chapter 24

Aliza had been taking turns to the hospital from past ten months. Asher had been suffering from poor appetite, frequent stomach aches and swelling. He will be turning two in another month but the baby looked malnourished in spite of her best efforts because of frequently falling sick. Aliza had been taking him regularly to doctors but with no recovery.  Somehow they weren't able to diagnose what his real problem is.After a number of scans, blood tests and innumerable examinations the words the doctor spoke next to Aliza eroded the ground under her feet.  The thing that she wouldn't even imagine in her dream just happened and the world stopped around her. Asher was diagnosed of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a sort of blood cancer.Aliza did not know what to do. Going through the doctors she had exhausted her complete safety deposits. The innumerable calls to Larry failed and Charla was out of reach. Aliza understood that wasn't a mistake, it was a blunder she had committed in trusting Larry against Charles and the slip couldn't ever be corrected. She was a destroyed woman by every means.Asher immediately required stem cell therapy which was the only treatment that could save him. Aliza's blood group did not match and the only possible way was to  check for Charles bone marrow. Children often inherited their parents genes. If hers did not match it was probably Charles's whose blood group would match with him."Asher is suffering from Leukemia, Charles." No sooner the words reached Charles's ears, he stared blank at Aliza and then there was a sharp sting on her cheek. Aliza looked at Charles in shock unable to decipher what happened but then slowly the realization dawned on her. She was slapped by the man who only respected woman, abuse was a too far word. Aliza fell on the sofa by the impact of the hit but she knew Charles was right.She had indulged into an irrevocable debacle. Her eyes trickled tears nonetheless knew she deserved it. "I wouldn't wish to indulge in that sort of violence on a woman nevertheless you codign it." He spoke with no regret holding his calmness however, Aliza knew he was a volcano inside trying his best to hold his temper. Charles was enough deliberate to envisage he had regrettably to go under mercy of somebody else's roof in spite of being the world's top billionaire because of his once upon a time a mistake of loving an undeserving girl."How long were you planning to hide him from me, make him suffer..... till he reaches his grave?" Aliza restrained her eyes to the floor feeling the guilt. "I was supposed to contact you tomorrow morning. I received the reports of the diagnosis just today. Asher immediately requires a bone marrow transplant." She got up from the sofa wiping the tears away that were falling on her cheek endless."Had he been under my shadow he wouldn't have suffered this much. I would have got him treated by the best doctors and the diagnosis would have been sooner. The last time I visited you, you said the same thing - my son is sick. Bloody....." He controlled his next words as his hands formed in fists growing wild daggers at Aliza while he spat the word 'sick' with venom.  Asher who clutched himself to his father's chest with his hands around his neck shifted in his position while still in his sleep. Charles looked down at his son with love who was resting peacefully enjoying the warmth of his chest. He patted his back a little putting him back to sleep. Arresting his strident tone that would have boomed thunderous to the ears of Aliza but for the sake of his sleeping son he ordered her low. "We are leaving in ten minutes. Pack only the essentials required during the journey. The rest will be arranged at home."Aliza packed a single bag with the essentials required for Asher. With tears of gratitude she hugged Julia bidding her final goodbye. Julia too couldn't resist her tears. She kissed the forehead of sleeping Asher and hugged Aliza back. During the short time Aliza and Asher stayed with her they had grown a bond of mother and daughter rather than a nurse and patient. Julia treated Asher as her own grand child.Charles could understand the bond Julia held with his family. "Julia, whenever you wish to come over and visit Aliza and Asher I'm just a phone call away. You already hold my number and I will save yours. Please do not hesitate to call and I will send you a chartered flight. We will be very happy to receive you at our home." Charles hugged Julia with gratitude and patted her back like he would do to his mother."After Asher recovers from his health Aliza along with the baby will come and stay with you for a few days." Julia wiped away her tears with happiness in her eyes as soon as Charles spoke the heart warming words. "I wish you all the best in future son and early recovery to my grandson." She ruffled the soft hairs of sleeping Asher while speaking the words.As soon as they reached the car Charles handed sleeping Asher to Aliza. He placed the bag she was carrying in the car trunk before sitting on the driver's seat. His telephone pinged a mail and he put on the light inside the car to check the message. Asher snuggled more into the chest of Aliza placing his little hands on her breasts.Aliza understood her son's discomfort. She immediately opened her shirt buttons and Asher latched his lips to her nipple instantly. "Is he still a breast fed baby?" Charles asked a bit suprised and straight away put off the light to secure Aliza the privacy while their son was being fed."I wanted to wean him after he was one but because he was frequently falling sick the pediatrician advised me to continue him on breast feed." Charles gripped the steering tight getting his knuckles turn white after absorbing the novel news. His anger inflated on Aliza for making Asher suffer so much and not informing him about his son.Aliza could note the temper of Charles and knew she was the reason behind it. She was now repenting for her mistake repeatedly but it was too late to correct the error. The ride to the airport was in silence with Charles and Aliza immersed in their own thoughts. They stayed in the private airport lounge owned by Charles for a few hours and boarded the flight in the wee hours of next day morning. Throughout the ride Asher only kept sleeping because he was too weak to play. Charles felt somebody was squeezing his heart feeling the suffering of his son.*****It was seven in the morning by the time they reached house. Aliza looked around the home, her home while carrying their son. It remains the same since she had left. The wall beside the staircase held their photos and now even Asher's. Aliza wondered how Charles managed to capture the pictures of their son when he saw him just yesterday for the first time.One of the photos Aliza liked the most was theirs as a couple. Charles was bending a little and kissing her cheek standing beside her. It was the picture taken soon after their engagement. Aliza arrested a quaver in her throat. How happy would have been her life had she not listened to the lady and joined hands with Larry?"The second room after climbing the staircase is the baby's room." Charles informed removing his coat getting her out of the trance. Aliza nodded to him in surprise. He is a billionaire. No doubt he could arrange everything within a day including his baby's room.The room of Asher was extremely beautiful. It was in a blue theme. To one side of the room was a huge walk-in closet which could accomodate A-Z of him including clothes, toys and even had some baby books of bedtime stories inside it. On the opposite was a small baby bed which was in white. One among the four walls was in white which held a collage of photographs of Asher.After placing sleeping Asher on his bed Aliza was about to walk to the master bedroom but Charles's words stopped her with a blow. "You will use the guest bedroom second from right beside Asher's. Tears welled Aliza's eyes after hearing the statement. Charles wasn't injudicious to not make a note of her hurtfulness. It squeezed his heart to see her in pain but he also knew she deserved the retribution."I need to launch a product at the company today. I will come back home by ten. Be ready with the baby. We will be seeing the child oncologist today." Charles confirms while unbuttoning his shirt and walks to master bedroom sparing not a single glance at Aliza while speaking the words.There were a series of tests performed on Asher as soon as they reached the hospital. Charles blood group B+ matched with Asher's and the bone marrow transplant was successfully done on the same day. The doctor, child oncologist studied the reports of Asher and released a huge sigh after placing his reading glasses on the table.Charles had his hands tight in fists succumbed to anxiousness and waiting the doctor's words for his son. Aliza's heart was beating a thousand times for second although she had no choice but to ask the most frightening question about their child."Doctor will Asher live?"