Chapter 180 Tennis 68
Department of Cardiology, Dongda Hospital.
At the long table in the large office for cardiology consultation, several doctors sat on the left side. Some of them wore the iconic white coats, while others had Western faces and were dressed in suits and ties.
Several foreign doctors looked exhausted, with suitcases at their feet even without the airline check-in labels removed. It looked like they had rushed in from abroad and came here as soon as they got off the plane.
On the other side of the long table sat a group of teenagers wearing various sports uniforms from different schools. They all had extremely high looks and a common sporty aura.
These teenagers seemed to have nothing in common. They didn't look like family members or brothers of the same patient. The only thing they had in common was the expressions on their faces.
Sad, upset, unbelievable, scared, afraid of losing...
An extremely complex expression.
A group of cardiologists and teenagers gathered together, forming a strange scene, which made people wonder the reason for the formation of this strange combination.
The reason they gathered here, and the center of their discussion, all revolved around the same girl's illness -
“…Really, is there no other way?” Shiraishi Kuranosuke asked first. He heard his voice become extremely hoarse and trembled a little.
Ten minutes ago, in this office, several medical experts used words that were as concise and easy to understand as possible to tell them...what disease Sana had.
The people present included Atobe, Yukimura, Tezuka, Fuji and Echizen. The reason why Shiraishi Kuranosuke also appeared here was because of the phone call from Fuji Shusuke.
After asking for his birthday for no apparent reason and quickly hanging up, Shiraishi Kuranosuke contacted Fuji Shusuke after a long time and learned that his birthday was needed to test the password of Sana's door lock. Sana was then sent to the hospital by the ambulance they called for timely rescue. Now her vital signs have temporarily stabilized, but she still needs to be hospitalized for observation.
When Shiraishi Kuranosuke rushed to the hospital, Fuji Shusuke took him to the cardiology office, where top domestic and foreign cardiology experts invited by Atobe Keigo were present. Sana's electrocardiogram and CT images were displayed on the whiteboard and screen.
The doctors were communicating in English, interspersed with many medical terms they had never heard of. Although they couldn't understand them, the doctors' embarrassed expressions gave people a very bad feeling.
Until the end, Shiraishi Kuranosuke heard words he had never expected.
Before this, he never knew that Sana was suffering from such a serious illness.
The doctor explained that Sana's congenital heart disease was extremely rare. Her tricuspid atresia, atrial septal defect, and pulmonary artery stenosis, which had originally formed a closed circuit, miraculously allowed her heart to continue beating...
But now, the miracle has disappeared.
The CT scan showed that her right atrium, which had been born with hypoplastic development, had a serious defect - to the point where even surgery could not repair it.
The doctor asked, "You are all Miss Kurikawa's friends, right? She doesn't have much time left. During this final period, please do your best to satisfy her wishes and don't let her have any regrets."
Doctors don't joke. When they say something like this, it means it really is the end.
The entire space fell into a dead silence.
Shiraishi Kuranosuke didn't look at the expressions of others. He just saw his own pale reflection on the long table that was polished to a shine.
"…Really, is there no other way?" - He asked this question tremblingly.
Dr. Fujita of the University of Tokyo Hospital sighed and said, "I know that as a patient and a friend, it's difficult for you to accept this, but this is indeed an established fact and cannot be changed."
"Ms. Kurikawa is aware of her condition and has decided to forgo treatment and spend her final days in peace."
“……?!”
Atobe Keigo's expression changed drastically, "She already knows?!"
Yukimura Seiichi's pupils suddenly constricted, and he stood up abruptly: "How did she react?!"
"Ms. Kurikawa was very calm and even smiled and comforted the doctors, telling us not to feel sad about not being able to treat her."
Dr. Fujita also sighed. This patient named Kurikawa Sana was truly an angelic girl. At such a young age, she showed such calmness as if she had seen through everything when facing such a grand proposition as life and death. It was really sad.
"In addition, Ms. Kurikawa said she did not want to be intubated and refused all ECMO (extracorporeal oxygenation), CRT (cardiac resynchronization therapy) and IABP (intra-aortic balloon pump). These are all very painful procedures that can definitely sustain a patient's life. Ms. Kurikawa has made it clear that she will let nature take its course and will not undergo any of these procedures," Dr. Fujita continued.
“……!”
As if he had lost all his strength and means, Yukimura Seiichi slumped back into his chair, muttering, "Intubation, ECMO... Has it come to this?"
Anyone with a little understanding of how painful intubation can be can relate.
Another doctor, Dr. Nakamura, adjusted his glasses and said, "Yes, the patient's heart is no longer functioning properly and can no longer supply oxygen to the body. Every breath she takes, every minute and every second, is incredibly painful for her. Honestly, I'm quite experienced, but I'm still amazed by this little girl's resilience."
“………”
A dead silence once again enveloped the entire office.
Until a voice broke the silence again.
"What if I transplant my heart to her?"
