Chapter 5 #2
“No. Her family is very private. But she’s known for throwing her tantrums. Sometimes, she’ll lose her temper in public, and her husband’s men will drag her away with her still kicking and screaming. It’s hard not to notice these kinds of things.”
“And you think she needs Prozac?”
Kai shook his head. “I don’t know what kind of medication she takes. It’s all speculation. I suspect she had postpartum depression, but with the way she’s acting, I believe there’s more to it.”
“And there’s no way of having her medical records sent here?” I could guess the answer, but I thought I’d ask anyway.
“No, we can’t do that. Because whoever is looking for her would know her whereabouts.” Yep, Kai just confirmed it.
An hour later, we arrived at Kai’s apartment. One that I had never been to.
He told me he’d bought this property a few years ago and had a housewarming party that I missed.
I remembered the date because I was summoned by Dad to go to Hong Kong, to discuss an outbreak that could impact the world.
We also discussed the possibility of opening a fertility hospital in Asia with me as the CEO.
I even thought about getting something nice for Kai when I returned.
The thing was, I hadn’t managed to get out of my quarantine to give him the present before he left the country.
My apartment was expensive for me. But it was nothing compared to Kai’s.
Though I came from money, I never used anything that was my family’s.
I had earned everything that I owned with the money I made myself.
It had taken me years to be able to purchase my current place, and I was proud of my achievements.
Some of Dad’s friends had urged him to give me a better position, to skip a few steps when I started. But he didn’t – he must have known that I would say no anyway.
A lot of people couldn’t believe that I had to work really hard for everything.
My friend, Dr. Linda Rose, answered my call for help and arrived at Kai’s five minutes before us.
She waited in the hallway. Kai had made a call to the reception for the staff to receive her and let her in the building.
Dave and Clare escorted us to the door, making me slightly uncomfortable.
I couldn’t ever get used to having people follow me around all the time.
Kai whispered something to them, and it was clear to me a second later that he wanted them to stay outside for his cousin’s privacy.
We entered into a wide hallway that led to the living room with a very tall ceiling. Needless to say, it was much taller than mine.
I wanted to know how many floors this apartment had.
And if he could park his cars inside the building.
But now didn’t feel like an appropriate time to ask for a tour.
The floor and walls were covered in cream and golden marble next to the floor to ceiling windows.
Beyond the living room was a dining room and a kitchen, with a spiral staircase next to it.
It was a shame that the living room was covered in so much garbage. Take out boxes, papers, Kleenex, bottles, nut shells, and snack wrappers were a few of the things that I could make out. The good news was that Jenny had been eating though.
But there was no sight of her.
Dr. Rose and I followed Kai around closely and gingerly in search of Jenny. Like we were hunting for baby Bambi.
“Jesus,” Kai shouted as he walked into the downstairs bathroom next to the kitchen.
A woman was passed out on the floor, facing down in her own filth.
“Be careful,” I instructed as Kai went to turn Jenny around then I reached out my finger and placed it under her nose. “Good. She’s breathing.”
I needed to check even if it might have upset Kai a little.
Kai shook Jenny lightly, calling out a few different names in Chinese that she might respond to. Among them, I recognized words like sister and Mrs. Law. She finally opened her eyes, but only a little. She seemed to recognize Kai but didn’t say anything before passing out again.
With some help, Kai had managed to put Jenny in bed. Dr. Rose and I took turns examining her, while Kai made some calls and arranged for a team to clean up the place and stock up the fridge for her.
“What’s the verdict?” Kai walked into the guest room after finishing his calls.
I let out a small smile, the one that I put on when delivering good news to my patients. “She’s okay. Maybe I had a little too much to drink.”
“Goodness, I forgot she has issues with–” Kai didn’t finish but I guessed what he was about to say. And I had no doubt Dr. Rose had guessed it too. It was obvious.
“Does she need to be in the hospital?” Kai asked, and continued without waiting for an answer, “She cannot go to the hospital, her husband will find her.”
