Her Return, His Regret by Natie

Chapter 158~ Getting along "Wanna bet?" Jason asked, a playful smirk on his lips. "If I win, you will have to giveyour favorite sports car." "What? No way... I don't give away my babies," Ryan replied. "I'll have to win then... I'm sorry, little bro, I was going to go easy on you but not anymore." "Little bro? I'm a thirty-year-old man," Jason remarked. "Can you not callthat?" "To me, you're my little bro," Ryan replied and chuckled. "I'm your big brother and I'll call you whatever I want." Jason rolled his eyes and said, "Show off. Is being the first born something to brag about?" "Of course, it means I'm the boss," Ryan replied.

The ward was filled with a lively atmosphere as Ryan and Jason bantered. Lora watched them with a small smile on her face.

Were they always so childish? "I never thought we would one day chat and laugh like this," Ryan said after a little while, glancing at Jason before looking at his wife. "In a way, Lora brought us together." Jason smiled and replied, "I never thought we would get along too. It's kind of nice to have a brother." "It was just a few weeks ago when I was ready to destroy you," Jason chuckled and shook his head. "Making decisions when angry is never a good idea. I would have done something I was going to regret for the rest of my life." "What matters is that you cback to your senses before it was too late," Lora remarked, smiling. "I'm glad you two are getting along now. That's the way it should be. Family should stick together." Doctor Steve suddenly cleared his throat and everyone's eyes turned towards him. He stepped forward, a clipboard in hand as he said, "I hate to cut this heartwarming tfor you, but we need to go over the treatment procedure in detail. It's critical that we all understand what's involved and also, for the patient's family to be aware of what may happen to their loved one during the treatment process." "Please go ahead, Doctor," Lora responded, looking over at Ryan and smiling at him warmly. "We are ready." Doctor Steve smiled. He looked at Ryan and began, "The first thing we need to do is to prepare you for the transplant. The preparation will involve you undergoing high-dose chemotherapy to destroy the cancerous cells and make space for the healthy stem cells that your brother will donate." "However, you will have to continue being under strict isolation because this process will weaken your immune system. We need to reduce the risk of infections as much as possible," the doctor added.

Lora gulped, looking at Ryan and holding his hand to offer support. The two shared a look before Ryan glanced at the doctor and asked, "How long will I need to stay in isolation? I've been here for stand I'm already sick of it." "It depends on your recovery speed. Usually, patients stay in isolation for weeks to months, depending on the way their bodies accept the new stem cells," Doctor Steve replied. "During this time, we will monitor you closely for any signs of complications and infections." "What about me? What do I need to do?" Jason asked.

"Over the next few days, you'll receive injections of a medication that will increase the number of stem cells in your bloodstream. Once your levels are high enough, we will collect the stem cells from your body using a simple procedure. It will just take a few hours," the doctor calmly explained.

Jason nodded and said, "It's not that complicated. So, when do we start?" The doctor chuckled and replied, "I'm glad you're so eager to help your brother. We will start the procedure tomorrow. Ryan will undergo chemotherapy for a week or so until we destroy the cancerous cells and then, we can do the transplant." "Any side effects we should look out for?" Lora asked and the doctor nodded.

"Yes. For Jason, you might have mild side effects like fatigue or bone pain but it's temporary. Your body will replace the missing stem cells within a week or so." Ryan looked at Jason and asked, "Are you sure you want to do this? Being poked with needles is not easy." "What am I, five?" Jason smiled and said, "A few needles won't hurt. They will hurt but it's pain that I can endure. You, on the other hand, will have a hard time. But I would like you to know that we will be there for you every step of the way." The doctor continued, "We will Λ ον transfer the stem cells by infusing them into your bloodstream, Ryan, much like a blood transfusion. The new stem cells will travel to your bone marrow and begin to grow and produce healthy blood cells., however, you will be the most vulnerable at this point. There's a risk of Jason's cells attacking your body but we'll take precautions to prevent it." in "As for the chemotherapy side effects, in as much as chemo is a great cancer fighter, it has severe side effects.because it ends up killing healthy cells in the process You might suffer from fatigue, a weakened immune system, sores your mouth, loss of appetite and the common side effect that everyone knows about- hair loss," the doctor explained. "I trust you shall prepare for all this." Looking at Lora and Jason, the doctor added, "During this time, it's critical for the family to stay close to the patient because the side effects that cas a result of chemo can cause depression. Be sure to stay by the patient's side and offer him the support he needs." The room fell silent as everyone registered the information. Seconds later, Lora proclaimed, "We will all support Ryan. I will move to the hospital-" "No, you will not. You're pregnant," Ryan objected. "You stay home, I can't risk you being here."

"You pose little to no risk to your wife or the babies, Ryan," the doctor m clarified. "However, Xstill think she d.

Visit should visit you once a week. Every day would expose her to different illnesses... this is a hospital after all." "But... I can't stay away for all that time. Ryan needs me," Lora remarked worriedly.

"I'm here," Jason suddenly said. "So is Diane, Dad and Grandpa. Ryan won't be at peace with every day with you coming here every day while he's exposed to strong drugs. Don't worry, we will take care of him while you take care of yourself and the babies." Lora glanced at Ryan and he nodded

at her to assure her that he would be fine. He smiled and uttered, "I know the doctor said there's little tond'risk, ve but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Please take care of yourself and the twins. I'll get better soon and return to you guys." Sighing heavily, Lora reluctantly agreed, "Ok... I will have a video call with you every day though. I need to make sure you're alright." When the doctor left, Ryan ran a hand through his hair and jokingly said, "So, I'm going to go bald now. Am I not too young for that?" Lora smiled and replied, "I think you will look handsome. My handsbald man." The next day, before Ryan had his first session of chemotherapy, he heard a knock at the glass and he turned to look, only to find four men with shiny bald heads looking at him with smiles on their faces.

One of them held up a small whiteboard with the words, [Cheer up, Ryan! We cut our hair to go bald with you!]