Chapter 383 Blood Type Incompatibility
Elizabeth weakly replied, "Francis and I have incompatible blood types, which caused him to develop hemolytic disease of the newborn. He's jaundiced all over."
She paused, then continued, "Now, the damage might have reached his brain. It could be very dangerous in the future."
The doctor nodded. "That's right. We're planning to issue a critical condition notice to the family today. Since you're here, you can sign it."
Michael took the notice, his hands trembling uncontrollably.
He knew premature birth came with many risks, but he hadn't expected his Francis to face so many dangers already.
Critical condition?
No. He couldn't bear the thought of his little Francis suffering like this. He hadn't even opened his eyes yet.
Michael signed his name and asked the doctor, "Is there a better treatment?"
The doctor hesitated. "Well, we could try an exchange transfusion."
Michael immediately said, "Then let's do it! What are we waiting for?"
The doctor sighed. "For most children, it's easier to find compatible blood types. But your child, Mr. Thomas... he has a rare Rh-negative blood type. It's hard to find."
Elizabeth had suspected as much. She was Rh-positive O type. Francis' severe jaundice was likely due to their blood type incompatibility.
The doctor suggested Michael get his blood type checked. If father and son had the same blood type, the problem would be easier to solve.
The results came back quickly. Michael was Rh-positive AB type.
Michael was stunned by the report. He hadn't expected to be AB type.
He remembered Eloise's blood type was O. He had always thought they had the same blood type since they were twins.
He asked the doctor, "Can twins have different blood types?"
The doctor replied, "It depends on whether they're identical or fraternal twins. Identical twins usually have the same blood type. Fraternal twins can have different blood types, just like any other siblings."
Michael understood. "I see."
He remembered the doctor mentioning the exchange transfusion. "So how can we proceed with my son's exchange transfusion?"
The doctor looked troubled. "For a newborn, it's best to use fresh blood of the same type. If that's not available, O type can be used. But in Francis' case, it must be Rh-negative. This blood type is very rare and hard to find."
Michael's expression hardened. "Hard to find or not, we have to find it! We must save my son!"
Elizabeth pressed her face against the glass of the NICU, staring intently in Francis' direction.
She wanted to save him, but she felt powerless.
Louis, who had come to visit Francis, already knew about his condition. He also understood how rare Rh-negative blood was.
He knew only one person with Rh-negative blood: Eloise.
When Elizabeth had operated on Eloise, Louis had been aware of all her pre-surgery tests, including her rare blood type.
They had even discussed the possibility of needing a blood transfusion if Eloise lost too much blood during surgery.
Unfortunately, both times Eloise had needed surgery, it had been too urgent to prepare a blood supply.
Fortunately, both surgeries had gone smoothly with minimal blood loss.
Now, Francis needed an exchange transfusion with Rh-negative blood, and Louis immediately thought of Eloise.
But he wouldn't tell Michael.
Elizabeth had probably thought of it too, but she wouldn't say anything either.
They both knew how important Eloise was to Michael.
One was the most important woman in his life, the other his biological son.
It would be a difficult decision for him.
Moreover, Eloise wasn't in perfect health herself. Having undergone two surgeries in a short time, she couldn't donate blood.
Elizabeth painfully thought that Francis' fate was in the hands of destiny.
She couldn't selfishly ask Eloise to donate blood for Francis.
Back at Whispering Pines Estates, Susan took Elizabeth's bag. "Elizabeth, you look so pale. After giving birth, you need to take good care of yourself."
"Go freshen up and get some rest. You probably didn't sleep well at the hospital. I'll make you something good to eat. When you wake up, you can eat right away."
Elizabeth nodded. "Susan, thank you for taking care of Nolan and Pearl these past few days."
Susan smiled warmly. "Nolan and Pearl are such good kids. They're so well-behaved, they hardly need any attention."
Michael also entered the living room.
Susan greeted him. "Mr. Thomas, you're here."
Michael nodded. "Susan, from now on, stay here to take care of the kids. You don't need to go over there anymore. Eloise has Clio to look after her. I'll be living here from now on too."
Elizabeth was taken aback. "You're going to live here? There's no room for you here."
Michael's expression didn't change. "It's fine. I'll share a room with you."
Elizabeth was stunned. He really had no shame!
After Daniel finished handling Elizabeth's discharge paperwork, he also came to Whispering Pines Estates.
Susan and the chef prepared a large meal to welcome Elizabeth home.
Elizabeth felt exhausted. Sarah's injury and Francis' illness weighed heavily on her, making it hard to breathe.
After dinner, Daniel was pulled aside by Dean.
He awkwardly looked at Michael, who didn't acknowledge him and simply said, "After work, you're free to date. I won't interfere."
Daniel blushed and was led to Dean's room.
Lying on Dean's bed, Daniel idly scrolled through his phone and complained, "You made me stay just to watch you play on the computer?"
Dean, eyes glued to the screen, replied, "I need you to cover for me. If you're here, Elizabeth won't randomly come into my room, though she usually doesn't anyway."
Daniel was curious. "What are you doing that's so secretive?"
Dean typed away. "I'm investigating the connection between Margaret and Octavia."
He hit the enter key and exclaimed, "I finally found it!"
Daniel got off the bed and moved closer. "What did you find that's got you so excited?"
Dean stood up, pulled him close, and kissed his cheek. "Daniel, I'm sorry, but I need to confront your boss."
Daniel was confused. "What are you talking about? What are you going to do to my boss?"
Dean turned the computer screen towards him. "Look, who is this?"
Daniel guessed, "Elizabeth? No, wait. Is that Octavia?"
Dean nodded. "Yes. This is the slave Margaret bought on the dark web. The seller modified her to look like Elizabeth according to Margaret's instructions. I have the chat logs and purchase records. She even wanted to buy a middle-aged woman."
Daniel was puzzled. "Why would she buy a middle-aged woman?"
Dean's expression was serious as he showed Daniel a photo.
Daniel gasped. "Nancy? Elizabeth's mom?"
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