Husband With Benefits
Chapter 742: The Meeting

Chapter 742: The Meeting

"What are you doing here?" Rafe asked, looking up from his diary to find Dr. Caius standing there, his assistant lingering just behind him.

"What do you mean, ’What am I doing here?’ We had a meeting, didn’t we? Or have you forgotten already?" Caius replied impatiently as he walked into the office.

Rafe nodded slowly. "I remember, but Dora’s not coming."

Caius gave a knowing smile. "I’m well aware. Your brother practically kidnapped her from the orphanage."

Rafe’s brows shot up. "Kidnapped? Really?"

Caius rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Yes, really. Anyway, Dora or not, we can still proceed. For now, lets just change the agenda of today’s meeting. Instead of the cooperation, I want to talk about someone." Caius paused. "I’ve found the perfect candidate for my first surgery here in Petrovia."

Rafe widened his eyes. That was quick. They’d only started building up the institution and he was already gathering patients? He knew the Frosts were efficient but this was too much efficiency...

Carefully, he nodded,"Okay but... it is going to take time to build the centre here... so, what are your plans? Why don’t you look happy with finding a patient?"

Caius shook his head, his expression darkening. "It’s more complicated than just waiting for the centre to start running. In fact," he paused, studying Rafe intently, "I need your help."

Rafe frowned. "My help? With what, exactly? Arraging for the surgery in some other hospital? I can try that but..."

Caius let out a heavy sigh, and shook his head, hesitating before speaking again. "The patient is an eleven-year-old girl from the orphanage. She’s suffering from a rare genetic mutation. It’s caused her brain to stop developing, and over time, it will begin to affect other vital functions. The doctors... they’ve already told her to start preparing for the end."

Rafe’s breath hitched at the weight of Caius’ words. "That’s... horrible."

"It is. But I believe there’s still hope. I’ve been studying cases like hers, and while it’s experimental, I think I can help her."

Rafe nodded slowly, still processing. "You want to operate on her?"

"Eventually, yes. Immediately, no! Though she needs treatment as soon as possible, because it has been found relatively early, I think I can control the gene mutation and counter it’s effects with medicine. But going further, I would need to study the genes of her biological parents...

Rafe felt a growing pit in his stomach. "What exactly do you need me to do?"

"You’re the closest thing she has to an advocate right now. If I’m going to move forward, I need you to speak with the orphanage, and let them know that you approve of the surgery and medication... Without their approval, I can’t do anything. And without the immediate medicinal treatemnt and surgery... she doesn’t have much time."

"You’re asking me to convince them to let you perform an experimental procedure on a child?"

Caius nodded. "Yes. I need your help to save her."

Rafe sat back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his face as he processed the weight of what Caius was asking. This wasn’t just about medicine or surgery; this was a political and ethical minefield. The gir was a ward of the state—which meant there would be protocols, laws. The orphanage wasn’t just going to hand her over for an experimental treatment, no matter how dire the situation might be.

"Wow. You don’t ask for much, do you?" Refe murmuted painfully.

"I know it’s complicated. But what choice do we have? If we wait, she’ll die. The political mess won’t matter when she’s gone, Your Hughness"

Rafe exhaled slowly, glancing out of the window as his thoughts churned. There were too many factors at play: the potential backlash from the government, the orphanage trustees, the medical board overseeing experimental procedures. If anything went wrong, it could damage not only the reputation of the institute they were building, but also his family’s standing.

"Caius, we can’t just force this through. If something goes wrong, the repercussions could be enormous. I’ll be dragged into legal battles, the press will have a field day, and the orphanage might never trust us with another child again. I have to be careful."

Caius sighed, his shoulders stiffening. "I know all of that, Rafe. Hence I have come to you. The medicine can be administered without raising any alarm bells. That would take about six months. During that time, if you can find the biological parents then we might have a better chance."

"Alright, I think we can do that. Are you sure the medicines you’ve develped do not have any sort of side effects?"

"Yes.. But you have to remember—we’re on borrowed time here. Without intervention, she’ll deteriorate rapidly. The medicine can buy us that time. And once we have her parents’ genetic information, I can tailor the surgery to give her a real shot."

"If I agree, we’ll have to tread carefully. I’ll reach out to the orphanage, but I won’t give them false hope. We need to be transparent about what we’re doing, even if it’s risky."

Caius’s expression softened slightly, a rare moment of gratitude showing through his usual intensity. "That’s all I’m asking for—for you to help me get her the chance she deserves."

As Caius left the office, satisfied with his reassurance, Rafe could not help but sigh. If only he could be as relaxed as the man. But he knew the minefield that he’d just agreed upon and its possible repercussions. And so, he would need to take pre emptive measures...

Quickly, he dialed a number and as a voice answered, he spoke quietly into the phone," You will receive the details of a girl. Help me locate her biological parents. I want the answers at the soonest. You understand?"

The next call was to the orphanage to talk to them.

However, as the two people made the required arrangements for a little girl, neither could have imagined that their search for the child’s parents mught end up raising a storm in everyone’s life.

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