Chapter 141 Onset
"Hayden's physical condition is different from normal people. He has a dedicated doctor. We'll see what to do when Dr. Watson gets here."
Dr. Watson was the doctor who came last time - Scarlett knew that.
As for how Hayden's condition was different from normal, she didn't ask for details. At this moment, she wasn't in the mood to press for answers either.
Paxton arrived quickly. After examining Hayden and asking about his daily routine, learning that Hayden might be sick due to anxiety, he already had a diagnosis in mind.
"Hayden's old condition has come back," Paxton said. Ambrose's face immediately turned serious.
Paxton stood up, packing his tools as he spoke.
"There's no treatment equipment here. We need to go back," Paxton said.
Without hesitation, Ambrose said, "Let's go now."
Ambrose moved quickly, picking up Hayden and heading for the door. Scarlett woke Rhea, asked her to watch Yara for the night, and followed them out.
Ambrose drove while Scarlett sat in the back, holding Hayden. She could feel the burning heat coming from his body.
Her heart ached for no clear reason. She lowered her head and wiped his forehead with alcohol.
Hayden caught Scarlett's scent and opened his eyes. In the dim light of the car, he could still see Scarlett's face.
"Hayden, you're awake? Where does it hurt?" Scarlett's voice was soft and gentle, especially tender in the night.
Hayden felt like he was back in the time when Scarlett was gentle with him. In his daze, he hugged her waist and asked hopefully, "Scarlett, did you agree to be my mom?"
Scarlett froze. He was still thinking about this. How should she answer now? He was sick.
Ambrose, driving in front, looked up at the rearview mirror. "He's awake?"
"Yes." Scarlett snapped back and answered Ambrose.
Not getting a response, Hayden's tears flowed like a stream, silently rolling down, making Scarlett's heart ache.
"Don't cry."
"What's wrong?" Ambrose asked, hearing her voice.
Scarlett had to tell Ambrose what happened. After hearing it, Ambrose found the reason for Hayden's relapse.
So it was because Scarlett didn't agree to be Hayden's mom that he got so upset he fell ill. This kid was even more stubborn than his father.
The car drove into Silver Oak Heights, a villa area for the wealthy. The car entered Ambrose's gate and finally stopped at the entrance.
Scarlett got out holding the still-crying Hayden and walked straight to the villa entrance, where a group of servants were already waiting at the door.
On the way, Ambrose had already made arrangements by phone. The butler saw Scarlett and rushed forward, his eyes fixed on Hayden in her arms, anxious inside - how did he suddenly fall ill?
Ambrose, coming up from behind, thinking the child was heavy and worried about tiring Scarlett, reached out to take Hayden. "Let me hold him."
Scarlett was about to hand him over, but Hayden in her arms grabbed her clothes tightly, with no intention of letting go.
"I'll carry him in!" Scarlett said.
She followed Ambrose into a room of about five hundred square feet, with a bed surrounded by various medical equipment. Just looking at these things, she could guess this was Hayden's treatment room. Her heart trembled again.
"Put him on the bed," Ambrose said.
Scarlett did as told and tried to put him on the bed, but Hayden wouldn't let go, clutching her clothes tightly. She had no choice but to bend over, leaning against the bed.
"Hayden, let go first. I won't leave," Scarlett coaxed him softly.
He stared with red eyes, not speaking. "I won't leave. You need to get treatment now so you can get better."
Ambrose, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow and added, "He's afraid that once he's better, he won't be able to go back to Lakeside Garden."
Scarlett took a deep breath. To get him to cooperate with treatment, she had to say, "When you're better, I'll take you back to Lakeside Garden."
"You're not lying to me?"
"I'm not lying to you."
Only then did Hayden let go, but he still reminded her, "You stay right here."
Scarlett had no choice and didn't dare leave the room. Paxton came in at this moment and examined Hayden again.
While Paxton was examining him, servants carried in buckets, large and small, to the bathtub on the right side of the room, pouring the steaming hot water inside. With the mist, a medicinal smell filled the room.
"The temperature has dropped a bit, which is a good sign, but he still needs to take a bath to sweat and cool down," Paxton said to Ambrose.
Ambrose took off Hayden's clothes, picked him up, and placed him in the bathtub with the right water temperature.
Steam rose as he sat in the bathtub, very quiet, occasionally looking at Scarlett, occasionally closing his eyes, being especially well-behaved.
Scarlett stood by the bathtub.
Although Hayden wasn't that seriously ill, seeing him like this still made her heart ache. Since becoming a mother, she really couldn't stand seeing any child suffer from illness.
"It's a stress response," Ambrose's calm voice sounded. He turned to look at her furrowed brows and pained expression.
"Yesterday I told him we were leaving Lakeside Garden, and he reacted strongly. Then last night he asked you to be his mom, and you didn't agree, which triggered him and made him sick."
Scarlett turned her head and asked in confusion, "What kind of trauma did he experience before?"
"When he was three, his school had a parent-teacher meeting, but I was too busy with work and didn't go. He was mocked and attacked by classmates for not having parents. When he came back, he started running a fever that lasted several days. After that, whenever he encountered something unhappy, he would get a fever for no reason."
Scarlett understood now. Tonight when she refused Hayden's request, it triggered him, causing his illness.
"He hasn't been sick for a long time. It seems leaving is a huge blow to him," Ambrose sighed deeply.
Scarlett didn't know what to say. Although she hated Octavia, the child was innocent. She just didn't want to take care of Octavia's child - she didn't want Hayden to suffer any harm because of it.
Honestly, she liked Hayden from the bottom of her heart. If his mother wasn't Octavia, she would definitely agree to be his godmother. But unfortunately...
"He's only met Octavia a few times. Apart from their blood relation, they're practically strangers," Ambrose said quietly.
Scarlett glanced at him but said nothing, her face showing no expression. She just looked at Hayden.
Hayden kept staring at her from time to time, as if afraid she would leave. So after waiting for half an hour, the treatment finally ended.
Ambrose lifted Hayden out of the bathtub, wrapped him in a towel, carried him to the bed, dried his body, put on his pajamas, and covered him with a thin blanket.
Hayden was sweating now. They had to wait for the sweating to stop before checking if his temperature had dropped. Hayden didn't want Scarlett out of his sight, so Scarlett stayed with him.
It was now two in the morning. Scarlett was tired too. Ambrose suggested she lie down with Hayden.
The treatment room wasn't good for lying down, so he arranged for them both to go to his room. Scarlett didn't know it was his room. Hayden knew but didn't say anything.
He nestled in Scarlett's arms, clutching her clothes, and gradually fell asleep.
His temperature went down, but it was too late. Scarlett stayed overnight at Silver Oak Heights and fell asleep holding Hayden.
Not long after falling asleep, she felt someone lie down beside her. A burning chest pressed against her back, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, and under her clothes, a hand reached in, moving straight toward her chest.
Startled awake, Scarlett quickly pressed down on it and scolded in a low voice, "What are you doing?"
Ambrose leaned his head over, his face against hers, murmuring, "I missed you."