Chapter 269 Today the Family Must Be Together
Hubert looked troubled, his expression filled with compassion as he gazed at Margaret, as if he wanted to say something but didn't know how to begin.
"What do you mean? Speak up, did my dad's surgery go well?" Margaret sensed something was wrong, her face growing more anxious, her tone almost aggressive as she stared at Hubert in front of her.
Hubert said, "Mrs. Howard, you need to prepare yourself mentally, and stay strong."
Margaret took a deep breath, her heartbeat quickening instantly. "Okay."
"Mr. Hughes..."
"What happened to him?" Margaret pressed.
Hubert said, "He didn't make it, he died on the operating table."
The words hit Margaret like a thunderbolt, leaving her dazed and disoriented.
Margaret felt dizzy, reaching out to support herself against the cold corridor wall.
"Dead," Margaret murmured.
Hubert, thinking she didn't believe him, explained further, "Mr. Hughes fell from the balcony, landing headfirst. When we arrived, you saw it too, the back of his head was split open."
"On the way here, he stopped breathing several times. In the operating room, we performed surgery, thinking there was a slim chance, but he had a brain hemorrhage, all the blood vessels in his brain burst. Plus, from such a high fall, his ribs were shattered, piercing his internal organs, many of which were damaged. The internal injuries were extremely severe, Mrs. Howard, we did our best, but Mr. Hughes couldn't be saved."
"Today is New Year's Eve, do you want to send Mr. Hughes to the crematorium now, or leave him at the hospital and send him tomorrow?"
Hearing his words, Margaret blinked, pressing her lips together.
Marlon was dead. Hubert said Marlon had a brain hemorrhage, his blood vessels burst, and his internal organs were all damaged.
Margaret didn't believe it.
She took heavy steps, slowly walking towards the stretcher covered with a white sheet.
The distance wasn't actually far; it would only take a few seconds to walk there. However, Margaret didn't dare to take big steps. She was afraid Marlon was really dead, unable to accept such bad news.
So Margaret deliberately slowed her pace.
She thought, 'What if Dad wakes up, what if this is all a joke.'
Margaret dawdled, slowly walking to Marlon, reaching out to lift the white sheet covering him. But her hand was trembling uncontrollably.
Margaret was unusually calm now. She stared intently at the stretcher, her tone very light.
Afraid that if her tone was too heavy, Marlon would get angry, be mad at her, and wouldn't wake up.
"Dad, let's not sleep, it's New Year's Eve today." Margaret smiled, gently softening her tone, "You can't joke with me like this."
Marlon on the stretcher didn't respond at all.
She hoped Marlon would lift the white sheet himself, speak to her, reach out to wipe her tears, comfort her, and tell her he was still there.
But she waited a long time, the stretcher remaining unresponsive.
"Dad, open your eyes and look at me, okay? We haven't celebrated the New Year." Margaret's fingers trembled as she lifted the white sheet covering Marlon.
The ventilator was gone from Marlon's body, and all the equipment had disappeared.
He was wearing clothes soaked in blood.
Hubert must have cleaned him up, so Marlon's face was now clean, with no bloodstains, just unusually thin.
His cheekbones were high and prominent.
Margaret sniffed, her palm covering Marlon's hand resting on his stomach, a cold sensation piercing her senses.
Marlon was so cold. He was beyond saving, that was why he was brought out of the operating room.
Margaret's nose felt so sour, overwhelmed by a sense of suppression, yet she couldn't cry.
When a person was extremely sad, they became unusually calm.
She didn't scream, didn't cry, just remained calm, numb, with a sorrow deeper than death.
Her heart felt so empty, as if her entire heart had been hollowed out, leaving only an empty shell.
"Mrs. Howard, don't be too sad." Hubert looked at her worriedly.
Margaret murmured, "I'm fine."
Having been through too much suffering, she would be fine, her heart having become very strong.
The phone rang inappropriately, breaking the silence.
Margaret didn't move, but the phone kept ringing.
Hubert reminded her, the phone was ringing.
Margaret seemed to wake from a dream, pulling out her phone from her down jacket, her eyes vacant, not looking at the caller ID, she swiped to answer and put the phone to her ear.
She didn't speak, because she didn't know what to say.
"Margaret, I'm packing some clothes for your dad. I'll come over to switch with you now, and I'll bring you some food. Just wait a few more minutes." Nancy said on the phone.
Marlon was like this, so Nancy coming to the hospital was pointless.
Margaret's tone was very light, "No need, Mom."
"You have to eat, if your dad comes out of the operating room and knows you didn't eat, he'll get mad at me. Margaret, with your dad like this, you need to listen, don't get mad at me. Are you still mad at me for hitting you today?" Nancy thought Margaret was angry, crying on the phone.
The old Nancy wasn't so sensitive. Life could really wear down a person's temperament, and change their personality and habits, for example Margaret and Nancy.
Once a rich heiress and a wealthy wife, now reduced to this, how lamentable.
Margaret listened to Nancy's incessant talking on the phone, telling her to be obedient, not to make a fuss.
Margaret's fingers gripped the phone tighter, she blinked her dry eyes, wasn't she obedient enough? She had listened to Raymond so much.
In the end, it was all useless.
The people she wanted to protect all left her.
Now, she only had Nancy as family. Life was so cruel to her.
"Mom, you don't need to come to the hospital." Margaret reiterated.
Nancy didn't understand, "What do you mean?"
She meant that Marlon was dead. Forever dead, on the worst day of the year, completely leaving her and Nancy.
Margaret spoke very subtly, "We're coming home soon, we should be together today."
"Okay, okay. I'll prepare the food and wait for you at home." Nancy thought Marlon had been saved, Margaret was about to speak, but Nancy hung up.
Margaret looked at Hubert, "Please help with the discharge procedures, I want to take my dad home."
The medical staff lifted Marlon onto the ambulance, and Margaret sat inside, accompanying Marlon. Looking at the bustling street scene outside.
Hubert saw Margaret off, then reported to Raymond, "Mr. Howard, Mrs. Howard has taken Mr. Hughes out of the hospital."
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