Chapter 1096: Chapter 1036: Mother Diagnosed with Illness
"Last time you asked me to look into him, I didn’t find anything. This time Night Owl already knows Sixth Master’s people are digging around, he’ll definitely hide even deeper. I’m afraid I still won’t be able to track him down." Lucas Robertson voiced his concern.
Sienna Johnson said, "I know. Just do your best."
Adrian Desmond had been running himself ragged over this lately. Sienna only wanted to give him a hand; after all, him staying in Abyanabad all the time and never coming back to Sileria City was not a long-term solution.
"Yeah, I know what to do."
Sienna looked at Lucas. Ever since he’d had a son, he was obviously reluctant to take on jobs, wishing he could spend all day circling around his kid making money for him.
"Lucas, don’t you need to earn money for formula?"
Lucas froze for a second, then realized what Sienna meant by that question. "My parents left me some money, and when I was younger I made quite a bit myself. It’s enough for Kiki and Dominic to spend for a lifetime."
"I was actually planning to raise your salary and have you do more for me. Looks like that won’t do much for you."
"I’m helping you, not for the money."
"Then thank you."
"I might not be able to actually help; I can only do my best."
"Mm."
...
On Friday afternoon, Sienna was accompanying Pauline Briggs to the hospital for tests.
Lately Pauline had been feeling stomach pains. At the hospital they found a tumor in her uterus, and it wasn’t clear yet whether it was benign or malignant.
"Your company’s so busy. I already told you, you didn’t have to come with me. I can handle it myself. It’s not like I’m seventy or eighty and can’t walk."
There were a lot of people waiting for tests. The two of them had already been waiting half an hour and it still wasn’t their turn.
"I’m not the President; how busy can I be? What’s the big deal if I miss a day or half a day?"
They were mother and daughter. Her father was gone, and now that Pauline had been diagnosed with a tumor, as the elder daughter, how could Sienna possibly let her go to the hospital alone?
After learning she had a tumor, Pauline was extraordinarily calm, which was beyond Sienna’s expectations.
"Mom’s really brave this time. I thought you’d be in tears." Sienna said with a smile.
Pauline glanced at her elder daughter. Sometimes Sienna felt more like the mother than she did, whereas she came off like the clueless daughter.
When it came to this daughter, Pauline had always felt guilty. She kept thinking that if there was a next life, she hoped Sienna could still be her daughter. She would never lose her again; she would dote on her, spoil her as she grew up, and make up for the hurt she’d caused.
"Your dad is all alone down there; it’s pretty lonely for him. If I go keep him company, that’s not so bad either."
So that was why. Pauline wasn’t worried at all about whether the tumor was benign or malignant.
"Dad died so young. You have to live well, or I’ll be an orphan all over again."
Pauline’s tears welled up at once. "I thought you didn’t care whether I lived or died."
Sometimes Pauline was like a child who needed coaxing. Sienna pulled out a tissue to wipe her tears.
"You’re already a grandmother; don’t keep crying all the time or Curly will laugh at you again."
"Mm." Pauline was especially obedient when it came to Sienna. Sure enough, she forced her tears back again.
"I know I’m not a qualified mother. In the next life, come be my daughter again, okay? I definitely won’t lose you again. Your dad and I will protect you properly, love you, and not let you suffer even the tiniest bit of harm."
"Then wouldn’t I be just like Samara?"
"What’s wrong with being like Samara? She’ll be happier than you in the future. You, you’re just destined to be the one who worries all your life."
"There has to be someone in the family who does the worrying."
Pauline said sadly, "It’s all my fault for not giving you an older brother. If you, like me, had two older brothers, you wouldn’t have it so hard."
"Mom, just how many good deeds did you do in your last life to have such good luck in this one?" Sienna deliberately teased her. "Don’t tell me you saved the Milky Way or something?"
"At first I really didn’t think much of Adrian, but with time I realized he’s actually pretty good."
Sienna pressed her lips together, smiling. "Mom, you should say that to your son‑in‑law. He’d be over the moon if he heard it."
Adrian found this mother‑in‑law of his a real headache.
Pauline was Sienna’s birth mother and elder, so he couldn’t hit her, couldn’t yell at her, and if he gave her the cold shoulder, he’d end up getting lectured by her.
"Adrian’s got plenty of flaws, but his heart’s with you. He truly loves you and knows how to cherish you, and that’s enough. You shouldn’t be too overbearing either. A woman showing a bit of weakness in front of her man is necessary..."
Pauline normally never talked like this. It seemed she was worried the tumor might be malignant, so she was extra talkative today.
"I know all that. I’m not George. He’s good to me, so of course I’ll be good to him."
"You’re a smart one. Now you’ve got a husband who loves you and a child; I don’t worry about you. If I go, you have to take good care of your sister..."
"Mom, don’t overthink it; it’s not that serious. Besides, even if it is malignant, medicine is so advanced now, and our family runs the Pharmaceutical Factory—what kind of drug don’t we have?" Sienna comforted her, but Pauline’s mood stayed low.
"Number 45." The doctor’s voice came over the PA system.
Pauline was number 45. Sienna took her hand and led her into the specialist’s office.
The doctor seeing them was an older man, very well‑known at this hospital. Sienna had specifically asked around about his skills and booked his specialist slot.
"Where do you feel uncomfortable?"
Sienna took out the scan films and handed them to the doctor. "Doctor, my mom’s tests showed a tumor in her uterus. We’d like you to take a look and see if it’s benign or malignant."
The doctor took them and examined them carefully. Pauline was a bit nervous and gripped Sienna’s hand. Sienna soothed her in a low voice,
"Don’t be nervous. Think on the bright side; maybe it’s benign."
After a while, the doctor said, "There is indeed a tumor in the uterus. It’s already the size of an egg. How did you only find it now?"
"I never really paid attention. Recently my stomach suddenly started to hurt, and I thought I’d eaten something bad. When I went to the hospital to get it checked, they found the tumor," Pauline said.
"At your age, you should be having regular checkups. If you’d had that habit and found it earlier, this tumor wouldn’t have gotten so big," the doctor said.
Sienna asked, "Doctor, what do you think we should do now? Go for surgery as soon as possible?"
"First we’ll need to do a pathological analysis of the tumor and see whether it’s benign or malignant."
"Mm, okay."
The doctor wrote out the test orders and sent them off for further exams.
Sienna settled Pauline in the lobby to watch TV, then ran up and down the various departments by herself, exhausting herself.
At one point she even went to the wrong building and ended up in the inpatient wing, then had to run all the way back. Luckily she’d worn flats today; if she’d worn heels, her feet would have been ruined.
Once all the tests were done, it was just a matter of going home and waiting for the results.
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