“The patient is still unconscious, and we’re watching him very closely,” the doctor exined. “Right now, he’s in a very deepa. His brain isn’t responding the way we’d like, it’s not showing normal reflexes, like reacting to light or touch. The brain scans show that his brain is very swollen, which usually happens after either a severeck of oxygen or a serious injury. There’s still a little bit of brain activity, but it’s very weak. At this stage, we can’t say if he’ll wake up or recover.”

    Emery bit her lower lip, forcing herself to calm down as Deana broke down. Almost immediately, James pulled his mother into his arms.

    “We’ve ced a monitor to track the pressure inside his brain and are doing everything we can to control it. He’s on a breathing machine and needs strong medications just to keep his blood pressure stable. We’ll repeat brain scans and another brain activity test in the next 12 to 24 hours. Right now, he isn’t legally brain–dead, but the signs are very serious. The chances of him waking up or recovering are, to be honest, very low.”

    James swallowed hard, then asked, “What about his kidneys? You mentioned a transnt.”

    “At this stage, a transnt isn’t possible,” the doctor said. “Kidney transnts are only done when a patient is stable enough to handle the surgery. Right now, your father is extremely sick. His kidneys have almost stopped working, he’s barely making any urine, and his blood tests show they’re failing.”

    Just as Emery expected, James’s expression worsened. Then the doctor continued. “We’ve already started special type of dialysis to do the work for his kidneys. Even if we had a matching kidney ready today, his condition and the serious brain injury he suffered mean he couldn’t survive the operation. For now, all we can do is support him, keep his blood pressure up, make sure he’s getting enough oxygen, and use dialysis to rece kidney function.”

    He looked from James to Deana, then to Emery. “The next 12 hours remain crucial. We’ll keep you updated with any changes, good or bad. I know this is a lot to take in.”

    After the doctor left, Emery sat quietly as she watched Deana copse against James’s shoulder, the two clinging to each other as though letting go would shatter them. The sight twisted something in Emery’s chest, but she forced herself to speak. She knew this wasn’t the time to dwell on it.

    It’s only been two days and she could already see Deana lost some weight.

    “Deana,” she said gently, leaning closer. “You should rest. I heard you haven’t left the hospital since yesterday.”

    Deana shook her head immediately, tears still streaming down her cheeks. “I can’t. Not now. I have to be here.”

    “You have to,” Emery ced a hand over hers. “If you get sick, what then? What would my father think if he wakes up and sees you in a hospital bed next to him? Do you think he’d want that?” Emery knew she sounded harsh but Deana and her father had been married for years. Despite everything, she knew that the two loved each other.

    Deana’s eyes lifted to hers. For a moment, she just stared. Then the tears spilled harder, her lips trembling bas /bshe broke into sobs again.

    James nced at Emery, his jaw tightening, but he said nothing. After a long pause, he let out a slow breath

    b12:41 /bbTue/bb, /bSep 16

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    $53

    65 voucherE

    and turned back to his mother. “She’s right, Mom. You need rest. Just a few hours. Let the doctors do their job.”

    “I tried,” Deana whispered, shaking her head. “But I can’t sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see him in thereb./bb” /b

    Emery reached into her bag and pulled out a small packet. She held it out carefully. “These are mild sleeping pills. Safe, even for people with hypertension. Just one will help you rest. You need it.” This was something that Logan gave her in case she couldn’t sleep after what she discovered. He said it was safe, even for pregnant women. He knew she would be sharing the pills with Deana and had no objections about it.

    Deana looked at the packet, her lips pressed in a tight line. She didn’t speak, but after a moment she reached out and took it. Her hand shook as she tucked it into her purse.

    James stood. “Come on, Mom. I’ll take you to the car. The driver will bring you home. Just a few hours of sleep, alright?”

    Deana nodded faintly, though she didn’t look convinced. Still, she let James help her up, and together they walked toward the exit. Emery watched them until they disappeared around the corner.

    As if on cue, the elevator doors opened with a soft chime. Emery turned and froze when she saw her grandmother step out, her face set in a tight mask that betrayed how quickly she must have rushed back.

    James told her that he already called Mary the other night only to realize that she was already out of the country. Because of this, Mary had to rush back to the hospital.

    “Grandmother,” Emery said quietly.

    Mary Be’s sharp eyes scanned the hall before settling on her. “Emery.” She stepped closer, leaning slightly on her cane. “How is your father?”

    Emery swallowed the lump in her throat and gestured to the nearby bench. “Sit first. You’ve had a long trip.”

    Mary lowered herself onto the bench. “Tell me.”

    “The doctors are still monitoring him,” Emery said carefully. “His condition is very serious, but they’re doing everything possible. They’re hopeful, but right now… we wait.”

    For the first time, Mary’s shoulders slumped. She closed her eyes briefly, exhaling as though the weight of her years pressed harder than ever. “I’m sorry…” Emery suddenly said.

    “What are you even apologizing for?” Mary said. “Things like this happen all the time. Death will eventually find us all.”

    Emery shook her head, but she said nothing else. “I hope he will wake up soon,” Emery said. She still has so many questions, so many things that she wanted to know about her mother. These are things that only Adam could tell her.

    Mary nodded, but she said nothing else. For the moment, the two just stared at the white walls before them.

    “I was told you found something in your father’s study,” Mary said, her voice cutting through Emery’s thoughts. Emery blinked, startled, then turned sharply to look at her grandmother’s face. Does she know

    anything?

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    55 vouchers