That evening, with his parents' consent, Eddy stayed the night inside Bob's mother's private room to keep her company. However, Eddy woke to discover an empty hospital bed, and his innocent face grew slightly pale.
Bob's mother was not in good shape and had been confined for a while now, with her medical state unstable and not within normal limits. Eddy checked if she had fallen to the floor on the other side, but she was nowhere in sight. He wondered where she could have gone at this time.
Worried, Eddy thought of his assurance to Bob's father that he would keep an eye on her.
He immediately got up and hurried outside the room. He winced and pressed his lips together tightly as he took off to find the nearest nurse on-duty.
The nurse, who was aware of Bob's mother's illness, didn't expect her to leave the room. She telephoned the hospital's security and promptly sought to sort out the situation. For a brief moment, there was chaos and confusion.
After Anne showed up and looked at the present situation, she gave a long frown of misery and shook her head.
"Mom, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I didn't watch over Auntie carefully to make sure she's safe and okay. I'm to blame because I was too sleepy to stay up." Eddy stood in one corner, slightly lowering his head. Guilt was written all over his sweet, naive face.
Anne was heartbroken to see him like that. She looked down and held Eddy in her arms. She sighed and shook her head repeatedly. "Come here, silly. How could this incident be your fault? Who knows, she might have urgent matters to deal with. Don't worry. She will come back soon."
Although she said so, Anne couldn't dismiss the concern she felt for Bob's mother. After all, her mental state was unstable now.
"What's going on here? Is there something wrong? Why are you all looking for me? I was hungry, so I went out to buy some food. There's no need to panic." Suddenly, Bob's mother's voice echoed from down the hall.
Anne and Eddy simultaneously looked toward the direction where the familiar voice came. Bob's mother had this helpless look on her face while carrying two plastic bags with both hands to the sides of her body. She was slowly approaching them with the assistance of two nurses.
The hospital staff knew the reason why Bob's mother ended up in that current state. Everyone was very sympathetic toward her.
Anne subconsciously lowered her head when she caught a glimpse of her smiling. She instantly realized that Bob's mother seemed to be high in spirits at that moment, so if the mere sight of her could trigger Bob's mother's emotional stability, then it would naturally be Anne's fault.
Helpless, she shook her head in despair and was getting ready to sneak out quietly. Unfortunately, Bob's mother had already cast an eye over even before she could make her exit.
"Anne, hold on a second," Bob's mother called out with a smile.
When Anne caught her name, every muscle in her body stiffened. She gazed up and saw Bob's mother inching closer to her one step after another. She laid eyes at Anne first before getting a load of Eddy. She gently ruffled Eddy's hair before saying to Anne, "When I first saw him, I knew you were coming then. I didn't expect you to hide from me deliberately."
Besides, Eddy was still a kid who couldn't be left alone without adult supervision, and the Fu Family adored him so much. How could he possibly come to visit on his own?
In Anne's eyes, there was a taint of pity and helplessness. She looked at Bob's mother and gently spoke, "Hi, Ma'am. It's been a long time since we last saw each other."
Bob's mother nodded in reply, and her loving gaze was hooked on Eddy. She went down on her knees so that she could speak to him at the same eye level. With a satisfied smile, she took out a steamed bun and said, "The food in the hospital doesn't taste good, so I bought these for you to enjoy. They are delicious and freshly made. This used to be Bob's favorite, but since..."
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