His voice cracked. "I just got her back."
Tears welled in his eyes. "I didn't even get a chance to be a father to her. And now you're telling me that she might not live to see her thirtieth birthday?"
Dr. Yuan looked away, giving him the space to grieve.
Mr. Gu lowered his hands. His eyes were red now, raw with pain and helplessness.
"But even if she gets better," he said hoarsely, "you're saying she still won't live long?"
Dr. Yuan nodded slowly. "You're still the smartest among us."
Mr. Gu gave a humorless laugh, bitter and broken. "Smart enough to understand… but not enough to save her."
Dr. Yuan's voice dropped, grave.
"Her emotions, or rather, the lack of them, are affecting her internal systems. Her heart rate, her immune system, and her ability to repair damage.
All of it's slowing down. Like her body is shutting down, little by little. It might not be visible now but that is the truth."
