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“How is he?” Emery asked as soon as she saw James pacing the hospital hallway. His shoulders were tense, his steps uneven. Beside him stood Deana, her face pale and streaked with tears, a crumpled tissue in her hand. She immediately noticed that her grandmother was not there.
Emery’s heart sank. “What happened?” James wasn’t very specific on the call. However, Logan already told her that it was a car ident.
James raked a hand through his hair, his voice low. “An ident. Father’s car was hit by a truck. The truck exploded… the driver’s barely holding on.”
“Exploded?” Emery repeated, her eyes widening. “How could it… explode?”
“It was a delivery truck carrying gas products,” James exined quickly. “The impact set everything off. The st was massive–fire everywhere. Luckily, no one else was around. It happened on the highway, early this morning. He was heading to the airport. Traffic wasn’t bad, so no one else was caught in it.” He swallowed hard. “They said the driver had a heart attack behind the wheel. That’s why he lost control.”
Logan, who had been standing silently behind Emery, finally spoke. “My people are already investigating. We’ll know soon whether this was an ident… or something else.”
James gave a quick nod, relief flickering for a moment. Deana, however, let out another broken sob, pressing the tissue to her mouth as her shoulders shook.
Before anyone could say more, the door to the operating room opened. A doctor stepped out, peeling off his gloves, his expression grim.
“The patient is alive, but he’s in very critical condition,” the doctor said, his expression serious. “The next twelve hours are going to be crucial. We’ve managed to stabilize him for now, but he has extensive internal injuries. His kidneys, in particr, are badly damaged. If they stop functioning, we’ll have no choice but to prepare for a transnt.”
Deana gasped and gripped James’s arm tightly, her sobs breaking louder.
James’s chest rose and fell sharply before he looked at the doctor. “Check me. Test me forpatibility. If he needs a kidney, I’ll do it. I’m healthy and strong enough. If I’m notpatible, then we will immediately find one. Just tell us what you need.”
The doctor gave a firm nod before signaling a nurse. “We’ll run the tests immediately.”
Emery stepped closer, cing a hand on James’s arm. “Calm down. Everything will be alright,” she said firmly, though her own chest felt heavy.
James exhaled slowly and gave her a short nod. His eyes were red, but he forced himself to steady his breathing. “Don’t tell Grandmother. Not yet. She’ll panic if she hears it now.”
Emery nodded. “Alright. I won’t<b>.” </b>
She didn’t add anything else. There wasn’t much more she could say when James was already carrying so
much on his shoulders.
<b>9:30 </b><b>Mon</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>15 </b>
…
<b>59 </b>
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Beside her, Logan finally spoke. “I’ve already contacted a team of specialists who handle these kinds of <b>cases</b>. They’re on their way. Your father will have the best care avable. Don’t worry too much. If the hospital is not capable of saving him then we will move him abroad.”
Emery’s head turned toward him, her throat tightening. “Thank you,” she said quietly.
She sped her hands together, her mind spinning. She wasn’t close to her father, not in the way a daughter should be.
They had their distance, their misunderstandings, and their disappointments. But none of that changed the truth, he was still her father. And despite everything, she couldn’t bring herself to wish harm on him. Seeing him like this, fighting for his life, left her shaken in a way she hadn’t expected.
“Stay here for a while. I need to make some calls,” Logan said, his hand briefly brushing her arm as he guided her toward the seating area. Emery gave him a small nod and sat down.
Her eyes shifted across the hall where James and Deana were sitting close together, their heads bent toward each other. James spoke softly while Deana wiped her tears, the two of them leaning on each other forfort. The sight pulled at Emery, and she turned her head away, not sure what to feel about it.
“Emery?”
She looked back when she heard her name. Deana’s voice sounded like she’s about to break anytime now. She carefully approached Emery.
“Do you have a moment?” Deana asked, her eyes still swollen from crying.
“Of course,” Emery replied, motioning to the space beside her. “Sit.”
Deana nodded once and lowered herself into the chair beside Emery.
“Are you alright?” Emery asked quietly, studying the woman’s red–rimmed eyes.
“I am,” Deana replied, though her voice still trembled. She dabbed at her cheeks with the damp tissue. “I’m positive Adam will recover from this. He’s strong. We’ve been together for years, and I know him better than anyone. He isn’t the type of man to die young.”
Emery gave a small nod. She wasn’t sure if she believed it, but Deana’s certainty was steady enough to cling to.
“Listen…” Deana’s voice softened further. “I know this might not be the right time, but I need you to understand something. Your father doesn’t hate you.”
Emery’s throat tightened. She forced herself to answer calmly. “I know. Don’t worry about it.”
But inside, her thoughts drifted back to the long, lonely nights when she used to wonder if Adam hated her <b>so </b>much that he couldn’t even stand to look at her. Those nights had kept her awake, left her hollow. Now, sitting here, none of it seemed to matter. He was fighting for his life, and she realized she didn’t want him gone.
“I’m serious, Emery, Deana pressed, her hand tightening on the tissue. “Adam had a reason for what he did.
He isn’t a heartless man.”
<b>9:30 </b>Mon, Sep 15 <b>d </b>
Emery turned to look at her, frowning. “What do you mean by that?”
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“There’s a reason he kept his distance from you,” Deana said, her eyes steady now. “But don’t mistake that for ack of love. He loved you, always.”
Emery didn’t answer. She only sat there, brows furrowed, her chest heavy. There’s always a reason, she thought bitterly. A reason to leave. A reason to walk away. But what reason could ever justify abandoning a child? A daughter who hadn’t even done anything, except be born?
Deana reached into her bag and pulled out a folded slip of paper. She ced it carefully into Emery’s hand.
“This is the password to Adam’s safe,” Deana said. “If you want the truth, open it. Everything you’re looking for <b>is </b>inside.”
Emery stared at the paper, her fingers frozen around it. She blinked, debating whether to take it <i>at </i>all. Finally, after what felt like a long moment, she tucked it into her palm and nodded.
“I hope you won’t hate your father when you learn what’s inside,” Deana added, her voice breaking again.