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2024-10-29 19:42:56Ethan decided to fly the plane himself, and he was almost pushing the speed limits of the vessel. A trip that was supposed to take three good hours was taking them about an hour and some minutes.
His assistant along with his lieutenants who had to come with him were on edge. They couldn't tell the commander to slow down, but the speeds at which they were flying was very concerning.
Finally he could see the golden airport lights from the distance and had began to slow down.
It was almost midnight and he was at Newcrest international airport, dressed impeccably in a navy blue suit.
He made his way through the VIP section, and his three lieutenants followed behind him along with his assistant.
They burst out of the airport and a sleek black SUV was already waiting for them outside.
When he got into the car, he was so much in a hurry that Lucy had not yet gotten into the car when he instructed the driver to move.
He didn't even realize that she was still outside. And those that did, didn't dare to challenge his instructions, especially because he looked visibly pissed.
Lucy watched the car storm off into the distance and hissed in annoyance. She hailed a taxi and slipped into it.
The SUV came to a stop at the hospital his sister was in, he was aware of the urgency of his sisters condition, it was omnipox and she needed care immediately.
He and his men barged into the hospital. The guards were a bit suspicious at the entrance but when his assistant flashed their ID cards, the guards immediately gave them entry.
“We are so sorry,” one of them muttered in a shaky voice.
“Where is my sister? Skyler Vanguard?” He asked as soon as he reached the counter, startling the receptionist.
She felt so much pressure on her as she was checking records and then she raised her head. “Um… from what I have here, she's been taken off life support.”
His eyes widened, but he didn't want to accept it just yet. “That means she's recovering right?”
The receptionist simply shook her head. “What room is she in?!” He demanded.
“Room 5A down the hall to your left.”
Ethan and his men quickly followed her instructions and made their way there. Ethan was practically running when his eyes caught something.
It was a body on a stretcher, wrapped with a white tarp and it was coming from the direction of the room his sister was supposed to be in.
He froze in his tracks as his stomach dropped. It couldn't be her. He swallowed as he extended him arm, slowly peeling off the white cover.
It wasn't his sister. He let out a breath he didn't even realize he was holding. “Hey! Hands off my daughter's body!” An elderly looking man yelled and Ethan offered a quick apology before heading forward.
He got to room 5A and saw his sister still connected to the life support machines and her vitals were stable.
There was a man instead wearing protective gear and he assumed the man was the doctor. He waited patiently outside until the man was done.
As soon as the door clicked open, he didn't hesitate to bombard the man with questions. “Doctor, is she okay? How's she coping? Does she need anything?”
The doctor paused, looking at Ethan with furrowed brows, “And just who are you to the patient?” He inquiried.
“I'm her brother.”
“Family members just seem to be popping out from nowhere today, where were all of you all this while?”
“I was busy,” Ethan replied.
“So busy that you couldn't come see your dying sister?”
Ethan scoffed deciding not to continue with this conversation. He didn't need to stay explaining to the doctor that he was busy out there saving the whole country.
“Tell me about her condition,” he said, steering the conversation back on the right track.
“She has ominipox if you must know, it's a very deadly disease, we have her in oxygen but she still needs treatment and surgery to drain her lungs and she needs it fast. And I must tell you, the prognosis is very poor, she might not make it,” the doctor explained.
“She will,” Ethan said definitively. He turned to face his assistant. “Natasha, get in contact with Dr. Darren Hart, tell him it's from me and its urgent.”
Natasha nodded and immediately got her fingers working as she swiped on her tablet.
“You know Dr. Darren Hart? Renowned award winning Darren Hart?” The doctor asked, amused.
Darren Hart was one of the best doctors in Armoria, he had bagged so many awards, but international and national. He was one of the few that Ethan could truly trust with his sister's life.
“That’s for me to know, and for you to wonder,” he replied.
He gave his sister one last glance and pressed his palms against the glass. “Don't worry Skyler, I'm here,” he said.
When he arrived back at the counter, the receptionists face was drained of all colour when she made eye contact with him.
“I am so sorry for the misunderstanding, the records weren't -”
“It's okay, just tell me what the bill is,” he replied, interrupting her.
She scrolled through her computer, squinting her eyes. “It's been paid,” she said.
He stood there unfazed. “You might want to check again, to avoid mistakes.”
“No, I'm certain this time, it has been paid for, at least yesterday and today's bill. I have the receipt here. It's… Valerie. Valerie Sterling, that's the payers name and she just left a few minutes ago.”
The name resonated within his mind, he hadn't heard that name in seven years. He felt his chest tighten.
He looked up and swallowed. “Valerie was here?” He asked, struggling to stabilise his words.
The receptionist blinked a few times, she didn't understand the inner turmoil he was going through.
All these years had passed it yet, just the mention of her name made his heart beat faster.
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