Chapter 352 A Setback
In the days that followed, life seemed to quiet down.
Charles's condition was stable. Chicago spent her days painting at home, sometimes making tearful nighttime trips to the hospital clutching her little pillow because she missed her brother and mom, but she would always return home after breakfast, as no one could convince her to stay.
Fiona was at the hospital every day, staying by Charles's side, but most of her time was spent handling business at work. She had reached out to Dagmar a few times about the Rhoads family medical betrayal, but all her messages seemed to disappear into the void. When she saw photos of Dagmar happily vacationing with family on social media, she finally felt some relief.
Thalassa and Kenny, who had been in the sweetest phase of newlywed bliss, were forced apart when Kenny had to return to school for some academic business— a separation that would last at least a few weeks. Unaccustomed to the large empty house, Thalassa moved temporarily back to Fiona's place with Kenny's cat in tow.
Chicago was overjoyed. Kenny's cat adored her and the light-filled studio with its climate control system was perfect for the cat. It was neither too humid nor too dry, and there was plenty of sunshine for basking. While Chicago painted, the cat would sprawl comfortably on the hardwood floor, its plump belly a happy sight.
At night, Chicago would cuddle up with the big cat to sleep. Their friendship was harmonious and heartwarming.
Every evening, deep into the night, Darwin would visit Charles at the hospital. Fiona didn't object, even if most of their encounters were spent in silence.
Life proceeded calmly until the days of waiting for the matching results slowly passed. The first to get tested was Burl. His results came out first but, unfortunately, it wasn’t a match. Then came Fiona's turn, which also brought disappointing news.
By the next afternoon, all the results from the Solomon family and others involved had come in. Sadly, even though so many relatives had been tested, no one was a match.
"There has to be some kind of mistake!" Burl paced anxiously.
"Bone marrow matches are notoriously difficult to find," Fiona said, her eyes downcast. "Alright, everyone's been up for days. Charles isn't in immediate danger. It's only been a few days. If we haven't found a match yet, we'll just have to keep looking."
"Exactly. Why the rush?" Thalassa managed to say as her voice trembled while she fought back tears. "With so many people in the world, there's bound to be a match somewhere!"
"Charles should be getting discharged by now. I'm going to go take care of his paperwork," Fiona said, organizing a stack of documents neatly before getting up to leave.
The days had warmed up, the weather becoming hot and sticky.
Outside, an indefatigable chorus of cicadas sang at full volume.
Glancing up at the sky, Fiona felt a sudden wave of dizziness.
Her body swayed, but a large, steady hand pressed against her back, steadying her.
Fiona was startled.
Turning around, she saw Darwin.
"Are you okay?" Darwin's voice was deep, his brow furrowed with concern.
"I'm fine. Just heading out to handle Charles's discharge paperwork. Chicago’s still at home – she doesn’t want to move. I need to talk to her about it. You'll have to wait a little longer," Fiona said, straightening up and stepping away from the comforting warmth of Darwin's palm.
"You stay with Charles. I'll handle the paperwork," Darwin offered.
Ever since they had gotten married, their conversations had been filled with awkward politeness and Fiona's biting sarcasm.
"No need," Fiona said with a wave of her hand. She didn’t wait for Darwin to respond and walked straight out.
Darwin knew that patients in the VIP ward didn't need to deal with their own discharge. A phone call was all it took, and someone would come to the room to take care of everything.
Fiona quickly finished all the necessary procedures and didn't rush back. Instead, she ambled to the restroom.
Standing in front of the mirror, she turned on the tap and, after a moment, could no longer hold back her pent-up emotions.
Tears streamed down her face.
She was aware Charles's condition wasn't critical and that there was still time to wait for a bone marrow match.
Logically, she understood all this.
But she couldn't suppress the overwhelming fear.
During the recent examination, another child had been seriously ill, waiting for a bone marrow match that never came.
That child hadn’t survived the hemorrhage that occurred.
*
Charles was aware that the results of the bone marrow matching would be coming out over the next few days.
He had been waiting to hear the news from his mom.
But... what he ultimately received was news of his discharge.
Charles understood.
None of the matches were suitable. Otherwise, they wouldn't be sending him home.
He didn't show much emotion, watching the staff pack his things while Burl continued to clown around with red-rimmed eyes, showing him silly games on his tablet.
Charles was somewhat distracted, frequently glancing out the door.
Both his mom and Darwin had not returned for a long time.
Finally, when everything was packed, his mom came back with a cheerful smile.
"Were you teaching Burl how to play games, son?" Fiona approached, stroking Charles's hair. "Let's stop playing now. We'll go buy some treats and take them home for your sister."
"Okay," Charles nodded eagerly.
"Where's Dad?" Fiona looked around, but Darwin was nowhere to be found.
She was expecting him to come back and keep Charles company. Where had he gone?
"Right here," Darwin finally stepped in from outside. "I just got a call from the office. Are we ready to leave now?"
"If you're busy, you can head back to the office. Charles and I were thinking of going out for a bit to pick up some snacks his sister likes," Fiona replied.
"I'm free. Let's go together," Darwin answered without a second thought.
Soon, the family of three, along with Burl who seemed to be dragging his feet, reached a massive warehouse store.
Charles preferred the cost-effective and generous sweets here over the desserts at Michelin-starred restaurants.
The three of them got out of the car, all neatly dressed in hats and masks.
With his hair a wild tangled mess, Burl couldn't help but remark, "You realize you're more conspicuous like this, right?"
He then turned his criticism toward Darwin. “You stick out the most with your height, Mr. Solomon. Maybe you should just wait in the car, and we'll come get you once we're done."
Darwin acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
He lifted Charles into the child seat of the shopping cart with one arm and said, “Just tell me what you want to eat, Charles."
Burl rolled his eyes. Fiona elbowed him gently.
Once inside the store, Darwin became a walking encyclopedia of questions.
"Does your sister like this?"
"Do you want this one, Charles?"
"That looks delicious... oh no, allergies, got it, I'll remember that," he mused out loud.
Fiona walked beside them, watching the exchange between father and son. It seemed friendly, but for some reason, it also appeared a little cold.
She felt a peculiar sensation in her heart.
"Hey, do you think Darwin's possessed or something?" Burl whispered to Fiona. "He looks pretty dazed, right? Remember the time he hit his head? I hope it didn't do any lasting damage."
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