The Princess and the Paupers - Season 4 Episode 44

Martha kept her head down, not daring to look at Arabella, silently tending to Serena.

“How are your grandparents holding up lately?” Hans asked after serving Arabella some food, shifting his focus to his parents.

He’s been either busy with the company or rushing home to keep his sister company. It’s been a week since he got back, but he hadn’t checked on his grandparents yet.

“Your Grandma woke up once on the day of the award ceremony but then fell into a coma again,” Louisa said with a heavy heart. “God knows when she’ll pull through.”

“What caused it?” Arabella asked coolly.

She heard their health wasn’t great, just like her other grandparents, who were getting on in years, but she never asked for specifics.

“Your grandparents both love to stay active. A month ago, they went mountain climbing. Grandma took a tumble, and Grandpa fell down a dozen steps trying to catch her. They both blacked out and were in a deep coma by the time they were rushed to the hospital.”

Louisa could still picture the scene as if it had just happened.

“The CT scan showed that Grandma had a fractured skull and brain bruise, along with multiple broken bones. Grandpa’s condition was even worse. He broke several bones while protecting her. Fluid accumulated in his feft chest cavity, and there was intracranial hemorrhage. Both their lives were at risk.”

Louisa still felt a chill, remembering, “Grandpa went into shock during the examination, and Grandma suffered acute respiratory failure. It scared the living daylights

out of us.”

They were both in critical condition with internal bleeding that couldn’t be operated on, so they were transferred to the ICU.

“They’ve been in the ICU until now. Grandma has woken up twice, but Greandpa hasn’t woken up at all.”

Louisa’s mood darkened as she spoke: “They have a whole host of complications. The doctors say the intracranial hemorrhage has caused extensive damage to their central nervous system. They both have trouble coughing and expectorating, so the doctors performed a tracheotomy to help them breathe.”

Their condition sounded dire–a step away from the grave.

Kenneth also spoke gravely: “The entire ICU team has been tackling all sorts of issues, from respiratory failure, shock, respiratory tract infection, anemia, and electrolyte imbalance. Each day brings a new set of challenges. We don’t know when they’ll recover, but we’re holding out hope.”

“Are they at Hope Hospital?” Arabella asked.

“No.”

Although Hope Hospital was the best public hospital in Summerfield, known especially for treating heart diseases, private hospitals provided more attentive care. “How are your other grandparents doing?” Hans asked solemnly.

“Their condition hasn’t improved either. Your uncle has contacted top experts abroad. They’ve already left the country for treatment.

Hearing that his other grandparents‘ condition wasn’t any better than his grandparents, Hans sank deeper into gloom.

“Let’s not talk about this during dinner.” Worried about the somber mood, Kenneth served Arabella a piece of pork loin. “Eat up, Bella. You’ve been back for almost a month, right?”

“Yes.” Arabella obediently took the food her father served her.

“Are your college entrance exam results out soon?“.

“We can check the day after tomorrow.”

“Great! Do you have any universities you want to apply to?” Kenneth asked with a smile, “Just so you know, I’ll support you no matter where you want to go! Of course, I won’t force you if you don’t want to go to college. Your happiness is what matters most.”

“Thanks, dad.”