The Alchemists

Such a large patient room has been converted into a NICU room for the Schneider family's newest baby at the request of his father. There, there was only one baby who got the best and most sophisticated machines in the world to care for micro-prem.a.t.u.r.e babies at that time. The baby was Lily Schneider.

London didn't want Lily to be placed with other babies in a regular NICU room because that would make it difficult for his family to see the baby. He also didn't want Lily to be put in the NICU room alone because he was afraid that his child would be lonely.

When London arrived with the medical staff pushing the bed with L into the treatment room, he saw that Lily's small body had been laid in an incubator with all the life support system that surrounded her.

All her organs were already formed but were still too weak to function normally. The little baby even needed help to breathe properly. Her eyes were still covered with bandages because they were still too s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e to lights, and a tube was inserted through her nose to help her breathe.

The sight was really stifling.

London approached the incubator and studied the note attached there. There was the name Lily, and she was recorded as 24cm tall and 700g in weight.

Really small, he thought sadly.

Newborn babies were usually between 3 kg and 3.5 kg in weight and could reach 50 cm in height. He remembered holding his newborn nephews, all of whom were small because they were born twins, but at least their sizes were still more than double Lily's body size.

"She hasn't cried yet?" he asked Doctor Muller, who was reading several medical reports submitted by other doctors. "Shouldn't babies cry when they're born?"

"Normally, a 26-week-old fetus can already cry, but your baby just won't cry. It's not a problem though. She has taken a big breath and the fluid in her lungs has come out. There's nothing to worry about." Dr. Muller smiled soothingly. "It seems that your child prefers to sleep rather than to cry. You're very lucky."

London just sighed at that. He didn't feel lucky at all. He preferred to see his child screaming and crying, to give a sign that she was alive and that she was healthy.

Seeing a baby so small, covered with various life-support devices, and lying still unmoving and without a sound made him very sad. He listened attentively to Dr. Muller's explanation.

Although the doctor said that Lily had a very good chance of survival, he didn't lie and remained forthright that the baby would need to continue growing outside the w.o.m.b in an incubator for at least two to three more months.

Many babies born prem.a.t.u.r.ely survive and could be healthy like normal babies. But Lily was included as a micro-prem.a.t.u.r.e baby, or even younger than the prem.a.t.u.r.e level of 7.5 to 8.5 months of gestation.

Even though all her organs had been complete, the chances of micro-prem.a.t.u.r.e babies to survive and live healthy without health problems or disabilities were very small because their bodies at birth were still too weak to function perfectly.

The youngest prem.a.t.u.r.e baby in the world in history was the daughter of a woman named Courtney Stensrud, who was born safely at 21 weeks 4 days of gestation, or four and a half months, weighing less than 400 grams when she was born.

This baby was called a miracle baby because she managed to be born safely at such a young gestational age. The chance for a 21-week-old fetus to be born safely before was close to zero. After spending a period of care in the NICU room for months, the baby could finally grow normally without any organ damage or defects.

London hoped that Lily would also be able to recover and grow healthy like that miracle baby. He would exert all the wealth and power he had to ensure Lily would get only the best care in the world so she could grow healthy.

His eyes looked melancholic when he watched Lily almost without blinking. He no longer listened to Doctor Muller's words.

"All right .. we'll give you some time to calm down. Doctor Alice will come in half an hour to check on Madam's situation and teach her how to pump her b.r.e.a.s.tmilk for the little miss," Doctor Muller continued.

Prem.a.t.u.r.e babies have to drink b.r.e.a.s.t milk so that their weak bodies could develop. Even if the mother can't produce b.r.e.a.s.t milk, the hospital must somehow find a b.r.e.a.s.t milk donor to provide it for the baby.

Dr. Muller then excused himself, leaving only two nurses who checked all the equipment and recorded various readings on the medical devices. Five minutes later, they also excused themselves and left London with L and Lily.

L was still unconscious. London then sat on a chair by the bed and held the girl's hand uncontrollably. He didn't know exactly how he felt. Sad, moved, worried, and scared...

He was scared that Lily wouldn't survive and L would leave him just like that.

For some reason, he felt that if anything happened to Lily, he would be hit with multiplied grief. The loss of his child and the woman he loved at the same time would truly be a blow he could never recover from.

Tears flowed down slowly as he was imagining the worst possible scenario.

For some reason, when he closed his eyes, Lily's little uncrying face seemed to loiter in his mind, making his tears stream down even harder. Then he realized he had cried uncontrollably while cupping his face in L's hand, which he had been holding.

He had sobbed for around five minutes when L's hand slowly moved and rubbed his cheek.

"Uhm... you're awake?" London raised his wet face and immediately put on a smile. He remembered he shouldn't make L worry.

"Why are you crying...?" L asked in a weak voice.

"Oh... this..." London hurriedly wiped away his tears. "I... I was touched. I didn't expect... the delivery process would be so intense and suspenseful... You're really amazing..."

L frowned. She began to be able to tell when London was lying and when he was telling the truth, but this time, she didn't want them to argue. Gently, her right hand rubbed the young man's face and wiped his tears.

"You look ugly when you cry," L mockingly commented. Even so, her face held a faint gentle smile. She was truly touched.

"Hmm... I look ugly, don't I? It's okay..." London replied. He kissed L's hand and held it to his c.h.e.s.t. "Do you still feel sick?"

L shook her head. "No. Everything feels so relieved. I don't feel any pain in my stomach anymore. Just a little pain in..."

She didn't continue her words as her face turned red. London hastily changed the subject. He did not want to embarrass L.

"Everything is going well. Soon, Doctor Alice will come to teach you how to pump b.r.e.a.s.t milk, because prem.a.t.u.r.e babies have to drink their mother's milk so they can grow healthier..." He paused again. He and L still haven't talked about whether L would leave or not after giving birth to Lily. Finally, London took a deep breath and looked at L with a pleading look. "Our agreement is still valid for two days... You won't leave before two days have passed, right?"

L looked back at him then nodded. "No..."

London breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Thank God..."

Before he could say another word, the door to the room was knocked and Doctor Alice entered the room.

"Good day, Sir and Madam. I'm glad to see that you're awake and healthy again. I'll guide you on how to produce milk so baby Lily can drink immediately." She gave a very friendly smile.

"I'll get out first then..." London nodded at the two and walked out. If L was his wife, of course, he would stay inside to see how his wife learned to pump b.r.e.a.s.t milk and b.r.e.a.s.tfeed. But because L didn't want to marry him even after he had asked many times, he knew he had to leave immediately.

He really hoped that after L saw her baby, the girl would change her mind, and her maternal instincts would kick in and she wouldn't want to part with Lily.

He hoped that L would fall in love with their little baby and decide to stay.