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Chapter 58
Carter
Emilia is in tears as John is taken away, and I wrap my arms around her. I clutch her tightly, needing her as much as she needs me. I’m just as scared as she is, but I don’t dare let it show. “What even happened?” she asks, trying her hardest to swallow back her tears.
I shake my head. “I have no idea, Minx. This is the first time this has happened.”
I see the fear in her eyes, and it breaks my heart. I wish I had answers for her, a solution. She wraps her arms around me tightly and I hold her closely, my phone to my ear. I need some damn answers, and someone better give them to me soon.
It doesn’t take long for one of the directors of the hospital, Dr. Davis, to come find us to update us. Emilia straightens, and I wrap my arm around her waist.
“Mr. Clarke,” he says reverently, as he damn well should. I’ve donated millions since John first started his treatment here. “I checked in with the doctors, and it seems Mr. Parker is being treated for cardiac arrest. They’re doing all they can to save him.”
Emilia bursts into tears and I wrap her in my arms, my chin on her head. “They’d better save my father-in-law,” I tell him. “You don’t want to find out what the consequences will be if they don’t.”
Emilia knows just as well as I do that renal failure combined with cardiac arrest means John’s chances are slim to none. Dr. Davis swallows hard and nods. “We’re doing all we can, Mr. Clarke,” he says, and I nod.
I bury one hand in Emilia’s hair and rub her back with the other. I hate how helpless I feel. In the last couple of years there hasn’t been much that’s been out of reach for me. There hasn’t been much that I couldn’t acquire. But this? There’s nothing I can do to save John’s life, and it kills me.
“How did this happen?” Emilia asks. “Did we not watch his diet close enough? Was he not exercising enough? Maybe the nurses didn’t treat him well enough.”
I bend down and lift her into my arms. I carry her to the private waiting room Dr. Davis prepared for us, and sit down on the sofa, Emilia in my lap. “There’s nothing we could have done to prevent this, baby,” I tell her. “I have the nurses work in varying dual shifts, to make sure they keep each other accountable, and so they don’t get lax. I have cameras almost everywhere to keep an eye on the staff when I can’t be there myself, and you and I get daily reports about your dad’s health. He seemed to be doing better than his doctors expected, so I don’t know what happened, my love.”
Emilia trembles in my arms and I tighten my grip on her. I hate feeling like this. I hate that I can’t ease her worries.
The door opens, and my parents and Kate walk in, their eyes filled with the same worries that I’m sure are reflected in mine. Kate drops down to the floor by Emilia and places her hand on Emilia’s shoulder. “Do we know anything yet?”
I shake my head and hold Emilia a little tighter. Kate sighs and drops her forehead to Emilia’s shoulder. She seems so hurt, so worried. It seems like all my worries about having her around Emilia were unwarranted, and I feel bad for not wanting her to return for the holidays at all.
Dr. Davis walks in, and Emilia tenses. He smiles at us, as we all exhale in relief. “Your father-in-law will be fine, Mr. Clarke,” he says. He glances at Emilia and smiles. “Don’t you worry, Mrs. Clarke. Your father is in the best care he could possibly receive. I’ve been informed that your father was put in an induced coma. He’s being monitored very carefully, but the worst is behind us.”
Mrs. Clarke… even in these circumstances, I like the sound of that. Emilia nods at Dr. Davis gratefully, but I know her worries won’t be eased until we get to see John.
“Baby, we’ve been here for hours now, and we won’t get to see your dad until tomorrow. I’m going to take you home, and I’ll bring you back tomorrow, okay?”
Emilia looks up at me, her eyes filling with panic all over again, and I shake my head. I need to make the call here, because Emilia will try to stay if I don’t stop her. I rise to my feet with her in my arms and carry her out.
“Carter,” she says, her voice breaking. “We can’t leave Dad here,” she says, pleading, and I shake my head.
“It’s hard enough to see your dad hurting, baby. I won’t watch you tear yourself apart too.”
I carry her up to the chopper that I have waiting for us, and it isn’t until Kate lifts herself in that I realize she followed us at all. “I’m coming with you. I’m staying with you,” she says, looking stubborn as hell.
Emilia looks away, as though she doesn’t really care, and I sigh as I strap both myself and Emilia in. I lift Emilia back into my arms when we land on my rooftop a few minutes later.
Kate helps me open the doors, until I’ve got Emilia on my bed. I glance at her, somewhat surprised. I haven’t seen much of her in the last couple of years, and it seems she’s changed more than I gave her credit for.
“I’m heading to the guest room,” she tells me, and I nod. “Let me know if you need something.”
She shuts the door behind her, and I turn back to Emilia. Her eyes are red, and she’s staring into the distance absentmindedly. She’s been so strong since she got here, and even now she’s holding herself together reasonably well. This is the closest I’ve seen her come to falling apart.
I drop down to my knees in front of her and cup her cheek. “Do you want me to draw you a bath?” I ask, unable to come up with anything else that might make her feel better.
Emilia shakes her head and looks at me, her expression so lost that my heart twists painfully. She leans in and presses a chaste kiss to my lips. “I’m fine,” she says. “I’m just going to take a shower.”
She rises, and my heart breaks as she walks away. I know my Minx, and I know she’s going to cry her heart out in the shower.
Chapter 59