…? !
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound in shock—it was Tezuka Kunimitsu.
"She and I both have type O blood, so there's no problem with the compatibility." Tezuka Kunimitsu clenched his fists tightly, speaking at an unprecedented speed. "As long as the genetic and immune site tests are complete and there are no problems, I should be eligible as a donor."
“……!”
Everyone's already stunned expressions turned into shock and admiration.
The way Tezuka used this professional terminology showed that he had already understood it. He was not joking, he really wanted to donate his heart to Sana.
"Hey, young man, I recognize you." Dr. Watanabe, a cardiologist from Honshu, stared at Tezuka Kunimitsu's face for a long moment before finally saying, "I saw the news about the Nagano earthquake. If I remember correctly, the famous young woman who held up a building during the quake was Miss Kurikawa, right? And the young man who was rescued was you, young man."
“…Yes.” The knuckles of Tezuka Kunimitsu’s clenched fists became paler.
"Young man, aren't you hoping for a 'life for a life' when you say something so outrageous about donating a heart?" Dr. Watanabe shook his head in disapproval. "Putting aside the fact that we can't remove a heart from a living person for a transplant, tell me, if you gave her your heart, what would you do?"
Another doctor also frowned and said, "That's right. How can you be so ridiculous? Even if we swapped two hearts and transplanted her heart into your body, you would not have the conditions for her heart to function miraculously and would die soon!"
Tezuka Kunimitsu: "I can use an artificial heart. She can't withstand the anticoagulant reaction, but I can."
The so-called artificial heart is an artificial medical device that replaces the function of the heart through mechanical means. It is equivalent to placing a cold machine in the body and generating heartbeats through external electricity.
Now it was Dr. Watanabe's turn to be surprised. "That means you'll have to carry batteries around with you for the rest of your life. Are you sure you want to live like that?"
——What about your tennis dream?
Tezuka Kunimitsu seemed to hear a voice in his mind.
It doesn't matter.
Even if he has to carry a battery to keep his heart beating for the rest of his life, he will not give up on his dream of pursuing a professional career, even if he has to carry the battery while playing professionally.
He would try, try harder than anyone else...as long as he could save her.
Tezuka Kunimitsu raised his head, his eyes and voice full of determination, "I'm sure I can do it."
Not only were Fuji Shusuke, Echizen Ryoma and others looking at Tezuka Kunimitsu with expressions of astonishment and shock, but even the experienced doctors were touched.
But Dr. Watanabe still shook his head. "Young man, I admire your courage, but unfortunately, even if you are willing to do this, Miss Kurikawa cannot transplant your heart. She is severely allergic to immunosuppressant drugs, and to prevent rejection, she must take such drugs after the organ transplant. Therefore, Miss Kurikawa cannot transplant anyone's heart, otherwise she will also die from allergic shock."
Therefore, there is no solution to this situation.
“……!”
The young man stood there in a daze, his tall body like a sculpture, his eyes dull behind the gold-rimmed glasses.
Atobe Keigo patted his shoulder and said in a hoarse voice, "Tezuka, I've also thought about what you're thinking now."
Unlike Tezuka Kunimitsu, he got stuck at the first step.
Tezuka and Sana both have type O blood, but he has type A, which is completely different from Sana's. He can't even get past the first step of donating his heart.
At that time, when his mother, Eiko Atobe, learned that he had this idea, she was silent for a moment. His mother, who had always been decisive and resolute, rushed back from abroad immediately for the first time, but just sat silently in the living room without saying anything.
"Mother, won't you stop me from scolding me?" asked Keigo Atobe.
Atobe Eiko just sighed and said quietly: "Do what you want to do, Jingwu, and don't leave any regrets."
His mother unconditionally supports everything he does.
...It’s a pity that no matter how hard he tried, the final result was still what it is today.
Since the day the cruise ended, he has been constantly looking for domestic and foreign experts and Feidao teams, but the answers they gave were all "it can't be done" and suggestions to maintain the status quo.
But that peaceful status quo was eventually broken.
“…Is there anything else we can do? We.” The boy’s voice was not only trembling, but also choked with sobs.
Atobe Keigo heard that the person who asked this question was Echizen Ryoma.
It was hard to imagine hearing such a fragile voice coming from the mouth of that boy who had always been confident, assertive, and even domineering.
“Stay by her side, it's the best thing you can do.”
The foreign doctor finally spoke up and offered suggestions on humanistic care.
“………”
Atobe Keigo closed his eyes, holding back the soreness and pain in his eye sockets, and asked, "...How much time is left?"
"To be honest, we cannot urately predict the time of her death, the only thing we can tell you is..."
“At any time.”
(——She could leave at any moment.)
…
With a "click".
The boys seemed to hear a sound like something breaking.
…
*
I have never felt that a distance of only about 100 meters would be so long.
For them who are good at sports, their legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead, and the air conditioning in the hospital seemed to be turned on too cold, making them feel cold all over.
