A Replacement Bride

Chapter 252

At this moment, Joaquin came over and sat down beside Noah. He carried her, placed her on his lap, and hugged her tightly. "It's true, Noah. We have the cure for your illness. You'll recover soon."

Noah was over the moon when she heard the news, but her smile quickly turned upside down. "But I remember that I had leukemia. I heard that I needed someone with the same bone marrow as mine to help me. Also, only my family, who is related to me by blood, would have the same bone marrow as mine."

At this point, she lowered her head slightly. The light in her gaze dimmed, and her tone became a little muffled as she added, "Mom, your bone marrow is different from mine, so you can't help me. And my daddy..."

Joaquin felt his heart pang when he saw Noah's downtrodden expression. He parted his mouth and wanted to tell her the truth right there and then. But, on second thought, Noah might be having the surgery soon, and she should be calm before she enters the surgical suite. Hence, he pursed his lips and forced the words down his throat.

He took a deep breath and comforted her, "Noah, you don't have to worry about this. Just remember that we will be with you at all times. We'll do our best to cure your illness." He wrapped his big palm around her little hand as he spoke and squeezed it gently. His voice became even more sympathetic, and encouragement filled his eyes.

"Don't worry. Your mom and I will be here with you. All you have to do is be strong, okay?"

When Noah heard his uplifting words, she raised her head to look at Katherine, then Joaquin, and then nodded solemnly. "Okay. Mom, Daddy, don't worry. I'll be strong. I believe in you and also myself."

Katherine felt a surge of warmth in her heart when she saw this scene before her. There was a hint of fondness in her usually stern gaze.

Right then, Keith strode to them with the test results. "Kathy, all the indicators of Noah's condition are within a stable value. She can go into the operating theater now."

Katherine nodded lightly upon hearing this. The longer the toxin stayed in Noah's body, the more dangerous it would become. She knew she could not delay the treatment any longer, which was why she asked Keith to bring the antidote to the hospital today.

Soon, Noah was pushed into the operating room, followed by Keith and the doctor-in-charge.

Katherine wanted to accompany Noah, but Keith stopped her. "Kathy, you should rest. I assure you that the antidote is fine, and Noah will not be in pain during the process. I'll send Noah back to you, fully cured. In the meantime, you should compare your bone marrow with Noah's to see if it's a perfect match."

Keith had brought up a critical point. Although Joaquin was Noah's biological father, the bone marrow of the parents might not be a perfect match.

Katherine looked at Joaquin and didn't insist on forcing herself into the operating room. Instead, she watched helplessly as Keith walked into the room that held her daughter's fate in their hands.

Joaquin stood next to her. He first looked at the red light in the operating room and then at her tense side profile. "Don't worry. They can detoxify the poison in Noah's body. You should trust Keith and also Noah."

Katherine inhaled sharply and nodded lightly but didn't say a word.

Joaquin observed her actions and knew she wouldn't leave any time soon, so he squeezed her fingers and said gently, "Wait here. I'll go to the doctor to do a bone marrow match. The faster I do it, the quicker I can get the results."

She nodded firmly, her eyes never leaving the bright red 'Operating' sign. "Okay. Go ahead."

...

An hour later, Keith came out of the operating room, followed by doctors, nurses, and Noah lying on the mobile hospital bed.

Katherine jolted up from the bench, scurried over, and went straight to Noah. She frowned when she saw Noah's pale face, feeling a pang of distress in the deepest recesses of her heart.

"Relax, Kathy. I promised you that I would bring Noah out intact, and now I have fulfilled my promise."

"How did it go?" Joaquin happened to return just then. He had already gotten through the bone marrow test and would receive the results in two days. His eyes were filled with worry when he glanced at Noah's tightly shut eyes. "When will she wake up? Has the poison in her body been detoxified?"

"Of course!" Keith raised his chin proudly. "There's nothing I can't do."

After his brief boast, he explained, "Don't worry. The antidote has already been injected. The dose of the antidote is relatively large because the poison in her body is too potent, but it's within a range that she can handle."

"Why isn't she awake yet?" Joaquin pressed for answers.

Keith cast him a glance, signaling him to calm down. "Relax, please. Hear me out. Now, the toxins and antidote in her body are fighting against each other, which will greatly cause her body to become

imbalanced for a time. So, she needs to be hospitalized for a few days to maintain her body's well- being through the infusion. Also, we would have to monitor the toxin content in her body constantly. Thus, it is best to take blood samples every few hours. Then, we can end the infusion when all the toxins in her body are gone."

During their conversation, they arrived at the exclusive VIP ward with the nurses who assisted in pushing Noah's bed into the room.

Katherine nodded and felt relieved when she fixed her gaze on Noah, who was still unconscious. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

Joaquin felt the same way, followed by heartbreaking despair. Noah was still so young, but she had to endure these agonizing procedures and endure such pain and torment.

It's all my fault! He bellowed in his mind, Maybe everything would have been different if I hadn't been poisoned and hadn't slept with Kathy back then. But everything happens for a reason. If none of those things had happened, Kathy and I would not have had such a lovely daughter.

Hence, Joaquin never left Noah's side and refused to budge for two whole days.

Katherine was amused by the sight and felt that he was a little too high-strung. He no longer looked almighty and aloof like he usually did.

He shrugged indifferently. "The one lying here is my daughter. Why can't I keep vigil by her side?"

When Noah woke up and saw how the concerned Joaquin was hovering over her, she felt touched and delighted. "Daddy, you're so kind. Just like the father in my dreams..."

Joaquin's expression froze slightly, and his lips twitched awkwardly. When he laid his gaze on her pure and innocent face, he hesitated for a moment. Finally, he couldn't help it and wanted to tell her the truth.

Right at this moment, a doctor entered suddenly with a solemn expression. "Mr. Levisay, the test results are back."