Chapter 53
FIFTY-THREE
“How the hell did this happen, Hunt?” North demands, his voice sharp with frustration as he holds the steering wheel in his white-knuckled grip. “You were supposed to keep an eye on him!”
I curse internally. I haven’t slept a wink since last night, torn between worry for Lio and doubts about Sloan’s intentions.
Is she telling the truth?
Or is she really that ruthless?
I tense up and begin to explain, “I didn’t—”
Before I can finish, Nash interrupts, his voice firm and commanding like I’ve never heard it before, “Enough! We need to focus on getting to the hospital right now. Blaming each other won’t help Lio.”
Nash’s words hit home, and I grit my teeth, realizing he’s right. We can sort out the details later, but right now, our priority is Lio.
The BMW screeches to a halt in front of the hospital entrance. We all rush out of the car and race toward the reception desk, where I’m the first to speak. “We’re here for Lio Jones. Can you tell us which room he’s in?” I ask the receptionist, my voice strained with worry.
The receptionist quickly checks her computer and relays the room number. Without wasting another moment, we hurry down the corridor, our footsteps echoing in the sterile environment.
Room 207.
As we enter, we’re met with the sight of Lio lying in the hospital bed, pale and frail. Sloan sits beside him, holding his small hand in hers, her face etched with concern. A doctor stands before them. His expression is professional but sympathetic as he turns to us.
Nash approaches the doctor. “We’re Lio’s family. What’s happened?”
The doctor takes a moment to assess us, then asks, “Who is Lio’s father?”
North steps forward and replies, “Me, I’m his father.”
The doctor nods, reaching out his hand to North to shake.
“I’m Dr. Mitchell.” He proceeds to explain, “I was already in contact with your primary care physician, Dr. Nandes, about Lio’s condition.
Unfortunately, it seems that we misdiagnosed him.
We were able to run some tests, and since Miss Wilson informed us about the hereditary disorder, it was thankfully easy to look for the right things.
Finding those old records from his grandfather must have been a relief after all the uncertainty of why he is constantly worsening. ”
I shoot a glance at Sloan, who is already looking at me but quickly averts her eyes to Lio when I catch her staring.
Old records?
Well, she couldn’t have told the doctor the same thing she told us, could she?
That a ghost told her that? The ghost of my best friend.
He would have pegged her as crazy.
Just like I did.
But she was right.
Fuck.
“Lio had a fainting spell due to his cystic fibrosis. I’m not sure how much you already know about the disease, but it’s a genetic condition that affects the respiratory system.
It produces mucus that becomes thick and sticky, leading to blockages in the airways.
The symptoms are the same as asthma, wheezing, shortness of breath, but also a persistent cough and salty-tasting skin.
In his case, it led to a severe coughing fit, which caused him to faint.
These fits and spells would have worsened over time, making him even weaker.
He was already in pretty rough shape because the mucus is hindering his oxygen intake.
Untreated, this disease is fatal. And his coughing spells could have led to a lack of oxygen in his brain, causing additional damage. ”
No.
Shock visibly runs through all of us, and Nash and I exchange glances while North appears stricken. It’s hard to tell if he’s stopped breathing or is just holding his breath.
The doctor continues, “Fortunately, we’ve caught it before it caused any lasting damage.
He will take some time to regain his strength, but with proper treatment, Lio can lead a normal life.
Luckily, kids tend to bounce back quickly from such strains.
It’s essential to manage his condition religiously, though, to prevent further complications. ”
Relief washes over me as I absorb his words. While the situation is undoubtedly serious, knowing that treatment is possible…
Thank fuck.
After all the fear for him, the years of concern, of him getting worse.
Tears brim in my eyes, and my vision gets hazy.
He’s going to be okay.
“I know this is a lot, I’m sorry. I’m glad I was able to meet with you before my next round, and I will send in a nurse with more detailed information shortly.
” With that, Dr. Mitchell leaves the room, leaving us to process and stand in front of Sloan and Lio, a tense silence settling over all of us.
North opens his mouth, but before he can speak, Sloan rises from her seat, her expression determined as she holds out her hand to silence us.
“Jessica has something to say.”
Jessica stands on the other side of Lio’s bed, her hand resting on his head. She looks down at him lovingly, then turns her gaze toward me. The fiery and urgent look she used to give me is gone, replaced by one filled with gratitude.