“No, she’s fine and safe here.” I looked to Dr. Rose’s face for agreement, and she returned it with a nod.
“What’s going on?” Jenny mumbled. “Who are these people, Kai?”
Jenny started off sleepy and weak but within seconds, she was ready to jump off the bed and fight off anyone who went near her. I remembered what Kai said about her temper earlier and wondered if she would need sedation.
Kai slowly sat next to her and wrapped his arms around her. He whispered a few words in her ears and like magic, she calmed down. I was glad that she settled down quickly.
“This is my friend June. You’ve met her brother, Lincoln Young.” Jenny nodded lightly. “And this is Dr. Rose, she’s here to help you.”
“I don’t want to be locked up,” Jenny blurted out without a second thought, her eyes immediately filled with horror.
“I won’t do that,” Dr. Rose chimed in, “I’m a psychiatrist. But I think of myself as more of a friendly therapist. And I want to get to know you.”
With a warm smile, her speech was now pretty convincing. But I knew that was the reason Dr. Rose was so good at her job. Not only was she a kind and caring person, but she was also just genuinely trying to get to know all her patients so she could provide the help that they deserved.
“How are you going to help me? No one can help me.” At first, it sounded like Jenny was challenging Dr. Rose. But I realized she actually sounded hopeless, like all those infertile patients that came through my door.
“Can we have the room to ourselves?” Dr. Rose turned to Kai and then me. “So we can talk privately. Is that okay with you?”
Her eyes were soft on Jenny’s face as Jenny mouthed out a yes.
Kai and I waited silently outside the room. I could tell that he didn’t want to leave his cousin’s side. His brows were knitted closely, the usual brightness in his shiny brown eyes were now covered in darkness. I had an urge to lean in and hold him, but I held myself together.
“She’ll be fine. I’ll make sure of that.
” That wasn’t something I would normally say, not to any patient for any procedure.
At best, I might say that I would do my best, simply because there were no guarantees in medicine.
But for Jenny – someone that Kai cared so much about – I was determined to give my all to help her.
After what felt like a very long wait, Dr. Rose came out of the room. Kai had Clare keeping watch while he led us into his study, which was two doors down from the other room.
“I think she shouldn’t be left on her own,” Dr. Rose said as soon as we entered the room.
We sat down on a set of cream-colored sofas facing each other, next to a large glass bookshelf. Kai stood up, remembering his manners and offered his guests a beverage. “What can I get you? Whiskey? Vodka?”
“I’m okay, thanks,” Dr. Rose said.
“Me too. Come sit down next to me,” I offered, trying to prepare Kai for what Dr. Rose might say after. He could do with a friend right about now.
Kai poured himself a glass of whiskey and downed it before joining us. “You can tell me the bad news.”
“Okay. Jenny seems to think that she is running away from some kind of danger.”
“I wouldn’t call that danger,” Kai interrupted.
“Mr. Li, whatever situation she’s in might not seem dangerous or feel like any kind of threat to you, but in her mind it is. And one should not judge her for feeling that way.”
Kai nodded, because Dr. Rose was right.
“How can I help?” I chimed in.
“She needs to feel safe. And the good news is – she feels that here. That’s why she came here in the first place.
However, Jenny hasn’t slept for a long time.
She’s constantly worrying that someone might come and get her in the middle of the night.
I need to carry out a proper diagnosis when she’s more herself.
I believe she’s at risk for self-harm and possibly even a suicide attempt. ”
“She told you that?” Kai hit the coffee table in front of him.
“Her exact words were that she wishes she could end it all,” Dr. Rose said softly.
“Did she say who’s causing her pain?” Kai sounded a little angry as he demanded an answer.
“No. But I suspect it was someone very close to her. Please gather yourself before I say this.” I could sense another surge of anger flowing through Kai. “I think it would be best if I examine her to see if she’s been raped.”