“What?!” Claire exclaimed, her voice rising in panic. “How’s Dad? Where are you right now?”
Elaine’s voice trembled with a mix of shock and tears. “We’re at Silverwing Hospital. Your dad lost consciousness after the accident. You need to come here quickly!”
Claire never imagined she would receive such devastating news while joyfully celebrating the grand opening.
With tears streaming down her face, she replied, “Okay, I’m on my way!”
Charlie, who overheard the distressing conversation, understood the gravity of the situation. Turning to the guests, he said, “I’m sorry, everyone, but Claire and I have to leave right away. Please make yourselves comfortable!”
Normally, it would be seen as impolite for the host to abandon their guests, but since these individuals were Charlie’s fans, they were understanding.
Without hesitation, Charlie drove Claire straight to the hospital.
Once they parked the car, they hurried to the ICU.
As they opened the ward door, they were met with the sight of Jacob lying in bed, eyes tightly shut. He was in a coma. Elaine sat beside him, lost in a daze, her clothes stained with blood and her face as pale as a ghost.
Claire’s heart sank, her complexion drained of color, and tears filled her eyes as she rushed to her mother’s side. “Mom, how’s Dad? What happened?”
Elaine’s swollen, red eyes looked up at her. “We were on our way to your opening ceremony when a muck truck ran a red light and collided with our car. Your dad is in critical condition.”
Claire turned to the doctor present in the room. “Doctor, how is my father doing?”
The doctor responded, “For now, he’s in stable condition.”
Both Claire and Charlie breathed a sigh of relief.
After a brief pause, the doctor hesitated before continuing, “But…”
Claire’s frown deepened. “But what?”
With a heavy sigh, the doctor explained, “But the accident caused a spinal injury, and there’s a chance he may be quadriplegic when he wakes up.”
Quadriplegic—unable to move from the neck down.
That meant her father could end up being a mere shell of himself, unable to function independently, which was only marginally better than being in a vegetative state.
As the weight of the news hit her, Claire felt a wave of dizziness wash over her; the world seemed to spin around her. She might have collapsed if Charlie hadn’t quickly caught her.
If her father truly became quadriplegic, it would mean a life spent lying in bed, stripped of the ability to do anything at all!
It felt like a living nightmare!
Desperately, she asked, “Doctor, is there any chance of treating his spinal injury?”
The doctor shook his head. “Unfortunately, there’s no cure. To date, there haven’t been any successful recoveries from quadriplegia. The best we can hope for is that he might be able to sit up on his own, but beyond that, it’s uncertain. You should prepare yourselves mentally for the possibility…”
Claire’s tears flowed uncontrollably. Turning to Elaine, she asked, “Mom, are you alright?”
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