Howard raised his hand, making the nurse behind him take a few steps back. “Doctor, I’m his family. How is the patient?”

“He’s out of danger for now, but he’s advanced in years. His family should take note not to agitate him.”

Howard’s gaze landed on Rachel; he gnashed his teeth, as though wishing he could tear her to pieces. “Rachel, hear that? The doctor said that my father is advanced in years and can’t be agitated!”

Rachel pursed her lips and muttered, “I was just speaking the truth. How was I agitating him?”

Her few words of truth were nothing compared to Steven’s indiscriminate rebuking and venting of his anger on Tyler.

Howard’s body shook with anger as he pointed a trembling finger at Rachel and Tyler. “You two are in this together! Just you wait. We’ll see who’s the ultimate victor!”

The doctor yelled at Howard, “What’s with the ruckus? Your family is still under emergency treatment! How could you start a fight right outside the operating theatre? As for those who are unrelated to the patient, please leave.”

The doctor made himself very clear.

Tyler was very polite to the doctor as he asked him about Steven’s condition. “Doctor, do you mean to say that the patient’s condition has stabilized and he’s generally fine?”

The doctor nodded.

“That’s about right. However, Mr. Ziegler’s health isn’t in great condition in the first place, and that’s something that his family has to pay careful attention to. Also, we found out during the surgery that he has lung cancer.”

Howard was stunned by the doctor’s announcement.

“What…what did you say? He has lung cancer?”

Howard gripped the collar of the doctor’s coat tight as he shook his head in disbelief.

The doctor looked down and said solemnly, “You’ll find it stated clearly in his medical reports. He went through some tests at the hospital before. You might not know this, but he found out a few months ago.”

Howard swallowed past his constricted throat, staring at the doctor with a look of desperation.

“Can he be cured of it?”

He wanted to ask if the cancer was in its terminal stages, but he couldn’t bring himself to say those words.

The doctor pondered for a moment before answering him, “It’s in the mid to late stages.”

“He can still be cured of it, right?”

Howard’s voice was trembling; he felt as though his world was crashing down on him.

He had never needed to worry about anything regarding his family, having enjoyed a comfortable life since his birth. No matter how big a mess he caused, his father was always there to back him up.

Howard knew that his father was advanced in years, but the man was considered fit for his age. What’s more, he went for regular checkups and found nothing. How could he possibly be sick?

The thing Howard feared the most was the notion of living on after his father passed on, leaving him behind.

Who would clean up his mess then?

The doctor didn’t dare to make too dire a pronouncement and said vaguely, “I can’t say for sure that it can be cured, given his age. It’ll depend on whether his body can tolerate chemotherapy sessions. If Mr. Ziegler were a decade younger, I’d dare guarantee that he could be treated.”

“Damn your nonsense! If he were a decade younger, would he even have cancer?”

Howard’s temper flared up again as he blew up at the doctor.

The doctor looked upset, but didn’t dare to say anything to offend someone as important as one of the Zieglers.

“Don’t worry, we’ll do our best.”

Just then, a nurse walked over. “Dr. Ward, should the patient be transferred to a normal ward or an ICU ward?”

“ICU ward. Keep him under observation for a night. If everything goes well, transfer him to a normal ward tomorrow.”

“Yes, doctor.”

The doctor pried Howard’s hands away from his collar.

“We’ll do our best, so don’t worry,” he repeated.

Howard’s hands were left hanging in mid-air as he stared after the doctor’s retreating figure, still in a daze.