“They need to know. I need to tell them before I can leave,” she whispers, and I nod in agreement.
I never wanted to do this again, but it doesn’t matter anymore. I can do one last thing to help this family heal and move on. I can be the bigger person for a few more minutes.
Nobody deserves what they were going through.
“I’m so sorry,” Jessica whispers, her words carrying the weight of the world. “I wish I could have seen things differently. I wish I could have fought harder.”
“Jessica wants you to know that she’s sorry, that she wished she could have fought harder for you,” I tell the room, all eyes fixed on me.
I look down at Lio. He’s looking at me with a scrunched-up nose, and I gently squeeze his hand.
“Your mommy is standing on our other side, Lio. She came to say goodbye.”
Lio’s head turns toward Jessica, his voice frail as he asks, “Mommy?”
A sob escapes Jessica, and she leans down to kiss Lio’s forehead. “Mommy loves you more than anything, Lio, and she’s so proud of you.”
My nose burns as I relay her words to Lio, “Your mommy loves you more than anything and is so proud of you.”
North chimes in, his tone stern, but I can hear a hint of insecurity in it. “Why are you doing this? You’ve proven your point. You were right. Tell me a number, and I’ll make it possible. You don’t have to keep up this charade. This is just cruel to him.”
The stricken look in his eyes tells me it’s mostly cruel to himself, but I ignore him, focusing on Jessica, who begins to tell me her story. When she finishes, I turn to the guys, who wait silently, their skepticism written all over their faces.
“Jessica wants you to know that she never wanted to leave you. She never wanted to inflict this pain on the people she loved the most. But she couldn’t see a way out anymore.
She wore a mask, a happy facade, to conceal the depression that consumed her.
She took medication and went to therapy without anyone knowing, ashamed that she was struggling so badly even though her life was mostly good.
It was just her past that haunted her, while you guys had it much worse.
She urged you not to give up. All the while, she was struggling to do just that.
She thought she could bear the weight of her demons alone, not wanting to burden her family with the ugliness lurking in her.
But after giving birth, she fell even deeper into a hole. ”
Nash is hugging himself, looking like he’s about to be sick. Hunter’s eyes brim with tears, and North appears frozen, not moving a wink.
I continue, “She’s free now. Free from the depression that had its grip on her, and she can see clearly again.”
Tears stream down Jessica’s cheeks as she whispers, “It wasn’t their fault. Please let them know they couldn’t have done anything to prevent it. I was fighting for so long. I just couldn’t anymore. The mind can make you feel so worthless.”
Oh, I know the feeling.
I whisper, looking from one to the other, “It wasn’t your fault, and it wasn’t hers.
She fought with all she had, but some battles are too hard on the soul to keep fighting.
Sometimes, letting go is the only way to stop hurting.
You couldn’t have prevented it. Her decision to leave was never a choice but rather a desperate escape from a torment that felt never-ending. But it’s over now.”
Then Jessica reveals, “My father, he did unspeakable things. Things that left me tainted. I-I can’t and won’t recite it. But he was the reason. Never North.” I turn to look at her with a frown.
North thinks he’s the reason?
My poor, broken, and battered heart hurts even more.
For her.
For them.
Fuck, even for me.
“Please tell Nash that I’m thankful to him, so thankful that he is the one keeping the glimmer in my son’s eyes, the one giving him the much-needed escape, the one who makes him happy.”
“Nash,” I whisper, and his eyes meet mine warily. “Jessica wants to thank you for being the one who makes Lio happy, for being his escape.”
“Jess…” Nash bites his lip before smiling sadly, “… you never have to thank me for that. You have an amazing son, and I will never stop doing my best for him.” Jessica looks at me with her own sad smile when Nash whispers, “I miss you, sis,” his eyes rimmed with tears.
My eyes well up as Jessica lets out a watery sob. “I miss you too, baby bro.”
“She says she misses you too, baby bro,” I recount, barely able to keep my voice from breaking.
In the past, I struggled to hold onto my composure for readings. I don’t even try with this one.
This feels personal. Even if it’s not.
All three of them straighten and look at each other with wide eyes.
“I knew you weren’t lying,” Nash whispers, his stricken gaze finding mine.
I just nod. I wasn’t.
But does it matter anymore?