Chapter 8 — After Doctor Diep Disappeared

Then, she walked to the foot of the basement stairs and called upstairs: "Everyone get out, I want to stay here alone for a while." Two maids holding brooms walked down from upstairs, passed Tham Moc Ngung, and glanced at the old woman on the ground. Tham Moc Ngung smiled: "She has recurrent hypoglycemia, I'm taking care of her, you two go to work." The maid left. Tham Moc Ngung leaned her back against the wall, lowered her head to look at Diep's mother's face, watched the corners of her mouth twitch, watched her stiff fingers clinging to the cement floor. Half an hour later, she took out her phone and called 120. Her voice was filled with sobs, both urgent and weak: "Isn't someone coming to help? There's an old lady here who suddenly fainted, white foam coming out of her mouth. I'm so scared..." Diep Nam Sanh received the phone call from the hospital forty-two minutes later. The nurse on the other end of the line was very young and spoke fluently: "Miss Diep, your mother, Mrs. Diep Tu Mai, had a serious stroke and was taken to the intensive care room. Please come here immediately." Diep Nam Sanh's hand holding the phone clenched tightly. She rushed out of the apartment, hailed a taxi on the side of the road, and read the hospital address. The taxi inched forward little by little amid the traffic jam at rush hour. Diep Nam Sanh sat in the back seat, his right knee jerking continuously. The driver looked at her through the rearview mirror: "Girl, don't be in a hurry, the road ahead is almost clear." Diep Nam Sanh didn't say anything, his fingers kept pressing the phone screen on and off. By the time we arrived at the hospital, it was already dark. Diep Nam Sanh ran to the door of the intensive care room (ICU), pressed close to the glass door and looked inside. The person lying on the bed had seven or eight tubes connected to it, an oxygen mask was placed on his face, and the curve on the heart rate monitor crawled slowly, step by step. Diep's mother's eyes were closed, her face was pale, her hands were placed face down on the blanket, her fingers curled, as if she was still trying to hold on to something. Diep Nam Sanh's forehead pressed against the glass, the coldness made her shiver. She stood there for a long time, standing until the nurse came over to remind her that ICU visiting hours had ended. Diep Nam Sanh did not return to the apartment. She took the car and went straight to the Co family's villa. Tham Moc Ngung was sitting watching TV on the living room sofa, Co Tu Mac was lying on her lap sleeping soundly, an animated movie was playing on the TV. Diep Nam Sanh pushed the door and walked in. Tham Moc Ngung looked up, saw Diep Nam Sanh's eyes, and the remote control in his hand fell onto the chair cushion. Diep Nam Sanh's eyes were bloodshot.

“What did you say to my mother?”

Tham Moc Ngung's lips moved, she used her hand to cover the sleeping Co Tu Mac and hid it behind her back: "My sister-in-law, don't... calm down, I didn't say anything, her health is already not good..." The following words were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Co Han Chau walked down the stairs, still holding a file of documents in her hand. He saw Diep Nam Sanh in the living room and frowned: "Why are you here?" Diep Nam Sanh did not look at him, his eyes were still locked on Tham Moc Ngung's face. Co Han Chau stepped between the two people, leaning over to shield Tham Moc Ngung and the child behind him.

“I already know how your mother is, I will tell the hospital put all our efforts into rescue.”

At this time, Diep Nam Sanh turned his eyes to him.

“Who told her to go to the Co family's house? Did you say it, or did she say it?”

Co Han Chau's jaw tightened: "Your mother's health is not good, who hired her to run to the Co family's house and cause trouble?" What are you doing running here in the middle of the night to vent your anger on your sister-in-law? Diep Nam Sanh stared at his face for a long time. It was so long that Co Han Chau's expression became somewhat unnatural. She turned her back towards the door.