❝ICAN'TBEWITHOUTYOULATELY❞

For the next two days, Vickie underwent the first part of her treatment—radiation therapy.  Chemotherapy was also performed, although minimally.  The operation had caused her to become very tired that eating three times a day became a chore.  Jinki dropped by each day to take care of Vickie and, as much as he wanted to see Wu Zheng and apologize, he left just right before Wu Zheng would come in and ask how Vickie was doing.  More goodbye kisses were exchanged between Jinki and Vickie, and they filled up the frustration he had before he left the hospital bedroom.

The third day came.  It was time for the stem-cell transplant.

"However, before the transplant itself, we will have to make Vickie undergo a conditioning regimen.  This procedure will take about an hour or so, not exceeding three hours."  Doctor Choi explained to Wu Zheng.  He had him called up to his office again to discuss the operation that will take place later on.

"That's alright, Doctor Choi."  Wu Zheng said.  "Say, can you give me any reports about Vickie's leukemia?"

"Vickie is improving."  Doctor Choi said.  "For the past two days, the radiation therapy helped reduce the amount of leukemia cells in her body.  The regimen we will be doing today, which is total body irradiation or TBI, will also help eradicate any remaining cancer cells in Vickie's body.  The stem-cell transplant may even only serve to make Vickie's bone marrow produce new blood cells."

"Oh, thank God."  Wu Zheng sighed, wiping his face with his hands.  He couldn't help but smile at the amount of good news he was receiving.  "When will the TBI and the transplant take place?"

Doctor Choi looked at the white clock on the wall in his office.  "In about an hour."

The approximate one hour arrived, and the total body irradiation regimen was beginning to be performed.  Vickie was placed inside a machine called a linear accelerator, which delivered radiation therapy to Vickie's entire body.  The procedure took no more than an hour, then it was time for the transplant.

When Vickie had the previous therapies done to her, Wu Zheng simultaneously volunteered to donate the bone marrow cells for Vickie.  He didn't let her daughter know about that.  He knew that if Vickie found out, the transplant would have to be postponed in order to look for another possible donor.  Seoul had over ten million people at that time, and there was definitely no time in painstakingly choosing who matched stem cells with Vickie and who didn't.

Sweat ran down the doctors' foreheads in the certain hospital room where the transplant was carefully being performed.  Outside was Wu Zheng, silently praying to God to not let anything go wrong, that he would do anything just for Him to heal Vickie.  The doctors had put Vickie into a slumber, and even though she was asleep physically, her brain was perfectly awake.

The operation took about an hour.  Once the doctors had finished, they resumed to their own activities and complimented each other on "another good job" they had done.  Doctor Choi, being Vickie's main doctor, was the happiest.  He called Wu Zheng to his office again as Vickie rested in her hospital room.

"I have nothing else to tell you, Mister Song."  Doctor Choi said, sighing.  "The reason I called you down to my office is... to tell you that the therapy we performed from the past two days, and today..."

Wu Zheng was beginning to panic.  "Doctor Choi, please—"

"...worked perfectly."

"I have no time for this— E- Excuse me?"

Doctor Choi grinned and stood up out of his chair.  Wu Zheng reluctantly left his seat as well.  "The transplant and the therapies—they all worked, Mister Song!"

Wu Zheng had to cover up his mouth quickly to muffle up his already quiet scream.  The treatment worked!  That was all that mattered at the moment.  And for some reason, he felt a hand grip on his shoulder, but there was none there.  He thought it might be Mei Lu, also taking joy in his happiness.

"Now, the chances of a relapse happening is little, but there are still some.  However, once your daughter wakes up, you can tell her that she is healed."  Doctor Choi smiled.  Wu Zheng flooded the doctor's ears with so many thanks that his throat was beginning to dry up.

"I can't take all the credit, Mister Song.  Thank God instead, He did a lot for you and your daughter, and for me and the other doctors as well."  Doctor Choi again smiled.

"Yes, you're right, Doctor Choi."  Wu Zheng bowed again, slightly this time since his back was beginning to hurt.  "But still, thank you so much for what you've done."  He neared the door and placed his hand on the doorknob.  Somebody outside looked up from their chair at the sound of the doorknob twisting.

"And make sure Vickie is active as possible.  We have already set up a care team for her to keep relapse from happening to her."  Doctor Choi said, standing by the door.  He held out his hand for Wu Zheng to shake.

Wu Zheng shook it.  "Thank you very much, Doctor Choi.  Have a good evening."  Doctor Choi said the same thing, then Wu Zheng left his office.

The doorknob clicked into its place.  That somebody from earlier stood up from his chair, worry written all over his face.

"Mister Song?"

Wu Zheng's eyes widened a bit.  He turned around to face the person.  "Jinki-ssi?  What are you doing here?"

"I- I need to talk to you... about something."

"Oh?"  Wu Zheng straightened himself up.  When he told Vickie he wasn't angry at Jinki, he meant it.  But seeing him personally was starting to somewhat gradually turn the tables upside down.  "About what?"

Jinki breathed in.  "About Vickie."

There was a slow ticking in Wu Zheng's head.  The hand the gripped on his shoulder earlier touched his shoulder again, and he was sure it was Mei Lu, and that squeeze was something she used to do when Wu Zheng was worried or in doubt, or both.

Finally, Wu Zheng exhaled.  "Let's talk in the cafeteria."

YOOOOOOOOOO.

AHEHEHEH CAN SOME OF Y'ALL TAKE SOME GUESSES ON WHAT THEY'LL BE TALKING ABOUT?

AHEHEHEH.

ALSO IF YOU WERE WONDERING WHY I'M NOT PUTTING CHAPTER HEADERS, IT'S 'CAUSE I REALLY DON'T FEEL LIKE MAKING THEM LOL.  I'D PROBABLY PUT THEM UP SOME TIME THIS UPCOMING WEEK.

AHEHEHEH.

THANK YOU GUYS FOR READING.