At the hospital, Xavier was wailing as Emery struggled to hold him still in her arms. “Sorry, Scarlett. He’s been making a fuss the whole time.” She looked at me somewhat apologetically and continued, “I think I should bring him home first. Hunter’s off at school, but both Zachary and Cameron are here. The doctor’s still checking on Summer, but don’t worry too much, I believe everything will be fine!”
I nodded and urged her to go. It’s only understandable that a child would feel uncomfortable under the cold weather and amidst the tense atmosphere.
The nurses wheeled Summer into the examination room while Cameron and Zachary followed closely behind them.
As we waited outside the room, Cameron began tearing up. “This is my fault, I should’ve brought her here for a check-up way earlier…” She sobbed. “The poor child’s had a few rounds of fever, but I’ve always thought they were just bouts of cold due to the changing weather. I just gave her the usual meds last night, thinking that she would get better after that. She suddenly started coughing out blood so much this morning!”
I held my mother’s hands in mine. “Don’t worry, Mom. Summer has always been a little weak, it’s likely that her body just isn’t faring so well under the weather. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”
How was I supposed to tell her about the incident at W City? After taking care of Summer all this while, they had gotten so attached to her as if she was their own grandchild.
Zachary sat on the chair, panting slightly in exhaustion as worry clouded his weary face. Clearly, hurrying after the doctor and nurses back and forth throughout the hospital had taken a toll on his aging body.
Before long, the doctor came out from the room with a report in his hand. He glanced around at all of us before asking, “Is anyone here a family member of the patient?”
“We all are!” I answered, my eyes fixated on the sheets of paper in his grip.
He then gestured for us to follow him. “In that case, shall we all have a discussion in my office?”
In the doctor’s office.
He handed the report to Ashton while explaining, “These are the test results. The ALP levels in the child’s lymph nodes and liver are high, and her white blood cell count is severely beyond normal. Her bones and joints are damaged as well. I’m afraid things aren’t looking positive for the patient.”
In that instant, I felt as if my surroundings began to spin. Just as I lost balance, Ashton got hold of me and carefully sat me down on the nearest chair. As calm and collected as he would usually be, he was definitely shaken this time around. I could feel a slight tremor in his hands as he held onto my shoulders. “Doctor, is there anything we can do?” he asked.
The doctor replied, “Acute leukemia isn’t the easiest to control, though there’s definitely a chance of recovery. Having said that, we’ll need your utmost cooperation as we do what we can for the patient. The treatment will also involve a handful of equipment and specific drugs from overseas, and frankly speaking, not everyone is able to bear the costs.”
“Money isn’t a problem,” Zachary responded, his face looking somewhat pale. “We’ll bear all the expenses as long as the child can be treated.”
Cameron nodded and chimed in, “Yes, that’s right! We’ll do everything that we can on our part. Please help us save the child!”
She then paused for a short while before adding, “Is there a reason behind Summer’s condition, doctor? She was born slightly premature, but there hasn’t been any other problem with her physical health thus far… Could it be hereditary?”
The doctor pondered for second before he answered, “Leukemia isn’t usually inherited, but it’s not entirely impossible. In most cases, it’s due to lifestyle and environmental factors, such as exposure to chemical hazards.”
He then looked up at us with a curious frown. “On that note, the report indicates that the patient’s condition was likely induced by external substances. Would you mind if I ask, has the child been exposed to any sources of such substances over a period of time? Like a laboratory or a chemical plant…”
I couldn’t take this any longer. Suppressing my raging emotions, I interrupted, “We’ll leave the child in your hands, doctor.”
As we exited the office, Cameron tugged on my arm. “Did you know something behind this, Scarlett?”
I dragged my feet in silence as we walked along the corridor.
They had the right to know after all, but where should I even begin? “Sometime last year, Jared took Summer to W City…” I started hesitantly. “He placed her in the Crest family’s factory for some time while using her as a hostage to threaten Ashton. And at some point, there was an explosion which led to chemical leaks. We had no idea about this either until recently.”
Zachary’s face burned with anger. “How rotten! Are the Crests even humans at all?”
Cameron’s eyebrows knitted together as she gasped in horror. “Isn’t Jared her father regardless? How could he do such a thing to his own child?”
I sighed helplessly. Regret filled me as I reflected on my decisions back then. This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t let him take Summer with him to W City!
A dreadful silence filled the air as a gloomy cloud casted upon everyone’s face. The next moment, Zachary pulled out his phone and began making a few calls.
