Chapter 493 A Change of Heart
The next morning, Fiona woke up feeling the warmth enveloping her. It wasn't that the weather had become excessively hot, but rather, at some point during the night, Darwin had entered her room and embraced her from behind.
Ever since Charles and Chicago stopped sharing her bed, she hadn't been bolting her bedroom door at night. She was afraid that if her little ones woke up in the middle of the night, they wouldn't be able to find mom if the door was locked.
That inadvertently made things easier for some people.
Fiona was at a loss for words.
She was about to leave Darwin's embrace, when Darwin woke up.
Without saying anything, he pulled her back into his arms.
"It's hot!" Fiona elbowed him.
Darwin grunted softly.
Then, he let go of Fiona, getting up on his own accord.
Fiona was actually impressed; he was unusually compliant and well-behaved today.
Darwin turned on the air conditioning, lowering the temperature of the room, before lying back down and, using arms and legs alike, pulling her back into his embrace.
"Let go of me!" Fiona elbowed Darwin again. "I need to get out of bed."
"It's just after six... Sleep a little longer." Darwin didn't let go, nuzzling the tip of his nose against Fiona's neck.
"Clarie, Daren's mom, she has her comprehensive check-up at the hospital today. I've got to be there to check on her." Fiona's palm landed on Darwin's increasingly restless face.
"Why not delegate such tasks to someone else?" Darwin didn't want his wife to be so worn out.
"No way!"
Darwin felt utterly helpless.
"In the end, everyone, even someone you've just met like Clarie, can come before me," he said as he releases his grip on Fiona.
Fiona sat up, looking at him as he turned away, his back facing her.
She couldn't help but find it amusing and gave his back a gentle prod. "Mr. Darwin, no offense, but you've been acting quite the drama queen lately, haven't you?"
Darwin ignored her.
Fiona didn't coddle him. She got out of bed, slipped on her shoes, went to the walk-in closet to get dressed, and then to the bathroom to freshen up.
Just as she finished brushing her teeth and prepared to leave the bathroom, Darwin appeared unexpectedly.
"Not going back to sleep?" Fiona asked.
Darwin didn't reply, and as Fiona walked past him, he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her back against the vanity.
"Darwin."
Before Fiona could say a word, Darwin sealed her lips with a kiss.
During the kiss, he gently nibbled at her lips.
It didn’t hurt.
It just felt a bit tingly.
After he had his fill of kisses, Darwin released Fiona, though his arm remained around her waist.
He looked deeply into her eyes and gently pecked her lips again.
"I had plans with Charles and Chicago today to go shopping for camping gear. I thought you might want to come too." His voice was low, tinged with a hint of disappointment.
"When are you going?" Fiona asked.
"The plan was for Chicago to take a walk with the dog," Darwin replied.
"Let's reschedule for the afternoon; I'll join you guys," Fiona said with enthusiasm.
"How about we pick you up, have lunch together, and then go shopping?" Darwin suggested.
"I'll be at the hospital; I'll let you know how it goes," Fiona responded.
"Okay."
Darwin visibly brightened up at this.
He even playfully pinched Fiona's chin, trying to steal a kiss.
"Knock it off!" Fiona rebuffed him, hopping off the bathroom counter and swiftly exiting the restroom.
Fiona had already made arrangements with the doctors treating Clarie .
Two specialists from the Solomon-affiliated hospital were also in attendance.
After the examination and imaging, they held a group consultation.
Fiona was with them every step of the way.
Clarie's condition was dire; the unanimous agreement among medical professionals was that she required a heart transplant.
In the meantime, they opted for conservative treatment to sustain her until a suitable donor could be found.
After the consultation concluded, Fiona mingled with the visiting doctors.
Daren's family sat in the waiting room in silence.
"Heart transplants are expensive, aren't they?" Bettie asked.
Daren nodded.
He had looked it up online; the basic cost was several hundred thousand dollars.
However, they couldn't even come up with several hundred thousand dollars now.
Their family didn't even have five thousand to their name.
"Forget it," Clarie said gently, shaking her head with a mild smile. "Transplants sound scary; I'll just stick with the conservative treatment."
"That's not acceptable! The doctors said that even with regular treatments, you have at most two or three years! You have to get the transplant!" Daren's stance was firm.
"Yes! Mom, you have to get the transplant. I can't live without you; you need to be with us for a long, healthy life, watch my brother and me get married, have children, and then watch our children do the same," Bettie pleaded through tears.
"Where are we supposed to get that kind of money?" Clarie frowned deeply. "Both of you be good, listen to your mother. We are not going through with this transplant."
"We could borrow it from Ms. Fiona first, and then my brother and I will work and pay her back," Bettie blurted out.
"No way," Clarie immediately retorted sternly. "Bettie, this woman has already done so much for us. Maybe several hundred thousand, even a million dollars seems like nothing to her, but for us, it's astronomical. How will you two ever pay it back?"
Amid their argument, Fiona returned.
She opened the door and walked in.
Both Daren and Bettie looked troubled, but the patient herself seemed to be in remarkably good spirits.
"Madam, is a heart transplant the only way for my mom?" Daren asked Fiona.
Fiona contemplated for a moment. "These are some of the top cardiologists in the field. Their diagnosis should pretty much align with this conclusion."
Daren immediately fell silent.
"It's about time for me to head back and have dinner with the kids. Would you mind dropping me off, Daren?"
"Sure..."
Moments later, Daren and Fiona stepped into the elevator together.
"How are you feeling about your mother's situation?" Fiona inquired.
After a brief silence, Daren replied, "She's still so young, has struggled so much in life; I want her to live longer, much longer."
"Then, a heart transplant is the only option."
"Madam, how much would that surgery cost if done here?" Daren asked.
He had been thinking it over.
The house in town was rundown, but there had been interest in purchasing it to turn into a guesthouse, and they had made a pretty decent offer.
Selling the house would definitely bring in some cash.
"I've told you, if you can afford it, you can go to the hospital staff to get in line for a donor heart."
The young man's pride was ultimately defeated by the desire not to lose his mother.
"Thank you," Daren sincerely said.
"Has the tutor called you yet?" Fiona smoothly changed the subject.
"The physics and math tutors called; they'll send me the syllabus and assessment tests later," Daren replied.
"Good," Fiona said as the elevator reached the ground floor and she stepped out. "Go find the nurse in the pink uniform, she'll help you with the registration to get on the waiting list."
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