Chapter 509The Union of Martin and Patricia
It was as if the heavens heard her voice; a long streak of lightning cut across the sky, followed immediately by a resounding crash of thunder. The once clear sky suddenly filled with ominous clouds. Layer upon layer of dark clouds weighed down on everything below.
Everyone's mood, already downcast, now felt even heavier.
Ariel couldn't bear it but had to remind her, "Patricia, it looks like it's going to rain!"
Not wanting everyone to get drenched with her, Patricia, despite her reluctance, covered the grave with its marble slab.
Riley quickly signaled to the workers to replace the headstone, which had already been prepared.
This time, the headstone included not just a name but also a photograph.
'The Grave of Beloved Husband Martin' bore the photo from Martin's ID.
On the left were his children:
Sons: Charles Langley, Randy Langley, and Waston Langley.
Daughters: Fannie Langley and Maria Langley.
On the right were his birth and death dates.
Patricia, gazing at the names engraved on the stone, murmured to herself, "Waston Langley?"
Riley said, "That's the name I picked for my brother. If you're not happy with it, we can change it."
Patricia repeated the name in her mind, a mixture of emotions swirling inside—sorrow, heartache, grief, sadness, and longing.
A soft whimpering sound escaped from her throat. Her teeth sank into her bottom lip as she reached up to touch the tears streaming down her face, her voice choked with emotion. "I'm very happy! Waston Langley; I do love that name."
Riley patted her shoulder, saying nothing more.
The moment Martin’s tombstone was fully installed, a clap of thunder announced the arrival of a downpour. Shane was getting on in years, and his health was frail; he couldn't stand in the rain. Jeremy quickly hoisted him up, hurrying to shelter. The others stood in the rain with Patricia.
Gazing reluctantly at the tombstone, Patricia's face was flush. It was unclear if it was the rain or her tears.
The rain intensified. Unable to bear having everyone drench themselves on her account, Patricia finally stood and walked away. The storm had come on fierce and sudden, with no warning.
Exhausted by the recent events and lacking proper rest, everyone but Riley, Sebastian, and Jeremy fell ill.
Ariel and Patricia had a mild case, just some coughing, and a low-grade fever. Ryan felt dizzy and lethargic, his body limp. But Shane, with his advanced age and a recent injury, took the hardest hit. His cold triggered a viral infection, leading to viral myocarditis.
Though his condition wasn't critical, Riley was worried and insisted he be admitted to the cardiac unit at Ivara City Hospital.
Shane was adamantly opposed. "Come on, I'm really fine. If I need an injection, why can't I just get it in the outpatient clinic? Why on earth do I need to be hospitalized?"
Riley's eyebrows knitted together in concern.
Patricia, her mask in place, stood by the bed, her head bowed in guilt. "Grandpa, I am so sorry. It’s all my fault; I’ve been way too headstrong!"
Shane grasped her hand reassuringly, "Silly girl, this has nothing to do with you. It's just that I'm old, and my body isn't what it used to be!"
The remorse gnawed at Patricia. She knew she had put everyone through so much. Though no one had voiced it, she was acutely aware.
The loss of Martin had left her in so much pain that she almost wished for death herself. The others were suffering, too, their nerves stretched taut by her grief as though they might snap at any moment.
Tears fell unbidden. They dropped one by one onto the back of Shane's hand.
Lately, all she seemed to do was cry. She couldn't help but want to weep. Sitting alone in silence, tears were always threatening to break free. No matter when or where it felt like she could burst into tears at any given moment.
She didn't even know what was wrong with her. All she knew was the pain, a suffocating, crushing pain that made death seem like a sweet release. Her chest felt tight as if she couldn’t catch her breath.
Shane felt a scorching pain on the back of his hand. It was as though the pain seared through his skin, nerves carrying it straight to his heart, clenching it with a sharp ache.
"Oh, kiddo, why are you crying again? Stop it, you're breaking my heart."
Patricia snuffled heavily, her shoulders heaving. "Then, Grandpa, you need to behave and stay in the hospital for treatment! I've already lost Martin; I can’t lose you too."
Shane didn’t dare resist; he nodded frantically. "Okay, okay, I'll stay in the hospital! Sweetheart, please don't cry! It hurts me to see you like this."
Hearing his agreement to stay for treatment, Patricia managed a weak smile.
Just then, a voice suddenly rang out in the hospital room. "Patricia?" The voice sounded unsure.
Startled, Patricia whipped around to see Eva standing at the doorway with an IV stand, her expression one of confusion. "Is that really you? What are you doing here?"
It hadn't been long since they last saw each other, but Patricia seemed like a different person.
She had lost a lot of weight and looked haggard, with red, swollen eyes. At first, Eva barely recognized her.
Patricia gazed back with equal bewilderment. "Eva, what are you doing here?"
Eva pointed to her badge and explained, "I transferred from thoracic surgery to cardiology not long ago. I haven't gotten the chance to tell you and Jade yet!"
She, Jade, and Patricia had become close friends who confided in each other about everything. They would get together when they could, just to chat.
Patricia nodded, acknowledging the news.
Eva approached Patricia and held her face in her hands, her concern apparent. "What's wrong with you? Why do you look so worn out? Have you been crying? Your voice is off, and your nasal tone is strong. Are you sick?"
The barrage of questions made Patricia's already heavy head feel even heavier.
She didn't know which question to answer first, so she pointed inside the room. "This is my Grandpa Shane, and here are my brothers Riley, Sebastian, and Jeremy."
Then she pointed at Eva and said, "This is my good friend Eva! She's a nurse at Ivara City Hospital."
Eva's gaze followed Patricia's introduction, circling everyone before finally settling on Riley, a blush creeping onto her cheeks so subtly that she didn't even notice.
She greeted everyone with a sweet smile. "Hi everyone, I'm Eva! I'm the head nurse for bed number one, so if you have any problems, feel free to come to me!"
Riley nodded politely at her, walked over to Patricia, and gently patted her shoulder. "You've got a cold, too; you should head back and rest. We've got Grandpa covered with the three of us here, don’t worry!"
Patricia was still somewhat concerned. "But..."
Riley cut her off. "Rest! We don't want to be worrying about you, too."
Patricia knew she had already been a burden to them for some time and didn’t want to cause more concern, so she turned to Eva and said, "Eva, please take good care of Grandpa for me! Call me anytime if you need anything."
Eva gave her a thumbs-up. "I've got this."
With a grateful glance at Eva, Patricia turned and left the patient's room.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
