Words I Was Afraid To Hear 195 Not Him

Long Yis.h.i.+n stared at the MRI scan of the sedated man who had just been transferred to the hospital bed. Earlier on, she personally perforned a DNA test between the supposed siblings, just to make sure that the man she had allowed in her hospital is really the supposedly dead CEO, Verdan Zhou.

"Doctor Long, will his memories come back?"

"Ms. Zhou, it will depend on how much and how fast he can recover. He might recall some memories, but in such cases of trauma, most of the time, not everything will be remembered."

"What exactly is the problem?"

"Well, the blunt force trauma to the head caused a probable previous arteriovenous malformation to rupture and bleed. The hematoma here is pus.h.i.+ng the hippocampal and parahippocampal gyri, causing his retrograde amnesia." Long Yis.h.i.+n pointed towards the area of the monitor to demarcate the extent of the problem.

Vanessa Zhou cleared her throat. "I majored in business, Dr. Long. In other words..?"

"Ah, oh!" Long Yis.h.i.+n lit up as if she just realized her mistake. "Uhm...his memory loss is due to clotted blood inside his brain, pus.h.i.+ng the areas responsible in keeping his memory intact." She surveyed the expression of the CEO before her.

"Oh...so, can you take the blood out?"

"We can...but that will not guarantee that he could get his memory back. We need to rehabilitate him after the procedure."

Vanessa Zhou put out an expression of sadness and disappointment.

"However, since the patient can retain new memories, based on our neurologic examination prior to his sedation, I believe that you could re-introduce facts for his brain to store. The proof is that he stands by his knowledge of being married with child to a woman who had lived in that remote island all her life. Since he could still remember this after his abduction, I believe he could retain new memories. His skills and abilities are also retained so it will not be difficult for him to go back to work."

"So we need to re-introduce his wife to him?"

"CEO Zhou is married? Uhm...I mean, I don't mind. When he told me that he is married during the interview, I only thought that he accepted the lies of the family where you took him from. Hmm...maybe he remembered the feeling of being married that's why he could easily accept the lies." Long Yis.h.i.+n was more like talking to herself than explaining to the relative.

"Just please do everything you can to do something about his condition."

"Of course. This hospital was built to cater for special cases."

"Thank you, Dr. Long."

____________________

"Victor, why is this woman here?!"

"Linyu, let me introduce our daughter-in-law, Midori."

"No! I will not accept this! I will not accept her!" Su Linyu pointed towards the woman who just arrived, with her index finger trembling in her anger.

"Linyu! Sit down! Don't be rude!" Victor Zhou scolded his wife. He turned towards the young woman before them by manipulating his wheelchair. "Midori, please take a seat. We appreciate your coming here." He gestured towards an empty seat.

They are actually inside a private room of a restaurant which caters by appointment. Before them were sumptuous cuisines of different Asian countries.

"Chairman Zhou." Midori nodded and followed as instructed.

"Please...call me 'Dad'." Victor Zhou had a gentle smile on his face.

Midori mustered to put up a subtle smile, in order not to offend the man.

The veins around Su Linyu's face and neck looked like they were ready to burst. Her face was livid with anger. Her worst nightmare came true through the presence of this woman.

When her husband told her that their son married Xiu Jin's daughter, she was in a state of shock and denial. Now that she was facing her supposed daughter-in-law, it was as if Pandora's box was opened.

"Well, let's eat before the food gets cold." Victor Zhou gestured towards the table with a lazy susan filled with dishes. He grabbed his chopsticks and his bowl of rice and started eating enthusiastically.

Su Linyu did not have a choice. She slowly picked up his chopsticks to get some food as she glared at Xiu Jin's daughter.

Midori took two pieces of sweet and sour pork ribs. She finished eating a piece and drank the served hot tea before wiping her mouth with the table napkin.

"Chairman Zhou, Mrs. Zhou." She took their attention.

"Midori, please don't be too distant around us. Our son will recover in no time. He would remember you by then. Please be patient. We accept you and our grandson as part of the family."

"Victor!" Su Linyu was about to rise from her seat as she slammed her chopsticks on the table.

"Shut up or I will be the one to kick you out of the family!" The thunderous voice of Victor Zhou echoed in the room.

Su Linyu sat back like a scolded puppy. Even when he is in a wheelchair, she still recognized the power of her husband. Also, he had always been patient towards her. Getting him angry is a dangerous thing.

Midori tilted her head down for awhile, the she leveled her eyes towards the sincere hazel ones of the old man. "Chairman Zhou, while it is true that I once married your son, the one whom you took from the island and whom you are currently treating in the hospital...is not him." The weight of the words can be felt in her voice.

"What do you mean?"

"Chairman Zhou, you might be able to prove that he is your son, but that is not the man I married." She took a deep breath. "Also, when we held a funeral for your son, I had declared him dead in the registry and myself as his widow."

"But Midori, he..."

"Sir, today, I came here not to formally introduce myself as your son's wife. I came to give you this." She handed the old man an envelope.

Victor Zhou's hazel eyes widened as he read the wedding invitation he received.

Su Linyu, who sat beside her husband, saw it too. She had a confused and suspicious expression on her face as she looked at the young woman before her.