Chapter 23 — I Return From The Deep

“What question?”

“‘Miss Trieu, I'm here'.”

He finally turned to look at me. Under the eyes lies something very deep.

"I thought I was going to die. But I still kept thinking about my teacher."

“At that moment I thought——this person cannot die.”

The sea breeze blew away his voice. But I heard every word. The location of the heart in the chest——not where the tumor was, but a little deeper——throbbed. Not sick or sick. It's the pain of a living existence. I reached out my hand. The arm reached out from under the thin wool scarf, feeling cold. Touch the back of his hand. His hand is much warmer than mine. His fingertips trembled slightly. Then he turned his hand over. Cover my arms completely. Palm to palm. His warmth passed through little by little. The two people didn't say a word. Just sit like that. The sea breeze blows. Waves beat each beat. Enough. Everything is more than enough. Surgery day. Luc Tham came very early. Wen Nhuoc Duong also came. Trieu An Binh took the night bus from his hometown. Even inmate Tieu Ho's mother asked someone to send a fruit basket. Lying on the stretcher, about to be pushed into the operating room, I raised my head and looked at them. On Nhuoc Duong held my hand. Trieu An Binh stood behind, his eyes red, constantly rubbing his hands. Luc Tham stood at the edge. Say nothing. Just look at me. Lips moving. I can read lips. Two words. “Wait for me.” I laugh. Close your eyes. The operating room lights were bright. Bright as the gateway to the other world. But I'm not afraid. Because this time, I want to live. Really want to live. The surgery lasted 7 hours. Waking up, the first thing that came into view was the white light of the ICU. Then there's the nurse. Then came a sound. Very far, very far. Like being separated by a layer of water.

“… Niem So… Niem So…”

I blinked. It's too heavy. Eyelids as heavy as lead. But that sound still echoed in my ears. Just keep calling my name. I used the last of my strength and turned my head sideways. Through the transparent glass window of the ICU room, Luc Tham was standing there. Both hands rest on the glass. Forehead pressed against the glass. Seeing me open my eyes and move——his shoulders slumped immediately. Lips tight. The rims of the eyes are red. I wanted to smile, but the corners of my mouth were powerless. Anyway, it probably raised it up a bit. Because you're smiling. Laughter and tears falling. The surgery was very successful. The tumor was completely removed. Surgical margins were negative. There are no signs of metastasis. The day the pathology report came out, the attending doctor told me these results, I was sitting on the hospital bed. Just say one sentence. "Thank." Don't have to tell the doctor. But with everyone. With Ms. Trieu. Wen Nhuoc Duong. Trieu An Binh. Tieu Ho. Luc Tham. Even——with fate. It tormented me for so long. But in the end, it didn't kill me. The day I was discharged from the hospital was a beautiful sunny day. Warm winter sunshine is rare in Lam Hai. Luc Tham drove to pick me up. In the car was a bouquet of daisies—not an old bouquet, a newly purchased bouquet, the white petals still covered with morning dew. I sat in the co-pilot's seat. Fasten your seat belt. The car moves. Passing by Linhai University, I looked back out the window. The biological experiment building still stands there. Everything is still there. But everything has changed. The car continues to move forward. Sunlight shines through the car window onto my knees. Warm extremely pressured. I turned my head to look at Luc Tham. He is concentrating on driving. One hand is placed on the steering wheel, the other hand hangs naturally. I reached out. Put your hand on his hand. He didn't turn to look. But the corners of his mouth curled up. His hand turned over, ten fingers interlocked. The car continues to roll. Heading towards a completely new future, a place where I no longer have to kneel and beg anyone to believe in me. After.