Observing this, Derrick asked, “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Estelle replied softly. Then, in a hushed tone, she asked, “Derrick, as a liver disease specialist, can you tell me about the risks of a liver transplant?”
After a brief pause, Derrick explained, “With the current state of medical expertise, performing such surgery isn’t particularly difficult, and the success rate is generally high. The main concerns with the surgery are the possibility of the patient experiencing rejection and whether the donor’s liver is in good health. Do you know if the donor smokes, drinks, or has a fatty liver?”
“He does smoke and drink, but he’s not overweight, so I don’t think he has a fatty liver,” Estelle replied.
“Obesity is only one of the factors that will cause fatty liver. Not being fat doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t have fatty liver. You may ask the donor to have a physical examination as soon as possible.”
Lowering her head and taking a look at Christina, Estelle said worriedly, “Can’t the donor donate his liver if he has a fatty liver? Christina is not in good condition and needs to have a liver transplant as soon as possible. I may not be able to find another suitable donor in a short time.”
Hearing Estelle’s words, Derrick nodded and said, “In this case, the priority is to save Christina’s life.”
“So, what do we need to do after the surgery?” Estelle inquired.
At this time, a waitress knocked at the door of the box and came in. As she knocked on the door hard, the loud noise awoke Christina.
Seeing Christina awake, Estelle shook her head at Derrick, signaling to him not to talk about the surgery in front of Christina. She was worried that Christina would be afraid if she heard their conversation.
After igniting the charcoal, the waitress put the sauce-covered lamb chops, which looked appetizing, on the metal frame at the top of the charcoal burner.
“Sir, ma’am, this is a sharp knife used to cut the mutton. Be careful when using it, and keep it away from your child,” she said respectfully.
When Estelle was about to explain her relationship with Derrick, Christina said in a clear voice, “They are not a couple. This is my Mom. And that is her friend.”
Hearing this, the waiter felt embarrassed and immediately apologized, “I’m sorry. I was mistaken.”
Christina pouted and glanced at Derrick with her eyes full of wariness. “My Mom can only be with my Dad. The three of us are a family.”
“It’s okay. Thank you for your reminder,” Estelle said to the waitress with a gentle smile. Then she squeezed Christina’s hand and shook her head to show her disapproval of Christina’s behavior.
“It’s my pleasure. Enjoy your dinner,” the waitress smiled back and nodded, then left them quickly.
Seeing the door slowly closed, Christina gently shook Estelle’s arm. “Mom.”
“What’s up?”
“Will Dad pick us up later?” Christina asked.
“Your Dad is very busy and doesn’t have time to pick us up,” Estelle gently explained.
“Did he go to beat the bad guys again?”
“Yes. He has an important mission to complete. We’ll take a taxi back home later,” Estelle patiently explained to Christina.
Christina was different from Yvonne and Yohan. She was an intelligent child with a lack of security and was always wary and distrustful of all people except her family. Estelle tried many means to make Christina open up to others but failed.
Hearing Estelle’s words, Christina nodded. “Mom, may I call Dad?”
“You want to call him now?”
“Well, it’s also fine with me to call him later if he’s busy now,” Christina said while looking into Estelle’s eyes.
Estelle quickly understood her intention. After some thought, she got up while holding Christina and said, “Dr. Carrey, I’m sorry, but we must go now. Thanks for the lunch invitation, but we need to leave.”
Derrick seemed a bit surprised and stood up, saying, “You haven’t eaten anything yet.”
Estelle smiled with a hint of helplessness and explained, “I’m afraid we can’t stay for lunch. Christina really wants to go home.”
At that moment, Derrick suddenly understood why Christina had occasionally mentioned her father. ‘So, Christina was trying to tell me that her Mom belongs with her Dad, and I should forget about pursuing her Mom. What a clever little girl,’ he thought.
“Miss Hudson, may I ask you one last question?” Derrick asked.
“Yes. Go ahead, please.”
“You mentioned that you haven’t reconciled with Mr. Hans. But you’re living together now, right? So… What’s your relationship at the moment? Are you staying together because of the kids?” Derrick asked with seriousness.
Christina’s expression immediately darkened upon hearing this. “My Mom should definitely live with Dad! They not only live together but also love each other deeply. My brother, sister and I exist because of their love. They’ll be together forever,” she quickly and confidently replied.
Her daughter’s eloquence surprised Estelle, and she somewhat awkwardly added, “Dr. Carrey, regardless of my relationship with Cristofer, our own relationship remains the same.”
“Alright, I understand,” Derrick responded swiftly, nodding.
“Then we’ll go…”
“Watch out!”
When Estelle moved, Christina accidentally kicked the knife that had been placed on the table by the waiter.
Seeing the knife about to cut Estelle’s arm, Derrick grabbed it swiftly. His hand got cut in the process, and blood started flowing from the long and deep wound.
Estelle, who was shocked, quickly called the waiter over for help.
“The wound is quite serious. I need to get to the hospital for treatment immediately. Miss Hudson, I have to leave now,” Derrick said, his voice tense.
“I’m truly sorry, Dr. Carrey,” Estelle expressed, feeling guilty.
“It’s alright. Luckily, it’s my left hand that’s injured. If it were my right hand, I wouldn’t be able to perform surgeries. Miss Hudson, I must go,” Derrick replied, maintaining his composure despite the injury.
“Okay. You may go to the hospital quickly. I’ll pay the bill. I’m so sorry.” Estelle apologized again.
Derrick then left with a darkened face.
Seeing Derrick’s back, Estelle sighed and then said to Christina, “Be careful next time, okay?”
Christina was also frightened just now. At the thought that her behavior almost hurt Estelle, she said in a low voice, “Mom, I’m sorry. I know I was wrong.”
“Call Uncle Derrick at night to apologize to him and thank him for saving me, will you?” Estelle asked softly.
“Okay.”
****
Jerry and Carl were hiding in the car and waiting outside the restaurant. Suddenly, Jerry exclaimed in surprise, “Hey! He’s coming out! There’s a wound on his left hand! He must be the helmet man!”