Chapter 216 An Inexplicable Sense of Closeness
Francesca was getting really anxious. "Louis, do you even know what you're saying? Do you get what could happen if you use this as compensation?"
Louis could see Francesca was genuinely pissed, so he walked over to calm her down. "Mom, I'm healthy. Losing a kidney isn't a big deal. Don't worry, Uncle Raymond's got everything covered. I trust him. So, let me do this."
Louis knew how much Paige cared about Luna. This might be his only shot to make things right with Paige.
Francesca wanted to argue, but Raymond's words left her with no other reason. She had one more reason, but she couldn't bring it up. Francesca was left speechless, the matter settled.
Then, Paige and Raymond took Louis to the hospital, where Pearl and Amelia were waiting.
As soon as Louis walked into the ward, he saw Pearl and Amelia giving him weird looks. He stayed calm. "Why are you all looking at me like that? Think I'm gonna back out of donating a kidney to Luna? Relax, I already promised Xanthe."
Pearl thanked him. "Mr. Louis Carnegie, helping Xanthe is like helping the Universe Group. On behalf of the Universe Group, I deeply appreciate your kindness."
Amelia quickly added, "Mr. Louis Carnegie, thank you on behalf of the Smith family."
Louis gave a wry smile. "I'm not doing this for thanks, just trying to make up for my own mistakes." He turned to Paige. "Can I see your mom?"
Paige nodded. "Of course." She led Louis into the ward. This was Louis's first time meeting Luna, who was mostly asleep these days.
When Louis walked in, he saw the frail and sickly Luna on the bed. He knew how much effort Paige had put into caring for her. After finally waking up from a vegetative state, Luna's condition had worsened with kidney failure.
No wonder Paige was so anxious. She hadn't had much time with Luna since childhood, and their time together was limited. Maybe, during Luna's bedridden days, Paige spent the most time with her.
Louis said, "I tried to see her yesterday but couldn't. I heard her condition wasn't good."
Paige looked at Luna on the bed and nodded. "Yeah, kidney failure. I don't know how much longer she can hold on. Her condition could get worse any moment. So, when a matching kidney is found, I can't afford to wait. I don't know when the next chance will come, or if she will even have the luck to wait for another one."
Louis nodded, feeling Paige's pain. If it were Francesca lying there, he'd be desperate too.
Louis walked closer to Luna and saw her face clearly. Even though she looked frail, it was clear she must have been beautiful in her youth.
Looking at Luna, Louis felt an inexplicable sense of closeness. Maybe it was because they had the same special bond. While many people had failed the matching test, he and Luna were a match.
Louis looked at Paige and said, "I'm really grateful to her for bringing you into this world. During the darkest years of my life, thank you for being there with me. Even if I hadn't wronged you back then, I'd still do everything to save her. I wouldn't just stand by. I'll do all the necessary tests. Once the time is set, I'll donate my kidney to her."
After speaking, Louis couldn't help but glance at Luna again. He had an uncontrollable urge to reach out and touch her face. But Louis wasn't out of his mind; he knew it wasn't appropriate.
He just felt a sense of closeness and wanted to be near Luna. He didn't know if it was because of the matching or because of Paige. In any case, Louis only had this thought. He didn't act on it or tell Paige.
Paige, however, noticed that Louis seemed closer to Luna than Xena did. A long-term patient often looked frail and unattractive. Xena had seen Luna many times but always kept her distance. Louis, on the other hand, wasn't afraid to get close to Luna. This made Paige feel a bit more relieved.
Paige said, "Louis, thank you. She means so much to me. I can't lose her. She's the reason I'm here. When I was young, I was forced to leave her. My only dream was to come back to her. Now, my biggest wish is to keep her with me for just a few more years!"
