Chapter 426 Joy and Sweetness Amid Hardships 1
Freddy's words made Jessica's heartache.
Over the years, they had been to the hospital so many times that they even mistook it as home sometimes.
Although Freddy had always been obedient and cooperative, Jessica could tell that he didn't like the hospital at all. What he longed for was home.
At such a young age, while other children were happily living with their parents, Freddy had already fought death so many times.
Thinking of this, Jessica felt even more heartbroken.
She reached out and hugged Freddy tightly, unable to speak for a long time.
Gabriel reached out and embraced them both.
"Freddy, do you want to come home with me?" he asked.
"Of course, I want to live with Mom and Dad forever and never be apart."
"And what about your Sienna? If you come home with me, you might not see Sienna anymore. Are you okay with that?"
Gabriel then turned to Gilbert. "What about you, Gilbert? If you had to be separated from Olivia, could you handle it?"
Gilbert and Freddy both shook their heads. "No."
Gilbert lowered his head, his long eyelashes drooping.
After thinking seriously, he looked up at Gabriel and Jessica again. "But if I had to choose, I'd still want to be with Mom and Dad."
Freddy nodded too. "I would choose the same as Gilbert."
"Alright, since everyone wants to live with me, let's make a deal. Once Freddy's illness is cured, I'll take you all home. Your grandma is there, and she will be very happy to see you."
These words were certainly worth being happy about.
But Freddy was sensitive.
Almost immediately, he understood what Gabriel meant.
Lowering his eyes, his tender face looked very worried. "So, Dad, you're not taking us home now, but to the hospital for treatment, right?"
"Freddy, don't you want to get better so you can run around like Gilbert and play with other kids?"
"Of course I do." He nodded vigorously, his eyes instantly filled with a bright and hopeful light.
But soon, that light dimmed.
In the end, Freddy couldn't hide his disappointment. "But can I be like that?"
"Mom has taken me to the hospital for so many times. I know I'm very sick, but I don't want to go to the hospital at all."
Hearing this, Jessica felt both heartache and sadness.
Her Freddy, at such a young age, had endured so much pain that he shouldn't have.
But even so, in these five years, Freddy had never once said he was in pain.
If it weren't for Gabriel's embrace, Freddy probably wouldn't have expressed his vulnerability and fear.
"Dad, can we not go to the hospital?" Freddy asked again, blinking his eyes and full of hope.
"Freddy, can you tell me why you don't want to go to the hospital?" Gabriel asked gently.
"I don't like the hospital rooms; they're white and cold, with no warmth at all. And I don't like the smell of disinfectant; it doesn't smell good."
Gabriel nodded. "Alright, if Freddy doesn't want to go, then we won't. How about I take you to stay at a children themed hotel tonight?"
Hearing this, Freddy was so happy he almost jumped up.
Jessica watched him dance around, feeling both happy and worried.
How could they not go to the hospital? Freddy's illness still needed treatment.
However, Gabriel gave Jessica a reassuring look, so despite her worries and doubts, she held them back.
When they arrived at the hotel, Freddy was immediately captivated by the lively decorations.
Because he was so excited, he ran around and quickly explored the entire children's room.
In the end, he praised, "Dad, how did you find this place? It's so interesting and fun. Can you bring me here again?"
Gabriel affectionately ruffled his hair. "Of course, I will."
After dinner, Gilbert and Freddy played happily in the children's playground set up in the room.
Jessica, however, was filled with worry.
She poured herself a glass of red wine and stood on the balcony, drinking while feeling the breeze.
Suddenly, a warm, strong chest pressed against her back, and his hands wrapped around her waist.
"Drinking alone? Why didn't you call me? What if you get drunk?" Gabriel said, taking the wine from Jessica's hand and drinking three-quarters of it in one gulp.
In the end, he left only a little at the bottom of the glass for Jessica.
Jessica didn't say anything, just took the glass and gently swirled it.
"I'm feeling a bit down and didn't want to affect you."
"Is it because Freddy doesn't want to stay in the hospital?" Gabriel asked.
"Yes, I'm conflicted. On one hand, I don't want to force him to go to the hospital. He's so young and has already suffered so much. This is the first time he's refused and expressed his thoughts. How can I bear to force him?"
"But on the other hand, this is a very precious opportunity. We've waited five years for a chance at a heart donation. Although the final result isn't certain, there's a chance if we go. If we don't, there's no hope at all."
Looking up at the stars in the sky, Jessica's eyes were moist, her tears reflected tiny sparkles in the brilliant starlight.
"I suddenly thought of many things. When Freddy was little, he was too young to express his wishes, so I always took him to the hospital for treatment, hospitalization, and medication."
"At that time, he couldn't speak, just looked at me with his bright eyes, blinking. Even though he couldn't talk, I knew his body must have been uncomfortable. He didn't want to be confined to a hospital bed, his eyes told me he wanted to go out."
"Later, when he got older, I remember once he pulled out his IV needle, his hand still bleeding, and ran out of his ward. I frantically searched for him in the hospital. When I found him, I held him and cried my heart out. That was the first time I cried in front of him."
"He was scared and kept holding me, saying, 'Mom, I won't run away again. I'll take my medicine and get my shots. Please don't cry.'"
"At first, I thought he was just saying that to comfort me. But since then, whenever it came to treatment, he has been very cooperative. No matter how much it hurt, even if he bit through things or cried and screamed, he never said a word about the pain in front of me."
"Do you know what he said the most?"
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