit, but today it seed that he had co empty-handed.
Clearly, Dr. Joe was not here to treat old Sterling today.
They seed to have sothing to talk, so old Sterling sent her away.
She glanced at the half-closed door; as if attracted by so invisible force, she could not help but walk back.
The door was not completely closed but left a small opening. Standing beside the door, Savannah could clearly hear the sound of the two people coming from the room.
"Dr. Joe, you an, Susan suddenly got mad because of the genetic factors from her mother?" old Sterling's voice was a little shaky.
"Yes." The doctor nodded.
"But... Susan's been fine since she was a child. There's no sign..."
"Schizophrenia, one of the most common psychiatric disorders, is genetically linked. This illness is genetically transmitted from your wife to your daughter and sons. There's a strong presumption that Miss Sterling could live a normal life. However, environntal factors are also thought to play an important part. Miss Sterling was knocked completely by what happened to her, just like what your eldest son had t many years ago. He drove the car out in a mont of utter lunacy, resulting in a car accident..."
Savannah's heart was beating heavily, and she held her breath.
What did he an?
Old Sterling's wife, the lady from the Cavendish family, had the gene for a psychiatric disorder?
Dylan's brother, who had a car accident that year, was actually killed by his ntal illness? The tragedy happened not only because of a quarrel with his father but also because of a ntal attack!
Now Susan was suffering from Schizophrenia because she had so special genes?
No wonder a normal person would go crazy suddenly.
No wonder… when Susan was sent to the small white building in great pain after the divorce, old Sterling was afraid that Susan couldn't recover and said she was different...
Because Susan had special genes and was at higher risk of ntal illness than others!
Old Sterling knew that Susan was unable to absorb this heavy blow.
Did that an...
Dylan also had similar genes?
Although he led a normal life now --
Might he be sick one day just like his sister and brother?
His depression…
"Why is God so cruel..." old Sterling's voice choked at the painful mory, "why should my children and my wife suffer so much...?"
Savannah now regretted that she had heard the biggest secret of the Sterling family. She turned around and was about to leave when she accidentally bumped into a large vase beside the door.
The bumping sound was loud enough for the two in the room to hear.
Dr. Joe stood up, took a few steps, and rushed to the door. He opened it and frowned at Savannah, who had no ti to leave. "Miss Schultz, you --"
Old Sterling was also surprised to see Savannah at the door. After a while, his expression relaxed. "Co in, Savannah." then he turned to Dr. Joe, "Dr. Joe, thank you. Please go first."
Dr. Joe hesitated, finally, he said nothing and left.
Like a misbehaving child, Savannah crept into the house and did not look at old Sterling. "I'm sorry, sir," she said.
"It's all right. Please close the door." Old Sterling sighed.
Savannah closed the door and went to old Sterling again. The atmosphere was so quiet and strained that she could even hear old Sterling's breathing.
"You heard it, didn't you?" Sterling's voice was calm. There was no bla. Instead, there was a sense of relief.
He had kept the secret for a long ti and couldn't share it with anyone. Now he could finally unburden himself. That's not bad.
What's more, Savannah was a good girl, and she wouldn't gossip behind him.
"Well... I'm sorry, sir, but I'm absolutely not going to say anything to anyone." Savannah promised quickly.
Seeing her upset, old Sterling shook his head. "It doesn't matter, Savannah. Sit down."
Savannah sat down beside him and felt a little relieved that old Sterling was not angry.
"It's probably good for you to hear it. Dylan doesn't know he might have this genetic disease. Now you're with him, you can remind him at any ti when he might be irritated or too excited at provocation. I don't want him to suffer the sa as his sister and brother."
Savannah was quiet and thoughtful for a while before she said, "Dylan doesn't know the genetic factor for ntal disease in his family?"
"Well, no one knows about it except Dr. Joe and . Now, of course, you know it too. Dr. Joe said they might never be sick if lucky, and it's better not to tell them the fact about their genes. A pressure situation and ntal suggestion may increase the tendency toward the illness. So, I never ntioned it to my three children."
Savannah gasped, "that is, Dylan's misunderstood you! His elder brother had a car accident because of a ntal attack. It's not your fault!"
"Bla . It's better that he knows the genetic disease in this family. What's more, he'd gotten depression because of his brother's death that year, how did I dare to explain that to him? If he'd known that they all had this disease, he would probably break down just like his brother. I can't lose another son anymore." Old Sterling sighed again.
Therefore, old Sterling would rather be estranged from Dylan than explain, for fear that the son should know of the disease.
Taking a deep breath, Savannah stirred uneasily. She could not help but ask, "is this genetic disease really serious? Could people be cured if caught?"
"Dylan's mom, my wife, is from a descendant of the Cavendish family. Her family had always had this genetic disease. This disease occurred among mbers of the family by heredity. That is, so mbers would have the genes, but the incidence of the disease is unknown. My wife was emotionally troubled because of a sudden occurrence, and an incautious step sent her headlong down the stairs. In order to preserve the reputation of the family, I claid that she had passed away from a general disease," old Sterling's voice was grave. After a mont's silence, he went on speaking. "And Dylan's brother… He suddenly went off his head in a quarrel with and ran out racing, which caused a car accident and… his death. According to the doctor, this kind of genetic disease is hard to be cured in the current situation."
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