The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 370

"Is it very serious?" she asked.

"Pulmonary fibrosis is irreversible," Dr. Black said. "That means his lung function will only continue to decline; it won't get better. The current medications and treatments can only slow the process and control infections to make him more comfortable."

Clara opened her mouth, but it took a long moment to find her voice. "So… what if he takes good care of himself?"

"If he rests properly, avoids getting cold, doesn't overexert himself, maintains emotional stability, and cooperates with anti-fibrotic therapy, he could maintain his condition for several years, even a decade or more. But the prerequisite is that he must immediately stop his current high-intensity work."

"And if he continues?"

Clara asked the question she feared the most.

No one knew better than her how much Rhys loved his uniform, how dedicated he was to his job.

Dr. Black was silent for a few seconds before he had to tell her the truth.

"Then it's no longer a question of how many years he has."

"Strenuous exercise or extreme emotional distress could trigger an acute exacerbation. If he goes into acute respiratory failure, he might not even make it to the hospital."

The wall clock ticked away, second by second.

Did he know?

Someone in his line of work, how could he not know the state his body was in?

And yet, he had still driven over a thousand miles overnight from Heron Bay, pushing himself until he collapsed with a high fever.

He had still kneeled before her, begging her not to leave, begging her to keep him by her side like a stray dog.

"I understand."

After a long silence, Clara heard her own voice, calm and foreign.

"Thank you, Doctor. I… I'll tell him."

She didn't know how she managed to stand up, or how she walked out of the office.

The hallway was long. Clara leaned against the wall, stopping near the door to his room.

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