Part 4
At Harborview Medical Center, the emergency department erupted with controlled urgency.
Doctors rushed Vivian through double doors.
Julian tried to follow.
A nurse blocked his path.
"Family only."
"I'm her ex-husband."
"Then I'm sorry."
Before Julian could answer, a small hand slipped into his.
Oliver looked at the nurse with tear-filled eyes.
"He's my daddy."
The nurse softened immediately.
"Sweetheart..."
"Please."
Oliver's voice trembled.
"Mommy doesn't have anybody else."
The sentence hit Julian harder than any collision.
No one else.
Not parents.
Not siblings.
Not a new husband.
Just a frightened child...
And the man who had once promised never to leave.
The nurse disappeared through the doors.
Several agonizing minutes later, a trauma surgeon approached.
His scrubs were stained with blood.
"Which one of you is Julian Cross?"
"I am."
"I'm Dr. Ethan Reynolds."
The physician removed his gloves slowly.
"Your ex-wife suffered a ruptured cerebral aneurysm."
Julian felt the hallway tilt.
"She also struck the back of her head during the collapse."
"Can you save her?"
"We're preparing emergency brain surgery."
The doctor's expression grew more serious.
"But there is another complication."
"What complication?"
Dr. Reynolds looked directly at Julian.
"She delayed seeking treatment."
"What do you mean?"
"The aneurysm likely gave warning signs."
"Severe headaches."
"Dizziness."
"Blurred vision."
"Probably for weeks."
Julian remembered Oliver's quiet words.
She's always tired.
"Why didn't she come to the hospital?" he whispered.
The doctor answered gently.
"According to her medical records..."
"...she canceled three neurological appointments over the past month."
Julian frowned.
"Canceled?"
The doctor nodded.
"Each appointment was scheduled during working hours."
Then he delivered the sentence that left Julian speechless.
"She wrote the same explanation every single time."
Dr. Reynolds handed him the printed notes.
May you like
In Vivian's handwriting, repeated three times, were only six heartbreaking words:
Can't afford to miss another shift.
