The Royal Contract

Her father was still not out of the woods. Although his condition was stable at the moment, it could suddenly turn for the worse, the doctors explained. But she still kept her fingers crossed that he would recover from this.

Dani walked toward her mother, sleeping on the lone chair next to her father, tapping her gently on the shoulders to wake her up. “Mom, I will stay with Dad while you go home and rest.” She softly uttered, not wanting to startle her.

Her Uncle Ben was already waiting outside to accompany her home. She did not want her to be alone in a time like this.

However, her mother needed time to rest, or else she might be the one next to get admitted to the hospital.

“I don’t want to go home. I want to stay with your father. He may suddenly wake up, and I want to be here.” Her mother stubbornly said as she maintained her position on the chair.

Her mother looked up at her with those tired, almost red eyes. She could tell that her Mom had been crying and must have barely slept last night or this morning.

.....

“It is not good for your body if you do not give it time to rest,” Dani said when her mother shifted her eyes to his father, who remained sleeping. “Uncle Ben said that you barely touched your food.”

She wished there was something she could do for her Mom. She would never dream of being in her mother’s shoes because she could tell how difficult it was.

She looked so sad. She had no idea if her mother could survive if her father died. She also could not imagine living without her father. He had been a constant presence in her life. Without him, a part of her heart would be empty.

“I will eat later. I am just not hungry. Besides, I feel so much better after that nap.” Laura spoke to her with a forced smile, but she was unconvinced. She could tell when she was lying. Her mother was not very good at it.

She knelt before her, taking both her hands, covering them with hers. She had to convince her mother that her action was not good for her.

“Why don’t I get you a room at a hotel just across the street. Then, I will call you as soon as Dad opens his eyes.” She hoped that her mother would agree to the compromise. It was the only thing she could think of at short notice.

She could see that she badly needed a long sleep and nourishment for her body. After a good hot shower, her mother could return and take over from her.

“That seems to sound better.” Laura finally consented to her plan, and Dani immediately called her assistant to make the necessary arrangement.

She only relaxed when her Mom walked inside the elevator with her Uncle, assisting her. She took the chair her mother left and pulled out a book from her bag.

Then, she started reading it to her father, who was still unconscious. But she heard that patients still needed constant communication, and she remembered he loved reading this book.

“How was that, Dad?” She asked after reading several chapters of the book, but as expected, his eyes kept shut. There was no response at all.

She stood up from the chair, needing to stretch her cramped muscles and some water to wet her parched lips. She walked to the mini kitchen on the side where a fridge was located and took a bottle of cold water.

“Would you mind giving me one?” Someone suddenly spoke not far from behind her.

She gradually turned around, not surprised by his presence. She was expecting that he would be back to visit again. Besides, he was now part of the family.

“Gerald, I did not see you come in.” Dani took another bottle from the cold storage and walked toward the narrow counter, placing it on top. “Here.” Handing the bottle to him.

Then, she opened hers and drank a few gulps to quench her tears. But her eyes watched the other man behind the counter.

“How is father doing?” He asked, grabbing the water and doing what she did before turning around to look at the man that brought them to life. “What is his condition?”

She was surprised that he finally acknowledged her father as his. Last night, he was still referring to her Dad as Ethan. What could have changed his mind?

“Dad is stable for now, but we are hopeful he will push through this.” Despite the warnings by the doctors, she still did not want to relent to her father’s condition.

She could not allow her fear or the doctor’s words to give up on her faith that he might still recover from this. She would ask for a miracle until his last breath.

She returned to her seat while her brother walked to the other side of the bed and stood before him. He stared at their father’s face for a minute, not saying anything.

She could not read his thoughts, but she wondered what could be going through his mind. She wanted to trust him because they shared the same blood. But was that enough.

“I am glad to hear that. I also wish for Dad to get well soon.” Gerald again took another sip of the water before moving to the trash and disposing of the bottle.

“Are you leaving so soon?” She asked, seeing that he had moved closer to the door. If he was, she was not stopping him anyway. She was more than happy to be alone with her father.

“Yeah. I only stopped by to see how Dad is doing.” He strode forward toward her. “The company still needs us, so I am heading there to assure it is running smoothly.”

Her brother was right about that. Although David understood the situation, their clients might not have if they were both out of the office and not working.

She only nodded in acknowledgment but did not comment on the matter. After all, Gerald was the boss between the two of them. He knew what was best for their clients.

“I hope you will update me about Dad’s condition.” Gerald stood behind her, looking beyond her shoulders at their father. Still, she could not read anything from his expression as she stared at his face.

“Of course,” Dani finally responded when she felt his hands touch her shoulders, squeezing her mildly before he eventually strode away and said. “Goodbye. I will be back soon.”

She watched her brother exit the room, but she could not help but wonder what his intention was for taking a sudden interest in their father’s condition.

She could only hope it was pure love and concern, not something else. After all, she could not disregard that he was still a person of questionable character.