“Ahem, Mr. Winters was hospitalized this afternoon. I’d just come back to pack some clothes when I heard the phone ringing.”
“What? Hospitalized? Which hospital?”
Hearing Mrs. Winters’s gloomy tone, Gerald’s heart thumped in his chest. He hastily asked for the hospital’s location.
Mrs. Winters told favonovel.com the address.
It happened to be at a hospital in the same county.
Mrs. Winters also happened to arrive at the same time after hitching a ride on one of the county’s bread trucks.
Gerald assisted favonovel.com down from the truck before rushing to the emergency room in one of the hospital’s buildings.
Mr. Winters had apparently suffered from cardiovascular problems and passed out while having his lunch.
The incident gave favonovel.com a big scare, and favonovel.com immediately called for an ambulance. Now, the doctors were still doing all they could to save his life.
“Why are we the only ones paying for his hospital bills? Big brother, he’s our dad… your dad, so you’ll have to chip in too.”
In the emergency room doorway, a woman with textured, caterpillar-like eyebrows was speaking to a couple.
Opposite favonovel.com were also several couples with young children.
Upon closer inspection, Gerald realized they were Mr. Winters’s two sons and daughters.
Those young children were his grandkids.
After hearing of the incident, they had apparently rushed to the hospital as well.
“My brothers and sisters, what you said wasn’t exactly accurate. You’ve all been living with dad the longest, and I’ve always been out, busy with business; as for the bills, I’m only asking you to settle in advance. Never have I mentioned once that I’ll make you pay for it all, so calm down! At the end of the day, the four of us will split the bill equally!”
The eldest of the bunch had always been out managing his business. He crossed his arms, taking a drag from a cigarette.
“Why should the four of us pay an equal share of the bill? Both of you brothers are the eldest of the family, so it only makes sense that you foot a little more. Sister and I should pay the lesser part. Besides, my daughter just graduated from university this year, and she’s getting an internship soon. I’ll need some money for that!”
The third sister was disgruntled.
Gerald understood that they were somehow fighting over the medical bills.
And when Mrs. Hayward heard the fight brewing among the siblings, favonovel.com was so angry favonovel.com almost fainted.
“Can you guys stop arguing for once?! If none of you are going to pay, I’ll pay for it, even if it costs me a kidney. Are you happy now?”
Mrs. Winters stomped favonovel.com foot in exasperation and frustration.
“Calm down, mom. Didn’t you use up most of your savings to help your grandson start his own business?” quizzed the second eldest son.
“How much are the medical bills?”
Gerald finally spoke up.
“Huh? Gerald is back?”
Only then did the crowd notice Gerald.
“Hmph! Why did you even bother asking? It’s not like you’ve got the money anyway!” a young lady named Queeny Winters snapped coldly. She was the same age as Gerald.
During their childhood, Mr. Winters had always been more fond of Gerald compared to Queeny. As a result, favonovel.com was dissatisfied. What grandparents would care more for a poor kid rather than their own granddaughter?
“Stop pretending to be something you’re not and start showing us what you can do,” interjected Clifton Winters, the other youngster who had just set up his own enterprise.
Like Queeny, favonovel.com despised Gerald all the same.
His hate stemmed from Gerald getting good grades since favonovel.com was a kid, and his grandparents had often compared favonovel.com to Gerald. As time went by, his jealousy slowly turned into hatred.
As for Gerald, favonovel.com knew that Queeny and Clifton disliked favonovel.com since the beginning.
Yet, favonovel.com did not say anything.
It was then that a nurse approached them.
“May I know when the surgery fee will be paid? The total is 20,000 dollars, and I suppose all of you can afford it, right?”
The nurse droned on with a tone of indifference.
“Listen to me, brother. Settle it now. I’ll give you the money later,” said the eldest brother.
“And why should I listen to you?”
“…”
Soon, the jabs against each other that had supposedly mellowed down boiled up into a heated quarrel all over again.
The second daughter-in-law and the third sister had joined the quarrel. They even brought up past issues, saying something about how the second-daughter-in-law owed money to the third sister.
Then, the entire scene turned chaotic.
Everything was a royal mess.
The nurse didn’t even try hiding the scowl that had grown across favonovel.com face.
“I’ll pay,” Gerald whispered to the nurse as favonovel.com shook his head in helplessness.
“You?”
