CHAPTER 53: CHAPTER 53: I WON’T ALLOW ANY ACCIDENTS

After a long check-up, Anna Thornton carried the child out of the last department, suddenly feeling a lightness in her hands.

Conrad Sterling, waiting at the door, took the initiative to take the child into his own arms.

Anna was stunned. Little Pop, with red eyes, forgot to keep crying and shyly sucked his thumb.

This was the first time Pop was held by Daddy!

"Conrad Sterling, you’ve finally found your conscience?" Anna said with a relieved smile.

Conrad avoided her gaze and changed the subject: "It’ll take half an hour for the results; the hospital has arranged a waiting room."

Having said that, President Sterling awkwardly but decisively turned and led them to the waiting room.

Anna secretly laughed behind his back, the way this man held the child made it obvious it was his first time, very stiff.

But still, he has some conscience.

The posture can be developed over time, with a lot of room for improvement.

Half an hour’s waiting for the check-up is relatively short, but for the family of the patient, it’s still hard to endure.

Fortunately, the final result was good.

The doctor assessed that Pop’s current physical condition was suitable for the transplant surgery. Conrad Sterling’s examination also passed, and his match with the child was a very rare full match, with a bone marrow transplant success rate of over ninety percent.

The doctor suggested the surgery could proceed as soon as possible, yet at the final stage, Anna suddenly hesitated.

If they prepare for surgery, Pop will have to be hospitalized from today and undergo pre-surgery chemotherapy, and she couldn’t make up her mind...

Another mother with twin sons, seemingly around five years old, also came to the hospital for examination on the same day.

In the hallway, Anna spoke to them: "Are you also preparing for surgery?"

"Yes, we found something wrong with the child a month ago and came to the hospital to get diagnosed with aplastic anemia." The child’s mother replied.

"Detected a month ago, and you’ve already set a surgery date?"

"Yes, the doctor recommended a bone marrow transplant, and sooner or later it has to be done. Moreover, our situation is relatively good, it’s twins. Just consulted the doctor, bone marrow transplant between twins doesn’t destroy the immune system and doesn’t require chemotherapy, leading to a particularly high success rate of recovery."

"It’s indeed a blessing in disguise."

Anna looked at the twins’ mother, who had a worried yet gratified expression, and suddenly felt a pang of acidity and softness in her heart, very envious.

She quietly sat on a bench in the hallway for a moment, when suddenly a pair of expensive, polished leather shoes and a pair of tiny feet stood before her.

Conrad Sterling approached with Pop and asked Anna, "Weren’t you always wanting me to donate bone marrow for Pop’s transplant? At this point, what’s there to hesitate about?"

"The doctor said the success rate is only ninety percent."

For a usual healthy person, this number might sound high.

But for a mother, the hidden failure rate still makes her terrified.

Conrad’s gaze darkened slightly, and he rarely spoke patiently to comfort: "I have hired the most authoritative domestic doctor in this field to conduct the surgery, the success rate will be maximized, rest assured."

"Can that doctor guarantee that there won’t be a single failed surgery?"

"Anna, you’re being unreasonable!"

"And the rejection response, I’ve seen cases abroad where post-operative rejection led to death. Although your marrow match with Pop is very high, it can’t guarantee that there’ll be no accidents. Pop’s former doctors told me that it’s best if donor and recipient are consanguineous siblings for this kind of marrow transplant."

Anna couldn’t help but look at the couple with the twins again when she said this.

"In essence, you just want to marry me and have another child to donate marrow? The doctor just made it clear that my marrow is suitable for Pop, there’s no need to wait another year or half, surgery can proceed immediately. Do you know the probability of adverse outcomes due to delays is higher than surgical failures?"

Conrad viewed Anna’s sudden emotional outburst as irrational.

Could it be that she was dissatisfied for not achieving all her goals?

Yet the world doesn’t revolve around one person’s desires, how could everything go her way?

Pop came forward and wiped away the subconscious tears at the corners of his mom’s eyes with his chubby hands, mimicking Anna’s usual way of comforting him, patting her knee: "Mommy, don’t cry..."

"Does it hurt..." The little one lowered his head and blew on Anna’s arm, which had no scars, "Don’t let Auntie... don’t let her give mommy injections again."

After all, in the little one’s eyes, Mommy had been pricked several times by Nurse Auntie today, no wonder she cried.

Anna was amused by the child’s innocent look, she patted Pop’s head: "Mommy’s alright, a blow from Pop and Mommy doesn’t hurt anymore."

Hearing this, the little one immediately bent down, giving two strong blows, followed by two kisses.

"Does it hurt, Mommy?"

"Not at all!"

Anna felt like her heart was melting, she stood up and took Pop’s hand: "Let’s go, Mommy will check the room, we’re going to stay here for a while now."

"Remember the nurse who gave us shots earlier, Pop? One of them is a little devil, who turns on the night of a full moon, we’re staying here to find her and uncover her. Once we’re done, no devil will give good kids shots anymore."

Previously, when Anna brought Pop to the hospital alone, she didn’t want her to be scared and didn’t reveal the illness to the child.

She would always make up strange stories to divert Pop’s attention.

As Anna was leading the little one past Conrad Sterling, the man caught her other hand.

"I won’t allow any accidents!" Conrad promised by her ear.

Anna grinned, suddenly turning her head, crashing into the man’s embrace.

Conrad was stunned by this and forgot to push her away.

A man and a woman embracing in the corridor, looking either romantic or moving to others.

Yet, Anna whispered only what the two of them could hear: "President Sterling, four years ago I learned, I don’t believe a word of your promises!"

"If anything happens to Pop, I’ll fight you to death!"

Pop seemed to have heard his name and looked up at Mommy.

However, due to his height, from his angle he couldn’t see Anna biting into Conrad Sterling’s side neck, only separating when the taste of blood filled her mouth.

The "if anything happens to Pop" in Anna’s sentence carried a specific "also" that Conrad didn’t notice.

He merely regarded it as a trivial emotional outburst when the woman’s rationality faltered.

At this point, Conrad Sterling still didn’t realize what irreparable consequences his indifference four years ago had caused.

Nor did he know, that in fact, Anna despised him more than she showed...