Billionaire, Let's Divorce! by BELLA

ANASTASIA

The process of the stem infusion was quicker than expected. Turned out there was no need for surgery. The stem cell from Justin was infused in Amie just like they would a blood transfusion. After the transfusion, the doctor asked to talk with Kevin and I.

"Now that the transfusion is done, the next stage is the recovery stage and the stage where we wait for the infused stem cells to travel to her bone marrow and begin to produce healthy blood cells. This is called engraftment and it normally occurs within 2-4 weeks. These stages are critical because, though we hope not, there might be complications. So she'll remain in the hospital until the engraftment is complete."

"So," Dennis drawled, "She'd still be here for another month?"

"Yes," the doctor nodded. "While she's here we'll carry out regular blood tests to check for engraftment and complications where we'll keep an eye out for signs of infections, bleeding, or GVHD, graft-versus-host disease." "Wow," was all I could breathe. I seriously thought the hardest phase was the stem cell transfusion.

For the next few days, we rotated shifts between us. Dennis would stay at the hospital while I go home to prepare our needs and return with them the next day. Then it would be my turn to stay with Amie while Dennis would go home.

The first week was hopeful, Amie was weak but she occassionally smiled, ate and told us how excited she was to go home. We were also instructed to wear gloves, gowns and nose masks before we could enter her ward.

In the second week, much to our dismay, she grew more fatigued. Rashes appeared on every inch of her skin, she developed a sore mouth and occasionally experienced nosebleed. All of these happened in a week but it felt like months. We were restricted from entering her room and only spoke through a barrier.

My heart painfully squeezed in my chest each time she cried that she was scared.

She'd often cry in a croaky voice, "It's so lonely in here, dad. I'm scared."

The next weeks were amazing. The doctor announced that engraftment had begun and there was less risk of infection, so we were allowed back in her ward but still with the precautions of gloves, gowns and nose masks.

During this time, Amie would say amidst mouthfuls of meal, "I now feel strong, mom. Let's go home."

It had been my turn to go home. When I returned the next day, a special bag filled with the chicken fillet that Amie had requested in my grip, I had been forced to a stop when I saw the commotion in the hospital. Nurses ran helter skelter while doctors yelled orders.

stretcher rolled out of the hallway that led to Amie's

say as everything in my hands clattered to the floor and I

Amie? What happened?" I turned to

breathed as he pulled me to him and hugged me. I felt him tremble as he placed a kiss on my forehead and stopped me from going after

the taking her?" I cried,

he began breathlessly, still holding me. "She suddenly developed a fever yesterday, just after you left. The conditioning therapy weakened her intestinal lining and there was

relieved smile. "The surgery went well, and we've done everything we can. Now it's up to

said that she was still in a critical condition, so she was admitted

few days, I didn't continue our rotation as I refused

show signs of improvement. The doctor assured us that the transplanted stem cells have began to

recovery accelerated and after a couple of weeks, she was confirmed safe to be discharged but not without several precautions that

was the happiest

that day.

how net

he was, which would be followed by, "Are

stared up at his

ton

throw a party," I suggested as we all cuddled on the bed that

"Yay! A party!"

Justin and Amie slept off, I asked Dennis. "Shouldn't we inform

gaze from Amie. "Of course, we

now." I was really glad that he

the invited guests who were so happy to see