Following Madilyn’s departure, pin-drop silence filled the air inside the ward. Lucian dragged a chair over and sat beside the bed. He grasped Roxanne’s hand with a tender look spread across his face.
“Don’t worry, Roxanne. Everyone is thinking of ways to save you. Even Old Mr. Lomax is here. He’s currently browsing through references with Jonathan to figure out how to treat you. I believe he will definitely come up with a solution.
I think you would want to meet him too, Lucian said patiently despite knowing she couldn’t hear him. “I’m also aware of Archie and Benny’s parentage now. I’m sorry for not discovering they are my children earlier. I’m also grateful I didn’t treat them with prejudice because I mistook them as another man’s offspring. You’ve raised them well.
On the other hand, I failed to take good care of our daughter. Because of me, our three children grew up in an incomplete family. Now that I know the truth, I only wish to do my best to compensate you all, but that can only be done provided that you wake up. You will tough this out for the kids, won’t you?”
Gently rubbing his fingers against her hand, hel unwittingly tightened his grip and fell silent for a few seconds before adding, “If the doctors still can’t think of a solution after three days, I will have no choice but to agree to Jack’s request. By then, he will undoubtedly force me to marry another woman.
I hope that after you regain consciousness…” He paused for a few moments before letting out a sigh of resignation. “When you regain consciousness and wish to hate me, you can do so. It was my fault for failing to safeguard you, so this is a burden I deserve to bear.”
Roxanne did not respond even after he muttered the long speech. In the end, Lucian’s heart ached so terribly that he couldn’t speak further. He could only sit on the side of the bed and gazed at her in silence.
Another sleepless night ensued. The next morning, Lucian got up and left the ward when the doctors came to do their rounds.
Standing in the corridor and watching the doctors doing their jobs, Lucian couldn’t stop himself from taking out his phone and contacting Jonathan.
He lost contact with Peregrine after the latter’s last visit to the hospital. He wondered if Peregrine had thought of any treatment plans. It took a while before Jonathan answered.
“What’s the matter, Lucian? Did Roxanne’s condition destabilize again?” Jonathan whispered. Obviously, he was hiding in a corner, speaking with an undertone. Lucian knitted his brows. “Are you still browsing through references?”
Jonathan nodded. “We stayed up the whole night yesterday and almost searched all the medical-related books in the library, but…”
At the thought of the outcome, Jonathan hesitated to speak. We’ve gone through so many references, yet Old Mr. Lomax is still clueless about how to cure Roxanne’s condition. He couldn’t bring himself to inform Lucian of that depressive news.
Lucian’s heart sank as he managed to guess the lack of progress. Still, he didn’t probe further and merely said, “Help me express my gratitude and take good care of Old Mr. Lomax. I’ll personally thank him again after tomorrow.” Old Mr. Lomax is already of such advanced age, yet he’s willing to stay up all night to study medical books for Roxanne’s sake. This gesture alone is sufficiently moving.
Jonathan heaved a soundless sigh before comforting Lucian, “There’s another day left. We will find a way. Don’t worry, Lucian.”
Lucian grunted indifferently in response and hung up the call the next second, not giving Jonathan the opportunity to say another word. Staring at his dimming phone screen and shifting his gaze to Peregrine, who was flipping through the medical references, Jonathan felt. heavy-hearted.
Although he had consoled Lucian in that manner earlier, he couldn’t deny the cold, hard truth lying before them. The chances of saving Roxanne with the combined effort of only a few of them were very slim.
