Chapter 736 Buttering Up
After Leanna was done feeding the boy, Aidan took him away. Reminded of what happened earlier, she said, "Don't bully him."
Aidan said, "That should be the other way around." He then took the boy to the garden.
The boy lay on Aidan's back, staring at his mother melancholically. Naomi said, "Don't worry. He knows what he's doing."
Leanna looked away and smiled. "I know." Aidan was a softie, and he wouldn't say what he was really feeling out loud.
After breakfast, Leanna was about to do the dishes, but Waylen coughed. "Umm, come with me. We need to talk."
"We'll talk after…"
Naomi took the dishes from Leanna. "Go. I'll handle this." She went into the kitchen.
Leanna looked away and wiped her hand, then she followed Waylen out. She muttered, "What's wrong?"
Waylen rubbed his neck. "Sorry if I said the wrong thing."
Leanna smiled. "It's alright."
Waylen said, "But I was serious about you guys getting another kid. An infant's cord blood is filled with stem cells, and those are the seeds of life. They can turn into all kinds of cells the human body needs—blood cells, nerve cells, bone cells, you name it." He continued, "And there are hematopoietic stem cells in cord blood too. It can build the immune system, and it'll be great for the boy's treatment. Maybe you'll get something more out of it too."
Leanna paused for a moment. "Is that true?"
Waylen nodded. "Yes. We've tried everything else but this."
Leanna's eyes shone with hope, but the next second, they dimmed. "Can we find that in the cord blood bank?"
"We're trying, but the boy's body might reject it. Even if we can find a matching one, it won't do much good for his treatment, so…"
Leanna hung her head low and whispered, "You need the cord blood of someone related to him for maximum efficacy."
Waylen nodded. "That's the idea." He huddled closer and mysteriously asked, "Is this because of Aidan? Tell me. I'm a doctor. I can give him some drugs that can help him stand up."
Sounds like a scam to me. She forced a smile. "I had a miscarriage, and I didn't heal up well from that. When I was pregnant with the boy, the doctor told me I might find it hard to get pregnant with my constitution."
Waylen frowned. "Is that so? Give me your hand. I want to check your pulse."
Leanna raised her hand and Waylen checked her pulse, then a frown furrowed his forehead.
Noticing that frown, Leanna knew what he was going to say. A moment later, Waylen pulled his hand back. "The doctor was right, but we're playing a game of chance here. If you nurse your health more, it's possible for you to get pregnant again."
"How?"
"Drugs, injections, workouts, early sleep schedule, work less, don't stress yourself out, and rest more."
"How long is that going to take?"
"Not a single day, that's for sure. Can't tell you the exact time frame either. And the meds and injections are torture. You should talk it through with Aidan."
"No. I can do this." Leanna looked at her family in the garden. "This is the only thing I can do for him."
"Very well. I'll come up with a prescription, then."
Leanna looked away. "Don't tell Aidan just yet. I'll look for a chance to bring this up to him."
"Sure. The prescription is going to take a few days anyway." He looked at the time. "I'm going to the lab now. Take the boy to me at nine-thirty."
Leanna nodded. "Okay." After Waylen went upstairs, Leanna stood around for a while before going back to her room. She took out her draft book and flipped through the pages. A long while later, she closed up the book and stood beside the window.
The boy was wobbling in the garden while Aidan was crouched down beside him, the look on his face cool. He didn't seem to be paying attention to the boy, but every time the boy was about to fall, he would hold the boy up. The boy was running happily. Whenever he felt that he was falling, he would lean on Aidan's legs and adjust his position before he ran ahead again. It wasn't exactly a heartwarming scene, but it looked fine nonetheless. It was the kind of bond only Aidan and the boy would have.
She smiled and took her phone out to make a call. "Hi, Lewis, it's me, McK. Sorry for calling you out of the blue, but I need to talk to you about the fashion show."
…
The sun was slowly rising higher into the sky, and its light was blinding. The boy wanted to go back, perhaps because he was feeling hot. He then hugged Aidan's leg and stared up at him, refusing to move. Aidan crouched down and scratched his chin. "Do you want me to hold you?"
The boy narrowed his eyes and grinned toothily, then he blabbered, "Huggie."
"Ah, now you're brown-nosing me."
The boy had no idea what he was talking about, but he wouldn't let Aidan's leg go. Obviously, he wanted his father to pick him up. Aidan picked him up in one arm and walked around, but then his phone rang. He took the call. "Speak."
Keaton said, "Sir, we received news of Joseph's departure. He's going to Jamesdon."
Aidan grunted. "Anything new in Highside?"
"No. Things are normal."
"And Theodore?"
"He's in a dead end. No one can help him, and things are going to get much worse."
"Keep an eye on him and make sure nothing unexpected happens."
"Yes, sir, and there's something I think I should tell you…"
He's hesitating. Aidan said, "If you're not sure about whether I should know about that, then don't say a word."
Keaton quickly said, "Someone from the Pearsons came this morning, and they wanted to see you."
"Reason?"
"I was not told. He wanted to see you, and I told him you went to Jamesdon. He wants you to call him the moment you return to Highside. It's important, according to him. Seems urgent." Keaton continued, "I looked into him after he left. He's not working for Young Master Justin."
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