She fixed her gaze on Jamison, her voice cold and edged with resentment. “Why isn’t Ivy here? With Micah like this—what if he doesn’t make it? Shouldn’t she be here to say goodbye?”

Jamison frowned, half exasperated, half amused. “It’s two in the morning. Do you really expect everyone to just sit at the hospital all night?”

“At a time like this, when it’s life and death, shouldn’t they?” Carla fired back, utterly convinced she was right.

“So what, you want me to call Mom and Dad too? Drag everyone out here to keep vigil?” Jamison shot back.

Before Carla could answer, Thad approached, catching his brother’s eye and silently urging him to drop it. Thad tried to reason with her. “It’s the middle of the night. There’s no need to rally the whole family. Micah’s going to pull through. Davina went out to the car to get you some clean clothes she keeps as a spare—why don’t you get changed?”

As Thad finished, Davina appeared with a change of clothes in her arms.

But Carla didn’t budge. She stared at the Ludwig brothers, bitterness rising in her chest. “You two probably wish Micah wouldn’t make it. You’ve always looked down on him, thought he was useless, always making trouble…”

Jamison’s temper snapped, his expression turning icy. “When did you become so unreasonable? We’re family, Carla. Why would we want Micah to die?”

Carla’s husband came over and tugged at her arm. “Go get changed. You can’t keep walking around looking like this.”

“I’m not going. I want to stay with Micah. I’m the only one who truly loves him, who truly protects him. I’m not leaving…”

She seemed almost possessed, shaking her head and muttering under her breath, then suddenly fixed Jamison with a wild look.

“Call Ivy and tell her to come. If Micah… if he doesn’t make it, at least let the one he loves most be with him at the end. That way, it’ll… it’ll comfort him, help him go… in peace—”

Her voice broke, the words dissolving into ragged sobs.

Jamison’s face darkened at the outrageous demand, but before he could speak, Thad held him back, signaling him to let it go.

But Jamison had reached his limit. He shot back with biting words, “What’s next, Carla? If Micah dies, you want Ivy to follow him into the grave? You’re out of your mind! This is exactly what’s wrong—Micah is the way he is because you coddled him.”

Before he could finish, Thad forcibly dragged him away.

“She’s falling apart right now,” Thad muttered, “Her whole world’s upside down. If something happens to Micah, losing a child at her age… it’d be worse than dying herself.” He knew Carla was out of line, but at this point, arguing about right and wrong was pointless.

Jamison fell silent, pausing for a few seconds before speaking again. “The doctor just told me—Micah lost too much blood. His brain was deprived of oxygen for too long. The damage is irreversible. Even if they save him, he probably won’t wake up.”

Thad stared in shock, his face blank for a moment as the truth sank in. “You mean… he’ll be in a coma? Like a vegetable?”

“Pretty much. It’s not uncommon—either brain dead or a permanent coma.”

Thad let out a heavy sigh, at a loss for words.

A short while later, movement came from the emergency room.

Carla spotted the doctor and rushed forward, nearly stumbling in her bloodstained clothes.

The doctor recoiled, startled by her appearance.

“Doctor, how’s my son? Did you save him? You have to save my son—if you don’t, I swear—”

She was wild, hysterical, her words veering toward threats.

Thankfully, Jamison strode over and cut her off, turning to his colleague. “How is he?”

“Dr. Ludwig, he’s stable for now, but we can’t say if he’ll wake up,” the lead doctor answered wearily.

Jamison nodded. “Thank you. Get some rest—you’ve done enough for tonight.”

The doctor nodded and turned to leave, but Carla wouldn’t let him go. She lunged, blocking his path. “What do you mean, he might not wake up? You have to save my son—”

“Enough!” Micah’s father finally lost patience with her mania. He seized her arm and pulled her back, his voice sharp with anger.

But Carla refused to back down, whirling on her husband. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’ve been up to, out all night! Working late, you say? Do you think I’m an idiot? You just want your son dead so he won’t embarrass you anymore—maybe you’d rather that woman out there give you another child!”