Chapter 179: Seeking Medical Help

"I have walked into a nightmare. I have seen famine in Ethiopia and Bangladesh, but I have never seen famine like this. It is far worse than I imagined, and I was not prepared for it.

"As we enter the twenty-first century, there is much to reflect upon. We look around and find that past promises remain unfulfilled. People still live in extreme poverty, people are still hungry, and people are still struggling to survive.

"Among these people, we see children, always children. Their distended bellies, their sorrowful eyes, their faces that should be innocent yet reveal suffering. In their brief years, they have endured all hardships."

This was part of a speech delivered by Lady He Ben, who had undergone preliminary medical tests in Switzerland with no results, upon her return to New York, USA, at the United Nations Children's Fund, regarding her visit to the war-torn region of Somalia.

Lady He Ben, having concluded her speech, was escorted off the podium by Robert amidst applause. Henry, the young assistant, followed behind, led by UNICEF staff to another small conference room.

The official coordinating with Lady He Ben respectfully said, "Madam, we have received your application to suspend activities due to illness. We sincerely hope for your speedy recovery."

"Thank you. Please also convey my gratitude to all staff of the Children's Fund. Thank you for everyone's cooperation and efforts during this time. Once I have recovered, there will be opportunities to work together again."

"Very well, Madam. I will convey your message. I believe everyone looks forward to your return."

Being selected as a UN Goodwill Ambassador is not merely about holding a shiny title. Once relevant promotional activities are underway, these Goodwill Ambassadors, akin to advertising billboards, must appear to endorse them; this is the price behind the shiny title.

Not to mention that Lady He Ben's nearly uninterrupted travel schedule is backed by several teams coordinating planning and operations.

When a lady takes leave due to illness, she must of course inform these people so they know their work can be slowed down or joined to other people's projects.

Of course, merely holding a title and collecting a salary is not impossible, but such people are ultimately a minority within the United Nations. They hang onto their names at all times without ever appearing.

As for others who do real work, they are fought over by all sides; wanting to relax is almost impossible. Because this is the United Nations, a place that can manage anything, yet manages nothing.

Leaving the UN building, Henry drove Lady He Ben and Robert to a New York public hospital. Such public hospitals provide low-cost medical services for low-income households or undocumented immigrants; one can imagine the hospital's standards would not be very good either.

It is not that such hospitals lack skilled doctors or advanced equipment. But the massive medical demand will inevitably cause the quality of medical care to decline.

Although Lady He Ben received VIP-level treatment here, the expressions of the two people walking out of the examination room were indescribable.

Lady He Ben remained as calm as usual, as if nothing had changed. Robert Wodes, slightly angry, said:

"Sure enough, this public hospital only produces incompetent doctors. They cannot even diagnose what illness Lady He Ben has. It is just a bunch of 'suspected,' 'possible,' 'probably,' and then they want us to do a whole bunch more tests."

Helping the lady sit on a chair in the rest area, Henry casually replied, "If it were really that simple, the hospitals in Switzerland would have found it out. We wouldn't have had to travel all the way to America."

Robert asked, "What about those medical centers or private hospitals? Have you successfully made an appointment?"

Henry answered, "I have called to inquire about all the top-ranked medical centers in the US, or hospitals with famous thoracic and abdominal surgeons. The earliest appointment available is at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. But that is not until November."

For these private hospitals or high-end medical centers, without some financial power or a special case, one cannot get in even if one wants to.

Even with Lady He Ben's fame, she still had to wait over a month, nearly two months, to get an appointment. One can only say that wealthy people who cherish their lives from all over the world concentrate in America; it is impossible for such top-tier medical resources not to be tight.

And Lady He Ben's status was not of the caliber that could simply cut in line, so she could only obediently register and queue.

Compared to Robert's indignation, the lady herself was much calmer. He spoke in a very indifferent tone, "So, shall we return to Switzerland? I feel that going back and forth like this is a bit of a waste of time." A hint of understanding permeated his tone.

"Do you think I can leave anything more for this world?" Lady He Ben asked.

Robert tightly held the lady's hand and said, "Audrey, you have already left countless cultural treasures for this world. Why think so much more?"

"Then Henry, what about you? Do you feel I can still do something?"

Considering the lady's physical condition, it was certainly impossible to ask her to star in movies again. Moreover, her current condition fluctuates between good and bad; flying all over the world as before would actually carry higher risks.

Being named, Henry thought for a moment and said, "How about reading stories to children?"

"That is a good idea. Should we find an orphanage or a school?"

Henry, whose thoughts and ideas were becoming clearer, said, "No, how about finding a publishing house and a recording studio? Record the sound of the boss reading stories, so more people can hear it.

"Finding an orphanage or a school, those children might not all like listening to stories. And it would trouble the teachers and the children. As for the happy expressions on the children's faces after hearing the stories, you will just have to imagine them, since it is not face-to-face."

"Audiobooks. I never thought of that." The lady's eyes sparkled, as if she had found something interesting again. "Ha, you child, you always come up with good ideas."

Rather than searching everywhere for orphanages or schools willing to cooperate, and running around just to read stories to children; finding a fixed recording studio to record the reading voice avoids the hardship of travel.

This was the easiest work Henry could think of for the lady.

Lady He Ben, who acted on thought, took out a contact book from her handbag. She checked her list to see if there were anyone related to publishing to inquire about audiobooks.

Although Robert felt somewhat dissatisfied that Henry, this young assistant, was finding more work for Lady He Ben.

But considering the nature of the work, this job would actually allow Lady He Ben to stay obediently in one location, rather than flying all over the world again. It is hard to say this is not a good thing.

Returning to the home in Switzerland was certainly an option, but staying in America during this time might mean other medical opportunities could arise at any moment.

One has to admit, this damn America, while not suitable for a leisurely retired life, is no place more convenient if one wants to do something.

(End of this chapter)