Chapter 176: Madness
I knew Helen was right, but man, I couldn't even see Brad, let alone talk to him. Our phone calls had dropped off a cliff lately, and when we did chat, it was just a few words about how we were doing. I couldn't waste the precious time of a rare call on this stuff.
Brad had two school projects that were going sideways because he'd been MIA for so long, and the school was starting to notice. No shocker there. Brad was swamped, trying to juggle work and taking care of Daniel at home.
Hugh and Emma had bailed back to Sunhaven, leaving Brad to handle everything with Daniel. Brad was carrying a ton of weight on his shoulders.
"Everything's fine, I just miss my baby so much, it's driving me nuts. I can't sleep or eat, I just wanna hold her." Suddenly, I was wrapped up in a familiar hug, the scent and warmth hitting me, and I just lost it, tears streaming down my face.
Love's a real pain, making someone who thought they were tough cry all the time.
Clinging to Brad's lean but still strong and muscular arm, I bawled like an idiot.
He missed me, and I missed him so damn much too!
"Alright, don't cry. It's rare for us to meet, don't drown me in your tears. Be good, turn around, let me take a good look at you."
I turned around, trying to open my tear-filled eyes, blinking away the tears, and just stared at my beloved like a starved person.
I don't know where the guts came from, but in a sudden rush, I turned Brad's head, not caring about my tear-streaked face, and planted a brave kiss on his lips.
In Brad's eyes, I saw a bewildered reflection of myself.
Brad paused for a moment, then quickly took charge, pulling up his coat to shield me from the occasional passing students' stares, kissing me hard.
When the kiss ended, I realized what I'd done, feeling so embarrassed that I couldn't lift my head, weakly leaning against him, awkwardly fiddling with the buttons on his shirt.
"Brad, I know you don't want me to be sad, not telling me about Daniel, but I can't stand seeing you so worn out. Let me help you, I want to take care of Daniel with you."
"There's really no need, Daniel's been stable lately. You wouldn't be able to help much if you came. Just be good and don't make me worry. No matter how tired I am, as long as I think about having you by my side in the future, I can keep going."
"Don't shut me out, I want to be with you."
Brad looked at my lips with bright eyes and said with a smile, "If I need you, I'll tell you. Until then, be good and don't distract me."
It was a conversation without a conclusion; Brad still wouldn't let me go to his new place.
I believed he was thinking of me, but I really didn't want him to fight alone.
Days dragged on until that afternoon.
It was a sunny afternoon. I saw Brad bolting out of the school from a distance. He was in such a rush that he forgot he had a car, which would've been faster, and didn't even see me waving and running towards him.
He was running so fast, something must've happened with Daniel to make him so anxious.
I really wanted to help him.
So, I followed him on impulse.
The neighborhood was old but pretty clean. I watched Brad slip into a building, and by the time I got inside, he was already out of sight.
With a ton of apartments in the building, I couldn't find him and didn't dare to call, so I had to try my luck floor by floor.
On the sixth floor, I heard muffled sobs and caught a whiff of what seemed like blood.
Following the sound, I found the door to the far left room open, where the noise was coming from.
I crept up quietly.
Brad must've been in such a rush or saw something so freaky that he forgot to close the door.
Standing at the door, just one glance made my eyes well up with tears.
A wheelchair was flipped over, and Daniel was slumped on the floor, leaning against the sofa, his body limp like a rag doll, his eyes empty, with a nasty gash on his forehead, blood trickling down.
Brad was crouched in front of him, trying to lift him, but Daniel, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly went berserk, flailing his fists at Brad's face and body, screaming like a madman.
Each of his screams felt like a punch to my heart, causing intense pain.
Daniel's meltdown must not be the first time, no wonder Brad didn't want me to come over.
He was scared I'd be heartbroken and feel even more guilty and sad.
Brad, he was protecting me in his own way.
"Daniel," Brad said helplessly, his voice hoarse as he tried to restrain Daniel's flailing fists, "Daniel, tell me what you want, and I'll get it for you. Don't do this, you'll hurt yourself, and mom would be heartbroken. Do you want some water? Be good, let me help you up, and I'll get it for you. If you're bored at home, I'll take you to work with me tomorrow, okay?"
"Daniel, I know you're sad, I wouldn't be able to accept it either. But things are like this now, you have to face it properly. Besides, there's still hope. I've got someone overseas looking for a specialist. Once the blood clot is removed, you'll be fine."
Daniel suddenly cried, and it was the first time I saw him truly break down.
He raised his arm to cover his eyes.
Even in such a miserable state, he didn't want others to see his vulnerability.
"The person you asked called back, they said there's no way, no way."
Brad paused, and my heart sank, sinking to the bottom.
So that was it, no wonder.
I got it now.
Brad, in his rush, forgot to take his phone, and Daniel happened to answer a call from Brad's friend, learning that his illness had no hope of being cured, which drove him mad.
"It's okay, if they say no, I'll find someone else, I won't give up. The world is huge, we'll find the right one. And with advanced medical technology, maybe there will be a breakthrough tomorrow. I promise you, we'll get you better. Don't give up."
The phone suddenly rang, and Brad found the phone he had left behind in the chaos, still trying to lift Daniel, so he put it on speaker.
"Mr. Pitt, the project has been approved, and they are very impressed. Congratulations, you've earned a substantial bonus, and the school might hold an award ceremony. You should prepare a speech."
Brad didn't react much, just irritably loosening his tie, and said a perfunctory thank you.
"By the way, Mr. Pitt, there's a celebration party the day after tomorrow, please prepare for it."
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