“How’s Mom doing?”
“She just got to the ER. They’re still running tests.” Jamison’s face was dark with worry.
Thad turned to his nephew, stern as ever. “Micah, what did you do this time? Your grandparents are getting old – does that not register with you? If you get yourself into trouble, why can’t you deal with it yourself? Why run to their house?”
Micah still carried the bruises from a recent beating – his face mottled, his expression pitiful and worn.
Now, with both uncles grilling him and his grandmother’s condition unknown, panic finally edged into his voice. After some stammering, he admitted, “Dad was about to hit me again… I was scared to go home, so I went to visit Grandpa and Grandma. But Dad tracked me down there. Grandma tried to stop him, got anxious, and then…”
“You–” Thad ground his teeth, pointing at Micah, his voice raw with disappointment. “You’re the only son left in the Shepherd family. You’re in your mid-twenties and still have no sense of responsibility! All you do is cause trouble–when are you going to grow up? When will you actually help your father instead of making things worse?”
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t really Thad’s place to lecture Micah – his father was present, after all.
But since it was Adela Ludwig who’d been dragged into this mess, neither Thad’s harsh words nor his anger drew any protest from Farley.
If anything, Farley was even more ashamed of the useless son he’d raised.
But as Thad’s tirade dragged on, Carla couldn’t take it anymore. She stepped in, trying to defend her son.
Their voices echoed down the hospital corridor, overlapping into a mess of argument.
Jamison had no patience for any of it. Spotting a colleague waving from the ER doors, he excused himself and hurried over.
A few minutes later, Jamison returned.
Everyone immediately crowded around. “How’s Mom?”
Chapter 444
“Luckily, she got here in time. She’s not in any immediate danger,” Jamison said, his voice low and sharp, eyes fixed squarely on Micah. “But the heart attack was serious. They’ll monitor her overnight. If things don’t improve, she’ll need bypass surgery.”
The room felt heavy, Jamison’s gaze pinning Micah in place. Micah shrank under the pressure, staring at his shoes in silence.
Thad’s worry broke through. “She’s not young anymore. Isn’t surgery risky at her age?”
“It is. That’s why they’re trying conservative treatment first. But if it doesn’t work, there’s no choice but to operate.”
Before Jamison finished, his phone buzzed.
He glanced down – Dad. The old man must be worried sick at home. Jamison quickly answered and did his best to calm him.
Once he’d hung up, he looked back at the family. “Mom has to stay in the hospital. I’ll stay with her tonight. You all should go home.”
Carla’s voice was small. “Maybe I should stay. She needs careful attention.”
“No need.” Jamison shut her down immediately.
“Jamison, I–”
He cut her off, not even letting her finish. “You don’t need to worry about Mom. What you should be thinking about is what to do with Micah. Honestly, I think sending him abroad would be best. Let him study, or fend for himself – either way, it’s better than having him around causing trouble.”
Jamison’s sharp tongue was in full display.
Farley’s face darkened, but after what had just happened–his son nearly sending his mother-in-law to the hospital–he couldn’t argue.
But Micah protested at once. “I’m not going abroad! What’s so great about going abroad? You’re just mad about Ivy–you never liked me, and now you finally have an excuse to get rid of me!”
Jamison shot him a withering look. “If I wanted you gone, I wouldn’t need an excuse.”
His phone rang again. He glanced down – it was Ivy, probably just leaving the library and looking for him.
“Think about it,” Jamison said coldly, turning to leave. “He’s an adult. You can’t expect the whole family to clean up after him forever.” He walked off, answering the call. “Hey, Ivy…”