A Billion Dollar Exchange

....

Liling kept running till she was out of breath. She stopped by a flower tree, panting heavily. Her brain was disordered at the moment, She needed to think, first she should get to the hostel and pick some things most especially some cash, she was not with any money on her.

Rushing to her dorm she grabbed her purse and immediately booked a taxi which was just arriving as she approached the school gates.

She told him the location and he immediately drove off to First Concept.

As soon as they arrived, she hurriedly got off the vehicle and dashed into the gates not even sparing a glance at anyone.

She hurried into the lobby and asked the receptionist for her father's ward, after the receptionist checked her files she directed her upstairs and told her the ward number.

Liling ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Her mind wandered off to the call she received earlier.

As she approached the room, she slowed down her pace as her heart beat faster. She breathed out heavily as she held the door knob and gently pushed it open.

Three doctors turned to look a the intruder. That was when Liling saw her mom sitting beside her dad and holding his hand, her face sickly pale as though she was the one sick.

"Liling... " Her mom said almost in a whisper. Her eyes red obviously from how much she had cried.

"Mom.." Liling replied and rushed over to hug her mom not acknowledging the three doctors.

She didn't want to look at her father on the sick bed, she didn't want to believe he was really ill. 'Her dad was always strong and vibrant. He never fell ill, he was strong,... he was ...strong'

Tears stung her eyes as she closed her eyes to avoid looking at him.

"He fainted this morning... "

Seeing that Liling didn't interrupt her, she continued.

"They said... he has a damaged liver.. tumor"

'... damaged liver'

Her brain bulbs switched off that instant, she shook heavily. The hands that hugged her mom involuntarily gave way and she sprawled on the floor. Her eyes involuntarily met the unconscious body on the bed and the tears which she had been struggling to keep in suddenly burst out of her tear glands.

She used her hands to cover her mouth as the tears poured involuntarily. Her dad who always wore a frown when he looked at her was so calm. So calm and peaceful.

His face bore no emotions, his eyes dark and his face white. His body fragile and thin. At that moment she wished he would wake up and slap her, beat her and kick her out of the room, she prayed earnestly but sadly he was still lying there motionless and pale.

Two doctor excused themselves, while the last one who had been writing something on a file turned to Liling and her mom.

"You should come with me to my office " The doctor said to both of them and he turned and walked towards the door.

Liling staggered up immediately and helped her mom up. She cast a glance at her dad again before she helped her mom out of the ward and they followed the doctor silently.

....

"The patient smokes and drinks a lot of alcohol, am I right? " The doctor asked as he removed his glasses to look at the two people sitting in front of him.

"Mmm" Liling whispered after sometime when she saw that that her mom was too weak to respond.

"Good. It has damaged his liver, he has a tumor and needs a surgery as quickly as possible before his whole liver gets damaged which may lead to a transplant which we all know is almost impossible thus making the final conclusion, death! "

Liling gulped hard as she held her mom's hand tightly. One thing she had never seen in her life is a very heartless doctor. How would he say something so heartbreaking to their faces!

He wasn't fit to be called a doctor! His place is by the dustbin!

She gritted her teeth teeth as they listened to the doctor silently.

"My main point here is the cost of the surgery. Approximately one million yuan. This includes the treatment before and after the surgery , the surgery proper and overall medical care..."

Liling didn't hear the rest of his speech. Her brain just resounded the amount of the surgery.

'One Million Yuan!!!!'

Even if she sold everything they had, she wouldn't even get ten percent of the money. Where was she going to get such an amount from?

She had nobody, they had nobody!. Nobody!

She turned to look at her mom and noticed that her eyes were already clouded in tears. Obviously because she knew there was no hope, no hope at all.

"...the money should be available in the next one month, or... you both should start making arrangements for a burial.