Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Over the years, Jessica had always made sure Henry ate well and had a balanced diet, so there was no way he could be suffering from malnutrition.

She simply couldn't believe Henry had suddenly fallen ill with something so serious. If this couldn't be cured, he'd need blood transfusions for the rest of his life. How could a little boy's body handle that? Especially now, when he was still growing.

"Please don't worry," the doctor reassured her gently. "There is a treatment for this condition. As long as we perform a stem cell transplant, there's a very high chance of success."

Jessica shook her head. "I'm not worried about the surgery itself. Can you tell me what caused Henry's aplastic anemia?"noveldrama

The doctor answered patiently, "So far, we haven't found anything unusual. There are many possible causes for aplastic anemia, but we can't give you a definite answer right now."

As they spoke, two nurses wheeled Henry's hospital bed out of the exam room.

He had IVs in both arms, an oxygen tube under his nose, and was hooked up to monitors Jessica didn't recognize. He was still unconscious, his face deathly pale, lips drained of all color. He looked so frail, barely alive.

Jessica moved instinctively toward him, her heart twisting with pain. She'd told herself she could stay detached, but seeing her son like this, so weak and helpless, broke her resolve. He'd always been such a lively, mischievous little thing.

Tears choked her, her breath catching as her legs threatened to give out.

Even though the doctor said Henry could recover, a stem cell transplant wasn't a minor procedure. He'd suffer so much-before, during, and after the surgery.

Timothy started to reach out to steady Jessica, but Vince was already at her side, catching her as she wavered. Timothy's hand hung awkwardly in the air before he let it fall.

The nurses wheeled Henry toward his room, and Mabel followed closely behind.

Timothy turned to the doctor. "I'm Henry's biological father. Can I be a stem cell donor for him?"

"You'll need to get tested for compatibility first. It's best if all immediate family members come in for testing, since there's a higher chance of a match. If none of you are a match, we'll have to search the donor registry."

"Can we do the testing now?"

"It's best to come in first thing in the morning, and you'll need to fast beforehand."

Timothy asked a few more questions, making sure he understood all the important details.

Jessica and Vince stood quietly nearby, listening.

Once all their questions were answered, the doctor excused himself.

Timothy immediately pulled out his phone and called Phelps Lawson. "Granddad."

"Your father told me you called-said Henry collapsed, but you told us

to come to the hospital. Wh

Wo

going on?" Phelps sounded anxious.

Henry was his only great-grandson, and the apple of his eye.

"We got the results. It's aplastic anemia. He needs a stem cell transplant."

Phelps, experienced enough to know what that meant, said at once, "Tomorrow morning, I'll have everyone in the family come in for testing."

"Yes, they'll need to fast. Please remind them."

"You call Sallie and tell her to get

back here for testing, and I'll have et

your father call Thurston. The whole

family-everyone gets et

Timothy ended the call and turned to Jessica. "Don't worry. The family will be here tomorrow for the tests. Henry's illness-it's my fault. I should have taken better care of him. From now on, I'll make more time for him, no matter how busy work gets." Cóntent