Chapter 297 You Don't Have Much Time Left
Even though Sawyer had been working for Cecil for ages, he was still twenty years older and could totally read the guy's mind.
Sawyer always knew Cecil was a cold-blooded dude, but he had no clue how deep his obsession with Hope ran. When was he gonna lose it and just go all in instead of playing these sneaky games?
Cecil slipped the medicine bottle into his suit pocket and stood up, catching Sawyer's curious look. "I'm outta here."
Sawyer asked, "What about next..."
"Your top priority" Cecil glanced at the yard and coolly reminded, "is to pack up your crew and bounce to another spot ASAP."
"Move again?" Sawyer frowned. "The Hammer family already tore this place apart. It's safer here than anywhere else."
Cecil flicked the rest of his cigar into the ashtray, clearly annoyed. "You think Jerry's an idiot? If you can figure it out, so can he."
Checking his watch, Cecil warned, "You've got, like, ten minutes tops. Maple Valley's Hammer territory. Until all your forces are back home, keep it low-key."
After Cecil left, Sawyer was kinda skeptical but decided to move his guys just in case.
Before heading back home, Sawyer had bought a bunch of properties.
On the way, he still thought Cecil was being paranoid.
Just as he was feeling a bit smug, one of his guys reported, "Mr. Lawson, we got word from the folks at Golden Sunset Villa. Jerry's men did come back and search again."
Sawyer was floored. He checked the time—exactly ten minutes, not a second off.
Cecil was sharp, no doubt.
As evening rolled in, the emergency room doors finally swung open.
The doc didn't look too happy. "Mr. Hammer,"
My heart dropped. Jerry gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze and looked at the doc. "Cut to the chase. What's Claire's condition?"
"She's awake," the doc said, struggling with the words. "But there's definitely poison in her system. No one knows what kind, though."
I clenched my fists. "How bad is it? What's the damage?"
The doc seemed to relax a bit. "It's a slow-acting poison, no immediate effects on Mrs. Harris."
I quickly asked, "Can we detoxify it?"
Desmond had bad intentions. Even if it wasn't hurting Claire now, it couldn't be good in the long run. We needed to detox her ASAP.
"Right now..." The doc shook his head. "We don't have a way yet."
Jerry frowned deeply. "All the experts got nothing?"
The doc quickly replied, "John's already taken a team to the lab to figure out what kind of poison it is. Only then can we have a shot at detoxifying it."
Hearing this, my anxiety spiked.
Jerry suddenly glanced at his phone and said, "Don't worry. You heard of Declan Griffin? Neil's got in touch with him, and he's on his way."
I was stunned. "Neil knows?"
Of course, I knew about Declan Griffin. He was a legendary doctor who'd been off the grid for years. If he could treat Claire, we'd have a lot more hope.
"Not just Neil, Madison's on her way too." Jerry's usual laid-back vibe was gone, replaced by a serious look. "So chill, Hope. We're all in this together. You're not alone."
I nodded. "Got it."
Later, they moved Claire from the ER to a VIP room. She looked pale but was awake.
Before I could get close, Madison, Neil, and Declan showed up.
"Hope!" Madison rushed over, eyes red with worry. She hugged me tight. "You scared the crap outta me! Why didn't you call me right away? You could've been in danger. What would I do if something happened to you?"
"Mom." I clenched my fists. I was used to handling stuff solo, so asking for help felt weird. "I'm sorry. I was in a rush and didn't think straight."
"Silly girl," Madison let go and wiped her tears, giving me a serious look. "If anything like this happens again, you better call me. Got it?"
Tears welled up in my eyes as I nodded hard. "I got it."
Feeling a bit guilty, I looked at Neil. "Neil."
"Why feel guilty? I'm not here to scold you." After introducing me to Declan, Neil promptly spoke with respect, "Mr. Griffin, the patient is my niece's grandma, Mrs. Harris. Please take a look."
"Alright." Declan seemed tight with the Ortiz family. He didn't hesitate and sat by Claire's bed to check her out.
During the exam, Declan's kind face turned serious, his graying eyebrows knitting together.
Neil had already briefed him, so he didn't say much. He just asked Claire, "Mrs. Harris, feeling dizzy or got numb fingertips?"
"A bit, but it's not bad. I'll be fine, right?" Claire had heard of Declan. She smiled at me. "I just had a fall. Hope worried too much and called you here."
Declan stayed calm. "It's nothing serious. You'll be fine after my treatment."
Claire looked at me uncertainly. Seeing me nod, she agreed.
Declan pulled out his tools and got to work, quick and precise despite his age. Finally, Claire fell asleep.
I was still super nervous. Declan said, "Mrs. Harris is stable for now."
Neil asked, "Mr. Griffin, how's Mrs. Harris doing?"
"This is serious." Declan didn't sugarcoat it. His face was grave. "Mrs. Harris is poisoned, right? This poison's nasty. Early on, all tests show nothing wrong, like she's healthy. But the poison spreads to the organs and nerves in days. By then, it's too late."
I asked urgently, "What do we do then?"
"Figure out the poison to make an antidote." Declan sighed. "I've never seen this poison before. All I can do is slow it down."
Jerry frowned. "How long can you delay it?"
Declan replied, "Half a month."
Hearing that, my legs went weak. Jerry quickly grabbed my waist, steadying me. I turned my head, tears streaming down.
Just then, a message popped up on my phone. I quickly opened it.
[Ms. Royston, your time is running out.]
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