Three weeks later, the head nurse called me at two in the morning.
“Claire, you need to get to Mercy General. Richard fell in the bathroom. It’s bad.”
I arrived soaked from the rain, my shirt buttoned wrong, my chest tight with panic. The doctor didn’t waste time: fractured hip, circulation complications, and the possibility of losing his leg without immediate surgery. The total cost would be close to $16,000 for the procedure, rehab, and prosthetics.
I called Ethan from the hospital phone because he’d already blocked my number.
“Your father needs emergency surgery.”
“I don’t have available cash,” he answered coldly. “Everything’s tied up right now.”
“He’s your father.”
I could hear Olivia speaking in the background. Then Ethan sighed.
“At his age, maybe it’s better to let nature take its course.”
I nearly became sick.
