The Royal Contract

The transplant did not work since he was rejecting the heart. But waiting for another match would be impossible. There was just not enough time.

Now it seemed he had finally given up as he succumbed to a deep coma with low brain activity. The doctors were not very hopeful for another recovery.

“What did the doctors say?” She asked her husband, who handled dealing with her father’s care.

She had to stay with her mother, who silently wept on the side, watching her husband fight for his last breath. It would seem the machine had been keeping him alive, but for how long, the doctors could not say.

But would he be able to live without the apparatus breathing for him? The doctors were honest. It was not likely. So, it would seem it was just a matter of time until they could decide if they should prolong his agony or end it by pulling the plug.

“There had not been any improvement.” Alex wrapped his arm around her shoulders, giving her the support she needed as they stood by the door, away from her mother’s hearing range.

.....

She turned to look at her mother, who had been calm as tiny drops of tears ran down her eyes. Her mother had been silent. As if she was afraid to let his father hear her woes.

“That would mean we have to decide.” Dani had witnessed these things happen in the past with her clients. But not with someone who owns part of her heart.

She always questioned how those families handled letting go of someone that had been a part of their lives since they were born until that day they had to part.

She marveled at their bravery and the ability of those families to cope with the pain of losing someone they loved. Presently, she could only hope that she, her mother, and the rest of their family could do the same.

Because like it or not, they would eventually have to decide if her father’s chances of survival further dropped down later on. If the decision had to be hers alone, she would not want her father to go on living just to suffer living on a vent.

However, her mother had the sole and only right to choose what would be best for her husband. She could only give her support to whatever she wished to do unless her mother would ask her opinion.

“Eventually, yes,” Alex responded without hesitation. She appreciated that he was not sugarcoating the situation. Telling her what it was instead of going around in circles.

In this way, it was easier to be logical about the decision they had to make, which was the best route to take. But honestly, no matter how much she tried to leave emotions out of the equation, she still found herself grieving inside.

But her mother did not need to see her breakdown because she would be taking her down with her on the dark, narrow path. At the moment, they could not afford to be there.

Her father was still breathing. She firmly believed that the sickness only affected his body, not his mind and soul. He was still here with them, listening, observing even if he could not respond to them.

She did not want him to see that the people he had prepared to be stronger than him would have broken down just like that when he most needed them to be there for him in his final need.

“How is he?” Another voice interrupted them when he entered the room.

She could not understand, but she felt glad and relieved that he showed up. Maybe it was because she wanted to fulfill her father’s last wish, to see his whole family in one place.

She knew she still had not forgiven him. It was not an easy task to do when she could not find sincerity in it. But she was willing to call it a truce for her father’s sake.

At least he showed up, looking slightly concerned. Was it real? She would not know because of one thing she learned about her big brother. He was not just a great lawyer. But he was a better actor.

He had played a perfect role in their lives without them realizing or figuring out who he was. He had strung them along with his lies, believing he was a good man.

“He might not make it this time.” Dani finally voiced what she found hard to accept, but she wanted to see him rejoice with the news. She observed him like a hawk, not wanting to miss anything from his response.

She needed to see his eyes light up, sensing his victory. She wanted a glimpse of the tinge of a smile on his lips. But instead, she did not expect a different reaction.

His gaze dropped to the floor, and his shoulders slouched as if he had just lost a fight. He was not a man who would easily give up a battle, not even when they were losing a case.

She had never seen him like this before. But now, his range of emotions showed on his face. As if he could not control it as his eyes formed tears in the corner.

Was this another of his act?

She could not be sure, but she had not seen him this emotional before. However, what would he gain if he showed he did care for their father?

Sympathy. Forgiveness.

And a chance to make a fool of them again.

She wished she could easily accept this act he had displayed for everyone as he walked passed her toward her mother’s waiting arms.

Her mother had been a great judge of character. She had sensed that Nick would not be the best choice for her, warning her about her relationship with him. But she refused to believe her then.

Now, seeing her mother welcoming Gerald into their family just like that. She could only wonder what her mother saw in him to think he was not just using them to expand his plot against them.

“Are you ok?” Alex asked, bringing her back to the present, making her shift her head in his direction. She was unaware that she had been staring at her brother since he had arrived.

“I am.” She admitted, not feeling threatened at the moment by Gerald’s presence.

For now, this day was all about Ethan. Everything that would make her father happy. Nothing else was more valuable but to make his last days, hours, minutes, or even seconds the best of his life.