A Second Chance At Forever novel (Eleanor and Bernard) novel Chapter 1529

"Bernard..." Like she was losing her mind, Eleanor frantically searched for her phone, but her limbs were too weak to lift her from the floor. Just when she was at a loss, not knowing how to call for a doctor, Bernard slowly opened his eyes.

Seeing those eyes that had gazed at her with unwavering affection for so many years, Eleanor felt her tightly wound nerves unravel. Her hands, braced against the floor, lost all strength...

Tears cascaded uncontrollably down her cheeks. She was terrified, her lips trembling, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"What's... what's wrong?"

It had been nearly a decade, and under Bernard's adoring care, Eleanor had never cried. Now, because he fainted for a bit, she broke down like this, and Bernard's heart ached.

Suppressing the throbbing in his head, he sat up from the couch, his arm snaking around her waist, lifting her from the floor.

Bernard pulled her into his arms, then fell back onto the couch, his head cushioned by his thick hair, his youthful face slightly lifted.

"What are you afraid of? I was just sleeping deeply," he said, his long fingers gently tracing the tear-streaked cheeks of Eleanor, even playfully pinching her.

"You've gained weight recently." He tried to distract her, but Eleanor stared back with tear-filled eyes, fixated on Bernard's pale complexion.

"Sleeping deeply... you mean so deep that you can't even be woken up with shouting?"

Eleanor's eyes were too pure and clear; Bernard couldn't bear to look into them and shifted his hand from her waist to her back, pressing her head against his shoulder.

"Silly, I was just exhausted. Sometimes, you can't be woken up from a nightmare."

Eleanor didn't buy it. Even nestled in the crook of his neck, unable to see his face, she could guess why he had suddenly collapsed. Her hands, resting on his sturdy chest, slowly moved up, cradling his head.

"Honey, we haven't found a doctor who can remove the chip inside," she said, regret and fear in her voice.

She was afraid of losing Bernard. She was afraid that the man who loved her with his life would, overnight, leave this world, leave her.

What would she do if that time came? And what about their son?

Bernard's fingers, well-defined, moved to Eleanor's hair, soothing her with a gentle stroke.

"Don't worry, I'll be alright."

He would do everything to survive until their son was grown.

"Honey." Eleanor reached out, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face deeper into his neck, "I won't go to the office anymore. From now on, I'll stay with you every day."

Her dream had been fulfilled; the rest of her time would be spent with this man.

The doctor sent by Yates arrived at Fiord Roundabout in the middle of the night to examine Bernard.

The doctor's expression was grave during the examination, and Eleanor's heart was in her throat, "How is it?"

The doctor set down his instruments and replied, "It's the chip movement that caused it. I'll prescribe some painkillers to manage the pain for now..."

Eleanor looked anxiously at the doctor packing up his tools. "Where has the chip moved to now? Can it be removed?"

The doctor, looking troubled, glanced at Eleanor and said, "Mrs. Laurence, the chip is lodged deep in the same spot as the brain tumor. The surgical simulations I've done before will likely have to be scrapped."

For years, the doctor had never stopped trying to find a way to remove the chip, and just as they were making progress, the shift in the chip's position threatened to undo it all.

Hearing the doctor's words, Eleanor's hope dwindled to a faint glimmer, "Isn't there any other way?"

The doctor looked at Bernard, who was massaging his temples, and sighed deeply, "Maybe in ten or fifteen years, with medical advances, someone will be able to remove the chip."

But Bernard's condition didn't seem like it would last that long. The doctor didn't voice this thought, simply consoling Eleanor, "Let him rest well, don't overwork him."

Bernard understood the unspoken words. As Eleanor was about to plead with the doctor to save him, Bernard interrupted, "Let the doctor go."