Chapter 4
I sat in his car, not starting the engine right away.
The hospital call felt like a stone tossed into the calm I'd just managed to find, sending ripples through my heart.
Brain hemorrhage.
Emergency surgery.
Every term hit me like a ton of bricks, each one weighing me down.
Should I go?
Logic told me to stay away.
Richard had already cast me out, once and for all.
Would going even matter?
Could I take his pain for him? Or just pay his hospital bills?
There was no way I could take his pain for him.
And as for footing the bill? I didn't want to.
That two-million-dollar inheritance? That was just his insurance for old age.
Now it was just time to cash in.
But the beneficiary sure wasn't me.
There was no reason for me to go.
But at the end of the day, he was still the guy who gave me life.
Even if that life was nothing but neglect and unfairness.
But I can't just cut off blood ties.
Julia came downstairs and tapped on my car window.
She already knew what was up.
I rolled down the car window.
"Are you going?" she asked.
She wasn't blaming me, just worried and concerned.
I nodded.
"I'll go take a look.
"This isn't about him, it's about me.
"I'm going because I want to see for myself how the man I once admired ended up like this.
"I'm going to close the chapter on thirty years as father and son.
"After this, his fate won't concern me anymore."
Julia opened the car door and got in.
"I'll go with you.
"I'm afraid they'll bully you if you go alone," she added.
I held her hand.
Even though her palm was cold, I could feel a bit of warmth coming from it.
"Okay," I said.
When we arrived at the hospital, the emergency room's red light was still glowing.
I saw my family gathered in the hallway.
My mom, Margaret, was leaning against the wall, her eyes puffy and bloodshot, but she didn't shed a single tear.
My older brother, Edward, was pacing anxiously, muttering, "Why does everything have to be so complicated?"
Edward's wife, Cora Sullivan, sat on a bench, head down, glued to her phone, her annoyance written all over her face.
My younger brother, Michael, was nowhere to be seen.
Julia and I headed over.
When my mom saw me, it was like she finally found someone to unload her emotions on.
"You finally showed up!
"Your dad's in this condition, and now you show up!
"Do you know how many times I called you? Why didn't you answer?
Her voice was piercing, echoing down the quiet hallway.
Even the nurses walking by glanced over at us.
I didn't respond to her accusations.
I just asked, keeping my voice calm, "What did the doctor say?"
Edward stopped pacing and gave me a look of impatience.
"They're still working on him, but it's not looking good.
"The doctor said even if he survives, things are going to be rough," Edward added.
Then, he switched gears.
"Andrew, you showed up just in time.
"Dad's hospital stay is going to cost a fortune.
"About the medical bills..." Edward started, his tone already calculating.
I looked at him.
I stared at his face, so obviously filled with calculation.
With Dad's fate still uncertain, the first thing Edward thought of wasn't his safety, it was the money.
What a joke.
And what a tragedy.
"You'll cover the medical bills," I said, my voice firm and unwavering.
"Whoever got the inheritance, they're the ones who have to see him through to the end.
"That's only right."
My words landed like a bomb.
The whole hallway exploded with tension in an instant.
"Andrew! How can you say something like that?"
Margaret stormed over, jabbing her finger right in my face.
"He's your own father! He's lying in there, and you're here talking about money?
"Do you have a conscience?" she snapped.
I stared at her, my gaze icy.
"Mom, before you talk to me about family, maybe you should ask Dad first.
"Did he even consider me his son when he wrote the will?
"That two million dollars, not a single cent was mine.
"Now that he's sick and needs money, you suddenly remember you have a son?
"Where in the world does anyone get such a good deal?
"Rights and responsibilities go hand in hand.
"Since I had no right to the inheritance, I have no obligation to take care of him.
"Legally, it all makes sense," I said, keeping my voice steady.
Cora chimed in, her tone thick with sarcasm.
"So in the end, it's all about the money, isn't it?
"You're just bitter he left you out of the inheritance.
"Did you really have to be this cold?" she added.
Julia couldn't stand it anymore and stepped forward.
"That's out of line.
"This isn't about being ruthless; it's about fairness.
"Do you guys even know how much Andrew has done for this family all these years?
"When you two bought your house, Andrew gave you thirty thousand dollars.
"When Michael got married, Andrew emptied out his savings.
"Every single time Richard and Margaret needed something, who covered the costs? It was always us.
"Whenever you needed help, you called us family.
"But when it came to splitting the inheritance, Andrew was suddenly just an outsider.
"And now that you need money for the treatment, suddenly he's family again?
"You guys are really calculating, aren't you?"
Julia's words were spot on, leaving Cora speechless; her face went pale, and then flushed with embarrassment.
Just then, the emergency room doors swung open.
A doctor walked out.
We all rushed over.
"How's my dad?" Edward asked urgently, worry etched all over his face.
The doctor took off his mask, his expression grave.
"His life was saved.
"But there was extensive bleeding in the brainstem, and he's fallen into a deep coma.
"Whether he'll ever wake up... that's anyone's guess.
"Even if he does wake up, most likely he'll be in a vegetative state.
"You need to be ready for long-term care."
The doctor's words froze the air in the hallway.