. "Miss Hart?" I met his gaze a
the ICU door but a firm hand caught my arm. "I'm sor
here." His hand fell away, but he remained where he was.
houldn
wo nurses hurried out, pushing an empty stretcher a
on me. "Family of
d immediately. "
n my rain-soaked clothes that were o
nute. He needs complete rest, so pl
it felt strangely empty. Machines surrounded the bed where my father l
n't recognize the man lying there.
hing building plans and lifting me onto his
side on shaking legs, one step at a time, and wrapped both hands
uld somehow find its way into his. Only that morning, he had left home wearing the same navy suit he insisted
dn't even know what I was
alized I was crying. "I'm here," I whisp
I froze, still sniffing. I stared a
ndered aimlessly across the room before settling on me. Wh
re than a breath. I leaned closer
d it between both of mine. "You scared me," I whispered, for
smile but it disappeared almost immediately. He
... s
row
you apo
d weakly around mine
my head."It was
There was sadness in his eyes, but
uldn'
ruggling to ca
dn't pr
been observing quietly stepped forward at onc
en to
ld on his hand an
her painful breath
washed ove
cked. "I had.
r beside the bed began beeping faster. The n
last time. "H..." I
ried again.
nd another nurse rushed back
his expression had changed. "
head. "I'
ed. "Yo
need
ve." The firmness in his voi
o of my father's hand. As the nurses gathered around
with fear or pain. With the quiet desperation of someone try
staring through the narrow glass panel w
who had stopped me outside the ICU was waiting a few st
e nod. "My name is Daniel Reeves. I have serv
If this is about the compan
answer came wi
e held out the folder. "Your father instructed me t
de no move to take it
oice remained steady, but there was an ur
lder immediately. His fingers remained on it for a brief second, as though the weight of it wasn't measured in pa
efore it's
down at
/1/125267/coverbig.jpg?v=e7a8a45720a6bf7c07cad6dd8d5a78c4&imageMogr2/format/webp)