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I let go of him and stepped away. “Come on. We’ll have an answer to everything tomorrow.”
Dr. Hall, a neurology specialist, met us the next morning outside Dad’s room.
The four of us eyed him anxiously, waiting to hear some good news.
“He’s going to be all right,” said the elderly man with a genuine smile. “He’s pulled through. His blood pressure has been normalized and he’s stable. We have to keep him here for the next few days though.”
“Can you tell us what caused the attack?” Milla asked.
“Mr. Amhurst was suffering from a clot in his brain,” said Dr. Hall. “He was lucky to be brought here in time so we could administer the right drugs to revive him. A delay could’ve caused paralysis or other disabilities.”
He gazed around at us. “Mr. Amhurst is lucky to have such a wonderful family.”
I cringed at those words.
Our family was anything but wonderful. If Dad didn’t take back what he said, we were all bordering on having committed incest.
“Can we see him?” Caleb asked.
“Of course, you can see him,” said Dr. Hall. “However, make sure he’s not excited or stressed. He’ll be feeling lethargic from the trauma he went through yesterday. It’ll be a while before he can regain his full vitality.”
“We’ll be careful,” said Milla, looking grim.
“Visit him now but come see me afterward,” said Dr. Hall. “Your father needs to go on medication for several health issues. He hasn’t come for a health checkup in months and he’s been unaware of his elevated blood pressure. He’s diabetic too which increases the risk of another stroke.”
“That’s not a problem,” I said. “One of us will see you soon.”
“Good.” The elderly doctor walked away, leaving us standing in the corridor outside Dad’s ward.
“Ready?” I asked.
Milla and my brothers nodded.
Moving forward, I slid the door of the private ward and walked inside.
Dad looked terribly thin and weak under the pale blue blanket that covered his body. He was so pale, I could see the blueness of his veins along his neck.
Turning his head, he looked over at us and tried to smile. The wrinkles around his eyes deepened, making me wonder how he’d gotten so old overnight.
“Come over here,” he said in a tired voice. “I’m not dead yet.”
Milla leaped out from behind me at once and fell on our poor dad. She’d been quiet and calm until now but she burst into loud sobs. Hanging onto his neck, she wept like a child.
The sound of her breathless sobs reminded me of the day Eva died. She’d howled the same way when her mother died.
Shame crept into my heart, deepening my misery. I was such an asshole. Why did italwayshave to be me who caused harm to the people she loved?
“I’m sorry I scared you,” said Dad, gently caressing her head.
Milla sniveled and spoke gibberish to him but strangely, he understood every word she said.
“I know, I’m sorry,” said Dad gently. “I’ll get regular health checkups done.”
More gibberish poured from Milla’s lips.
“Yes, I’ll take my meds on time. Stop treating me like a child. It’s nothing to worry about. Stuff like this happens when people grow old.”
Corey and Caleb moved forward and fanned around Milla.
