After All the Hurt, She Chose Herself novel Chapter 297

Raphael kept his eyes on the road, occasionally glancing in the rearview mirror at Aria and Dr. Reaves.

Aria sat quietly next to her mentor. She had a thousand questions burning in her chest, but every time she opened her mouth, the words caught in her throat. Dr. Reaves acted perfectly nonchalant about his diagnosis, but Aria knew there was no way a man who had dedicated his entire existence to science could simply accept it. Soon, the tremors would make it impossible for him to handle medical instruments. Then, the Alzheimer's would slowly strip away the encyclopedic knowledge he had spent a lifetime acquiring. Eventually, it would erase the people he loved.

It felt as if a giant hand was squeezing Aria's heart.

Dr. Reaves was the closest thing she had to a grandfather. He had taken care of her since she was a student, and even now, he trusted her unconditionally. Having grown up devoid of familial love, she cherished him deeply.

And now...

Aria's eyes swam with tears.

"Professor, if I hadn't noticed today, were you just never going to tell me? Or did you think I wasn't important enough to know?"

Dr. Reaves shot her a mock glare. "Why do you young folks always jump to the most dramatic conclusions? I got sick. Big deal. Everyone my age gets sick. Am I supposed to take out a billboard to announce it to the world?"

His dismissive tone only made Aria's heart ache more.

He had never married. He had no children. If he hadn't said anything, he would have suffered through the terrifying decline completely alone.

"Are you taking medication to suppress the symptoms?"

There was no cure, only mitigation.

"Of course I am!" Dr. Reaves huffed indignantly. "I'm a doctor. I follow medical advice. I'm not an idiot."

Aria held her hand out. "Let me see what you're taking."

Dr. Reaves dug into his pocket and handed over a small pillbox. "You don't believe me? Here, look."

Aria inspected the pills. They were indeed standard suppressants. The pathology of Parkinson's was notoriously complex, and finding a definitive trigger was near impossible.

With a heavy sigh, she handed the pills back, her expression turning dead serious.

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