Chapter 489: A Miserable Family of 3

Chapter 489: Chapter 489: A Miserable Family of 3

When Old Man Miller’s older son was twelve, he was suddenly diagnosed with uremia. The exorbitant medical fees crushed the already fractured family.

To pay for his older son’s treatment, Old Man Miller began to work even more desperately than before.

But he was already old, and no matter how hard he worked, his earnings didn’t increase by much. 𝙛𝓇ⅇ

The younger son didn’t want his brother to pass away in pain like their mother had, nor did he want to see his father work himself to death, so he took the burden of his older brother’s medical expenses upon himself.

At twenty-one years old, he borrowed a few hundred bucks, went to Vardenburg alone to find work, and did anything that made money—courier, delivery driver, you name it. Then he sent the vast majority of his income back home for his brother’s treatment.

Old Man Miller, meanwhile, stayed home to care for his older son, tended to the fields, and raised more chickens and ducks to supplement their household income, hoping to ease his younger son’s burden.

Today, Old Man Miller was working as usual when he suddenly received a call from an unknown number.

After answering, he learned that his younger son had also been hospitalized and was in critical condition.

In a frantic rush, Old Man Miller asked a neighbor to look after his older son. Then, clutching all the family’s savings, he went to the train station with the help of a young person from the village to buy a ticket.

Zoe Sawyer and the others already knew what happened after that.

After getting the specific address of the hospital from Old Man Miller, Sean Hughes pulled an eye mask and earplugs from under the seat. He said gently, "Sir, this is a confidential police route. We can take you there, but we have orders that you can’t see it.

So we’ll need you to wear an eye mask and earplugs."

As soon as he finished speaking, Old Man Miller quickly took the items and started to put them on. "I know, I know. I’ll put them on right now."

’It’s not like it’s a harsh condition. As long as I can get to the hospital and see my son as soon as possible, that’s all that matters!’

Not long after Old Man Miller had them on, the car drove into a police station.

Sean Hughes and the other officer from before helped Old Man Miller into a pre-arranged office.

"You two wait here, and look into Old Man Miller’s family situation. If possible, take him home afterward," Heath Hale casually pointed to two officers, telling them to stay behind.

Old Man Miller still had an older son who was bedridden, and his condition was even more severe. They had to be fully prepared for any eventuality.

The selected officers nodded, indicating they understood.

On the way back, Heath Hale had used the hospital address provided by Old Man Miller to find the nearest police station. He had explained the situation to the chief there and asked if they had a vacant office he could borrow.

The chief on the other end said the station couldn’t provide a vacant office at the moment, but he could offer an empty room.

This room was originally intended for single officers at the station who were from out of town. If their families came to visit, they would have a place to stay to avoid wasting money on a hotel.

And as it happened, no one was visiting these past few days, so the room was empty.

The chief then sent the room’s specific address to Heath Hale’s phone.

With a place to land now sorted out, Zoe Sawyer didn’t hesitate. She grasped the doorknob and quickly locked onto that empty room.

Sean Hughes and the other officer stayed by Old Man Miller’s side, supporting him as they walked through.

The group of five passed through the door and arrived in Vardenburg. Heath Hale checked a map and confirmed that the hospital where Old Man Miller’s younger son was located wasn’t far from there.

After the four of them helped Old Man Miller downstairs, they removed his eye mask and earplugs.

"Where is this?" Old Man Miller looked at the completely different surroundings, his expression and tone tinged with apprehension.

Sean Hughes gently reassured him, "Sir, we’re in Vardenburg. We’re heading to the hospital now."

Immediately after, Heath Hale hailed two taxis. After giving the address, they sped off toward the hospital as quickly as possible.

On the way there, Old Man Miller’s hands trembled as he held his feature phone. His finger hovered over the call button, unable to press it for a long time.

Sean Hughes glanced out the window and saw that the hospital’s name was already visible. He took the phone from Old Man Miller’s hand and dialed the number from the earlier call.

The call was answered before the second ring. "Hello, is this Mr. Miller’s father? Is something wrong? Why are you calling at this time?"

As she spoke, the voice on the other end of the line became tinged with nervousness.

’Thinking of the patient in the ward, still desperately hanging on, and remembering what he’d said about his family situation...’

The young nurse thought that perhaps something had happened to the old man in his haste, and she began to panic.

"Whoa, no, no, don’t worry," Sean Hughes quickly explained. "We’re the police. We’re almost at the hospital with Old Man Miller. We don’t know the specific room number. Could you please come meet us, or just tell me the room number?"

Hearing this, the young nurse let out a long sigh of relief. Her tone became a little lighter. "Oh, is that it? That’s great! I’m on my break right now. I’ll go to the entrance and wait for you!"

With that, the young nurse hung up the phone.

Before leaving, she seemed to remember something else. She walked over to a nearby hospital room, leaned close to a bed, and said, "Mr. Miller, hang in there. Your father is almost at the hospital."

The man on the bed, wearing an oxygen mask and lying unconscious, twitched his eyelids upon hearing her words.

After relaying the message, the young nurse didn’t dare to delay. She hurried toward the hospital entrance.

Just as she reached the entrance and caught her breath, she saw two taxis pull up.

When she saw the stooped figure of Old Man Miller, the young nurse immediately confirmed that he was the person she was waiting for.

She quickly jogged over, asked a few questions to confirm his identity, and then hurriedly led them toward the hospital room.

Old Man Miller’s heart had been in his throat the entire way. After seeing his son lying in the hospital bed, he stumbled forward. "My boy... how did you get sick, too?"

Old Man Miller’s hands were trembling. He wanted to touch his son’s face, but he was afraid he might touch something he shouldn’t and make his son’s condition worse.

His hands hovered in midair, not knowing whether to pull them back or move them forward.

Finally, Sean Hughes took his hand and placed it on the back of his son’s hand.

Mr. Miller, who had been lying on the bed with his consciousness already fading, faintly heard his father’s voice. His eyes began to move more intensely. He wanted to open his eyes. He wanted to see his father one more time.

Meanwhile, the young nurse wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. She motioned for Zoe Sawyer and the others to follow her out. "Mr. Miller doesn’t have much time left. Based on the train’s travel time, there was a high probability he wouldn’t have made it.

But thank goodness... thank goodness he arrived in time."

Zoe Sawyer pulled a tissue from a pack she carried with her and handed it to the young nurse. She also patted her on the shoulder, comforting her with the gesture.

"Dad?"