CHAPTER 88: CHAPTER 88: A NEW PATH FORWARD

In the hospital room, the nurse gave some instructions and left after placing the milk and bread. Leon Sterling lay on the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling, inhaling the distinctive scent of hospital disinfectant, as if he had turned into a stiff wooden figure, motionless and expressionless.

Rachel Lawson tidied up his messy hair on his forehead, feeling somewhat tender, "You’ve been through a lot."

After a while, Leon Sterling’s eyes moved, looking at his mother, and he slowly sat up, laughing self-mockingly, "I never thought I would be this useless."

Leon Sterling underwent a bone marrow transplant surgery at five. The surgery was successful, but afterward, due to the heavy psychological burden, he developed aphasia and shut his inner self off, refusing any communication with the outside world.

Rachel Lawson only realized then how much she owed her younger son.

Seeing her younger son’s self-blaming appearance, Rachel Lawson’s mind went back to that helpless little boy from years ago. These crappy things from twenty years ago, she thought she had long forgotten. It’s just a scar that remains after the wound heals; as long as it’s not touched, it’s fine, but with a poke, it hurts.

Rachel Lawson touched his head, knowing that all comforting words were in vain, choosing to quietly stay with him.

Leon Sterling gently leaned against her, seemingly becoming that little boy needing protection once again, "Mom, I want to do a genetic match."

Rachel Lawson’s heart sank, her hand resting on his head suddenly stiffened, her lips trembling, frowning tightly, and after long restraint, she finally let her emotions settle, "You should rest well first, let’s wait and see how Honey’s situation is."

Leon Sterling suppressed his nausea and drank the milk, then went to wait outside the operating room for Honey’s result, with Rachel Lawson following behind him, her face filled with worry.

She knew how difficult it was for her younger son to come out of the psychological shadows and was unwilling to let him take any more risks.

Although all hospitals say that bone marrow donation does not significantly affect the donor, claiming that hematopoietic stem cells have strong regenerative abilities, she was not sure that her younger son’s poor physical condition in the years after the surgery had nothing to do with donating bone marrow.

Moreover, for Leon Sterling, it would be a second donation.

Even though Honey was her biological granddaughter, in her heart, she valued her younger son more.

Leon Sterling walked to the corridor outside the operating room and saw his elder brother and Ruby Sullivan embracing each other in the distance, feeling somewhat awkward and stiff.

With his determination, he should have rushed over at this moment to offer Ruby Sullivan a glimmer of hope. Since his bone marrow could be donated to his elder brother, it was highly probable that it could be donated to Honey as well, but he hesitated.

It wasn’t that he had changed his mind; he just suddenly felt that, at this moment, Ruby Sullivan might need his elder brother’s embrace more.

Rachel Lawson looked at her younger son’s dejected figure with a deeper heartache, sighed, and softly suggested, "We can’t do much staying here, let’s go home and wait for the result."

After a while, Leon Sterling nodded, "Let’s go." Saying this, he turned and walked out.

Once in the car, Rachel Lawson sent a message to Ethan Sterling to prevent him from worrying if he couldn’t find them, instructing him to call as soon as there was any result.

The surgery lasted until dawn, and although the bleeding situation was barely stabilized, Honey’s physical condition was very poor, requiring hospitalization for observation for a period of time and an urgent need to find suitable bone marrow.

Outside the hospital room, Zane Lawson said gravely, "Honey’s condition is very special. Besides waiting for the bone marrow matching result, there’s another option, which is to have another child. Just four months, you can extract the cord blood for surgery."

"No way!" Ethan Sterling thought of his brother and instantly refused.

Ruby Sullivan cast him a surprised look but didn’t have time to delve into it, "I’ve heard not all cord blood matches successfully."

Zane Lawson nodded, "That’s true, but the probability will be high." After saying this, he left, as the long surgery had completely exhausted his spirit and energy, requiring immediate rest.

Ethan Sterling frowned, "I’ll think of a way."

Ruby Sullivan looked at him, unwilling to break through his forced words, turned away her gaze, and said lightly, "You should go back, I’ll stay here with Honey."

"Ruby Sullivan, are you still mad at me?" Ethan didn’t understand what her sudden coldness was about; he had explained everything he could.

Ruby Sullivan shook her head, lowered her gaze to her toes, "I’m not Ruby Sullivan, she died."

Ethan Sterling was very tired and wasn’t in the mood to entangle with her on these issues, "Alright, suit yourself. I won’t let you and Honey go back to Bellaza. As for the company, do what you want; otherwise, spend more time with Honey." After saying this, he looked at her steadily, finally deciding to leave to let each other calm down, "I’m leaving, call me if there’s anything."

Ruby Sullivan didn’t lift her head to look at him, "Thank Leon Sterling for me."

When Ethan Sterling arrived home, Rachel Lawson and Leon Sterling were waiting in the living room, only then did he know Rachel had messaged him.

He sat down on the sofa, drank water to soothe his throat, "For now, there’s nothing more, we need to find bone marrow soon."

"I’ll go for matching tomorrow." Leon Sterling spoke with resolute tone, not a hint of discussion, merely a notification.

Rachel Lawson, upon hearing this, her expression turned sour, and she stood up, "I’m tired." She said, then withdrew to her room.

Leon Sterling also got up, perhaps having said what needed to be said, his mind suddenly relaxed, and he habitually showed a smile, "I’m exhausted too, oh right, is Wenny by herself in the hospital okay?"

Ethan Sterling looked at him, frowning slightly, "Honey is my daughter." He knew Leon Sterling was willing to do the matching because he liked Ruby Sullivan, so he didn’t want him to remain clueless.

Unexpectedly, Leon Sterling responded lightly, "I know."

Ethan Sterling was greatly surprised, "How do you know?"

Leon Sterling furrowed his brow, momentarily tongue-tied. He had promised her not to tell; but since his elder brother was aware of Honey’s identity, perhaps he also knew Wenny’s.

"When I saw Wenny at grandma’s funeral, I recognized her. I’ve always remembered Ruby from childhood, and I’ve seen your wedding photo with her. But you, living with her for three years, how did you not recognize her?"

Ethan Sterling felt embarrassed, unable to speak.

Leon Sterling wasn’t trying to corner him with these words, he yawned and said with feigned lightness, "I want to do the matching because I don’t want to see her sad, big brother, you don’t need to overthink." After saying this, he went upstairs to sleep.

At this moment, Ruby Sullivan who was staying with Honey, had a confused mind. Ethan Sterling’s decisive refusal, was it worrying about the child’s health, or not wanting to have another child with her?

She didn’t dare to ask, afraid she couldn’t bear the answer.

If Ethan Sterling agreed, would she accept?

Ruby Sullivan didn’t know when she fell asleep by the bedside, waking to find Rachel Lawson sitting in the hospital room.

"I brought you lotus soup, knowing you don’t eat ginger, I didn’t put any." Rachel smiled, getting up from the sofa and unscrewing the thermos, filling the room with an aroma.

Only then did Ruby Sullivan realize the last proper meal she had was on the cruise, her stomach long empty.