Walking on the way to Kurikawa Sana's ward, the boys remained silent for a long time, their expressions all showing the same confusion and dazed look.
ANY TIME.
What does that mean? She only has two months left? Or one month?
Half a month? Ten days? A few days? Or... immediately?!
Whenever I thought of this, I felt as if my heart was being squeezed tightly by an invisible hand, crushing and squeezing it repeatedly, as if I could feel her pain from her perspective.
But at the same time, whenever I thought that this meant the time to see her was already counting down, I had to endure the pain and speed up my pace, wanting to go faster and faster - to see her.
It is not easy to accept this fact.
Separation from life and death is too early for teenagers of their age, especially when death comes to the girl they like.
Unimaginable, unacceptable.
But I have to accept it.
As long as you carefully recall the clues from the past, you will find that everything was actually foreshadowed.
"Yukimura, Atobe." Tezuka Kunimitsu suddenly asked, "Have you known about her physical condition a long time ago?"
Recalling that after the Nagano earthquake, at the door of the operating room, only Yukimura and Atobe asked the doctor about Sana's heart condition. The answer was obvious, they were the first people to know about the condition.
"...Yes." Yukimura Seiichi gave a wry smile. "She came to Kanagawa to see me at that time. She had already fainted once before. I found out when I took her to the hospital."
"I really regret this." Atobe Keigo gritted his teeth, "I regret why I didn't agree to her request earlier..."
Whether it's a relationship, a confession or a love that's not sincere, anything is fine.
As long as she is happy, as long as she can be happy enough in the limited and precious remaining time, what do other trivial matters matter?
Due to her self-esteem and the inexplicable obsession to find out the truth, she had missed so much precious time... Time could not be reversed, and she could not return to the first day. All that was left was "any time" at this moment. Every minute and every second, her life was counting down.
Hearing this, the other three people who had also received her "confession" were also stunned.
Fuji Shusuke and Yukimura Seiichi's faces turned even paler as they recalled that not only did they not "cherish" that time... they also said a lot of things that made her sad.
Echizen Ryoma interrupted their thoughts, "There's no point in discussing this, seniors."
"If you want to feel sorry for yourself, I won't stop you."
Standing at the door of Kurikawa Sana's hospital room, the boy lowered the brim of his white baseball cap. Although he tried to maintain his usual voice, it still sounded like it was about to break: "But I have to cherish every minute and every second I spend with her."
After saying that, Echizen Ryoma pushed open the door.
In the evening, in a single ward, a black-haired girl sat on the hospital bed, looking at the sky outside the window, her profile peaceful and beautiful.
The sunset dyed her pale and beautiful face a gorgeous crimson, making it impossible to imagine the pain she was going through with every breath.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, Kurikawa Sana turned around in surprise.
When she saw it was them, the corners of the girl's mouth curled up into a gentle arc, "You're here."
She smiled with her eyes curved, looking no different from usual. It was precisely because of this that it was impossible to associate her with a terminal illness that could be fatal.
“…Sana!”
"Sana, how do you feel now?!"
"Are you okay? If you're not feeling well, don't force yourself—"
Worried words came one after another, and the young men rushed in one after another, but they were afraid that too many people would affect the air she breathed in the ward. For a moment, they were a little at a loss, and their worries were almost overflowing.
"It's okay, I'm used to it, don't worry." Kurikawa Sana shook her head gently, "Compared to all this, I have something more important to say to everyone."
“……!”
Everyone held their breath and waited quietly for her words.
"First of all, thank you everyone for sending me to the hospital in time." Kurikawa Sana said with a smile.
“…Thank you or something like that, that’s too polite.” Echizen Ryoma said awkwardly.
Fuji Shusuke looked worried, "Yes, the most important thing is that you are okay."
"Um, Sana..." Atobe Keigo asked the question they were most concerned about, and his voice trembled rarely. "Have you really decided... to give up all treatment?"
——Give up surgery, give up intubation, and give up all active treatments.
Kurikawa Sana nodded slightly.
Their hearts also sank to the bottom.
"I've lived with this broken heart since I was a little kid, and I live every day as if it were a gift from God."
Kurikawa Sana raised her head and looked at them with an extremely serious gaze: "Even though you may not believe it if I tell you...but in fact, I have already died once."
Everyone was stunned.
"Every word I say next is true."
The girl continued softly, "I'm already very happy to meet you all."
"No matter how the story ends, I will definitely be happy in another world."
Kurikawa Sana looked at them, engraving the appearance of each of them firmly in her mind.
She hadn't lied to them—she really would be happy forever in the other world.
If she could successfully regain her health, she would live well in the real world where she truly existed.
If you fail, it doesn’t matter, she will be in heaven smiling and blessing everyone.
The journey through these three worlds gave her new experiences and unforgettable memories, allowing her life, which should have ended at this point, to continue for a while longer... She was already very content.
"Really, thank you very much."
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