Her Return, His Regret

"Mr Kingsley caught an infection," Doctor Steve told Lora.

He cleared his throat and added, "I asked if he had come into contact with someone who could have had a cold and he said yes. In his condition, he's susceptible to infections. His immune system has been compromised and his body is struggling to fight off the infection. We will keep him isolated for now and monitor him."NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.

Lora's heart sank. She looked at the doctor and asked, "Does it mean I can't stay by his side?"

Doctor Steve shook his head and replied, "No, you can't. You can see him only once per day and before you go into the ward, you need to disinfect your body and change your clothes. Your husband's health might deteriorate if he's exposed to more bacteria." Lora bit her lip, worry churning her stomach. She had called for an air ambulance to pick Ryan up earlier that morning.

To say the children were scared to see their father motionless is an understatement. They were horrified.

It was shocking to see someone who looked perfectly fine the previous night suddenly get sick and pale.

"Is he going to get better?" Lora asked anxiously. "Can he be discharged later?"

Doctor Steve sighed heavily, a sad look in his eyes as he remarked, "Unfortunately, no. His condition has worsened. The only way he can get discharged is if he gets new stem cells. For now, we will give him some drugs to stabilise him. As long as he avoids reinfection, he can extend his life for a little longer."

Lora's heart clenched in pain. She didn't know what to tell the children about their father's condition and why he was going to stay in the hospital from now on.

However, this was not something she could hide anymore..

Looking at the doctor, Lora asked, "Can I see Ryan now?"

"Yes, you can. Let me ask a nurse to help you," Doctor Steve replied and left.

As Lora was waiting, she suddenly heard two familiar voices calling out to her.

"Mommy!"

Lora turned her head and saw the twins walking towards her. They were with Diane who seemed to have brought them over.

When they reached her, Diane had an apologetic look on her face as she said, "I'm sorry, they really wanted to see their father. They've been so worried."

Lora had sent the twins to Diane with the security team. She didn't want them to worry but looking at the fear and confusion on their faces, she realised that they deserved to know what was happening to their father.

"Mommy, is Daddy ok?" Ella asked, her eyes blurry with tears.

Lora crouched down to the twins' eye level. She looked into their eyes and remarked, "Ethan, Ella, your father is not very well at the moment. He has a condition that requires him to be away from us for some time... this is to prevent him from getting more infections. You might not get to see him as often."

"Is he going to die?" Ethan asked, looking up at his mother for an answer.

Lora's stomach twisted and turned this way and that. Her eyes fluttered shut briefly as she tried to hold back her tears. She reached up and cupped Ethan's and Ella's cheeks, a sharp pang of pain twisting her heart.

"The doctor said he's trying his best to treat your father. So let's pray hard for him and be hopeful that he will be ok," Lora answered.

"Mrs Kingsley, we are ready for you," a female voice echoed around them and Lora looked back and nodded at the nurse.

She then glanced at the twins and uttered, "I'll be back. I'm going to see your father-"

"Can we see him too?" Ella requested. "I want to make sure Daddy is ok."

Lora glanced at the nurse who smiled faintly as she replied, "We don't normally allow children to enter the isolation ward. But we will allow it only this once." "Thank you so much," Lora said, getting to her feet.

She and the twins followed the

nurse into the changing room. From there, Lora and the twins took a shower with medicated soap. They then put on sterilised blue gowns. They wore caps on their heads and gloves on their hands.

"We need to be careful when we see Daddy. That's why we are cleaning ourselves up," Lora explained to the children and they nodded in response. Then, the nurse led them to the isolation ward.

Lora looked at Ryan through the huge glass, her heart sinking seeing how pale and exhausted he had become in just a space of a few hours.

"This is where you will be seeing him from most of the time. Going inside can be dangerous, but you can stand outside and watch him through this glass," the nurse explained.

The lump in Lora's throat grew

bigger. She had promised to stay by Ryan's side but now, they would

have to be separated by a glass net

Everyone had to stay away from him to keep him healthy. Life can be cruel sometimes.

When they entered the ward, Ryan slowly opened his eyes.

"Daddy!" Ella exclaimed and rushed over. "Are you in pain? You should take all your medicines even if they are bitter, ok? You will be fine once you take your medicine."

Ryan let out a low chuckle but it was weak. He replied, "Thank you, Ella. I'll surely get better."

"Yay! I'll also pray for you so that you get better quickly," Ella remarked and Ryan glanced at her lovingly.

"I'm so happy to see all of you... I hope I didn't scare you," Ryan said, pain flickering through his eyes when they met Lora's.

"Well, the kids and I won't be able to see you often. But I wanted to assure you that we are there for you. Get well soon, my love," Lora remarked. "And although we were scared, we know you will get better." Ryan smiled, warmth spreading through him. He replied, "I'm sorry... I had no idea I could catch infections that quickly."

Ethan stepped forward and proclaimed. "Get well soon, Daddy."

"Thank you, son," Ryan replied, a sigh of relief escaping him when he looked at his family.

Earlier, he hated the smell of disinfectant and the whole setup of the isolation room. He even wanted to ask the doctor to discharge him. However, seeing his family gave him the strength to endure. He had to live longer to find a donor so that he could stay by his family's side.

Hours later, a woman sneaked into the ICU and went into the isolation ward.

She approached the bed before looking down at the man who was lying on it.

He looked so pale and weak. Gone was the strong, energetic Ryan Kingsley. Now he just looked like an ordinary person.

The woman looked at Ryan's face and suddenly laughed.

"Oh, Ryan, so this is what has become of you. Not so untouchable now, are you?"