Chapter 72 Amnesia
The man in the long gown took the old photo and glanced at it. "The person in the photo is only about twenty years old. There is a vague shadow of my father in his eyes and eyebrows, but it is really hard to tell based on this blurry image." He sighed and handed the photo back to Su Qing.
Lu Xingchen took the photo from Su Qing. He had used the photo to check the patient on the bed many times before.
He gently stroked the corners of the photo with his fingers. The yellowed color and signs of wear seemed to be telling the story of time.
In the photo, Lu Wannian’s smile when he was young was as warm and bright as the spring sun.
Lu Wannian lay quietly on the hospital bed, his temples gray, his face kind and pale, as if he was a lone boat in the ocean, experiencing the tranquility after countless storms.
Lu Xingchen stood beside the bed, his eyes fixed solemnly on the elderly man, the emotions in his heart surging like the tide.
Seeing this, Lu Xinghui couldn't help but ask, "Are you going to wait here until my father wakes up?"
Su Qing replied softly: "Yes, we have come all the way to find our relatives. Now we have finally found the clues, and we hope to wait until Mr. Lu wakes up and uncover the truth."
Lu Xingchen finally introduced himself: "My name is Lu Xingchen, Lu Wannian is my father, her name is Su Qing, she is my wife, she came with me to look for my relatives."
"Hello, I'm Lu Xinghui." The man in the long gown introduced himself, his expression complicated and difficult to understand.
Lu Xinghui knew clearly that his father had mentioned that he had a lost son, and that the son's name was only one letter different from his own, but everything before him happened too suddenly for him to accept it immediately.
Lu Wannian often mentioned Lu Xingchen to Lu Xinghui, but he still had doubts in his heart as to whether the person in front of him was the one his father mentioned.
As the three were talking, Su Qing suddenly noticed that Lu Wannian's fingers moved slightly.
She exclaimed in surprise: "Look, he's awake!" Lu Xingchen and Lu Xinghui immediately surrounded him and stared at Lu Wannian nervously.
Lu Wannian slowly opened his eyes. Although he was weak, his gaze was still as sharp as before. "Who...are you all?" His voice was weak but still majestic.
Lu Xinghui excitedly held his father's hand: "Dad, I am Lu Xingchen, your son Lu Xingchen. I have been looking for you all these years."
With tears in her eyes, Lu Xingchen held Lu Wannian's hand tightly, trying to find a hint of recognition from him.
However, Lu Wannian's denial was like a cold shower on his head, causing Lu Xingchen's body to tremble uncontrollably.
Amelia Su patted Lu Xingchen on the shoulder, turned to Lu Wannian and said, “Mr. Lu, do you need to take a break? We can talk about it later.”
Lu Xinghui and Su Qing immediately assisted the medical staff in putting Lu Wannian back on the bed.
The ward fell into silence, with only the ticking sound of the monitoring equipment and the heavy breathing of four people.
Time passed slowly as he waited, and Lu Xingchen felt increasingly heavy in his heart.
He began to doubt whether he had really found the right person, or perhaps this was all just a misunderstanding.
At this moment, Lu Wannian's eyes suddenly moved again, and a faint smile seemed to appear at the corners of his mouth.
Lu Xingchen immediately came forward and said, "Dad, do you remember me? I am your son, Lu Xingchen."
Lu Wannian's gaze stayed on Lu Xingchen's face for a moment, then slowly moved to Su Qing.
His lips trembled, and he finally uttered a weak sound: "You...are...?"
Although this sentence was vague, everyone present held their breath and waited nervously for what would happen next.
Lu Wannian's eyes seemed to soften a little, but soon, his brows furrowed and his expression became painful.
He shook his head and whispered, "I...I can't remember clearly. My head hurts."
Lu Xinghui also said to his father gently: "Dad, we are not in a hurry, you can talk slowly."
Lu Wannian's eyes slowly moved across the faces of the three people, his heart filled with complicated emotions.
He tried to grasp those scattered memories, but they were like foam on the beach, bursting at the touch.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then let it out slowly.
"I... I remember that I once had a son, but he left when I was very young." Lu Wannian's voice was low and hoarse, as if he was telling an ancient story. "I remember his little hands, warm and strong, and I remember his laughter, crisp and bright. But... I can't remember the rest."
Lu Xingchen's heart felt like it was hit by a heavy hammer, and his eyes became moist.
Lu Wannian's eyes flickered with a wave, but soon he regained his composure. "I know you are very excited now, and I also hope to remember you, but I really can't remember you clearly." His voice was weak, but full of helplessness and sadness.
The atmosphere in the ward became heavy and depressing.
Su Qing stepped forward gently, handed a glass of water to Lu Wannian, and then gently wiped the sweat from his forehead, "Mr. Lu, take your time, don't force yourself."
Lu Xinghui also comforted: “Yes, Dad, let’s not be too anxious.”
At this moment, a nurse walked into the ward, took the patient's blood pressure and temperature, with a hint of nervousness on her face, "Doctor, the patient's blood pressure suddenly rose, we need to do an emergency check immediately."
Everyone's hearts were in their throats.
Lu Xingchen stood up immediately, his eyes full of worry, "What's wrong? How is Dad?"
They watched Lu Wannian being urgently pushed away by medical staff, their hearts filled with worry.
The next few hours seemed as long as centuries to Lu Xingchen and the others.
The patient was pushed into the operating room again, and they waited anxiously outside the operating room, their hearts full of prayers.
Finally, the door to the operating room opened.
The doctor came out, his face was a little tired, but his eyes revealed a hint of good news, "The patient's condition has stabilized, and the operation was successful. But..."
Before the doctor finished speaking, Lu Xingchen and Su Qing couldn't wait to ask, "But what? How is Dad's condition?"
The doctor sighed: "Although the patient's body has stabilized, his memory seems to have been affected. He is now in a state of amnesia. We need further observation and treatment."
Lu Xingchen's heart felt like being stabbed by a sharp knife, and his eyes were full of disbelief.
He looked at the doctor and asked in a trembling voice, "Amnesia? You mean, Dad...he can't remember me?"
The doctor nodded and said, "Yes, the patient's memory has been affected. We will try our best to treat him and hope to help him recover his memory. However, this process may be long."
Lu Xingchen felt weak, his legs seemed to be pressed down by a lead ball, and he could hardly stand.
He looked at Su Qing and Lu Xinghui, their eyes were also filled with grief and helplessness.