The ER nurse had been watching. She burst through the doors.
"That's enough! One more outburst and I'm calling security!"
She planted herself between us.
"Non-immediate family members need to leave. Now."
My mother-in-law froze mid-stride. Then her lip curled in disgust as she covered her nose.
"Ugh. I never should've set foot in this place. Hospitals are nothing but bad luck."
She waved dismissively at the others.
"Let's go. We're done here."
Abner lingered. He let out a long sigh, his eyes heavy with disappointment—as if I were the one who'd wronged him.
"Cass, we're family. How could you be so... heartless?"
Heartless.
What a lesson they'd taught me tonight.
About what heartless really looked like.
After the Fletchers filed out, I finally lowered my phone and stopped the recording.
My father's face was gray with worry.
"Sweetheart, what are we going to do? Your mother and I have some savings—maybe fifty thousand in the bank. That's enough for the deposit, but the rest of the treatment..." He trailed off, unable to finish.
I squeezed his shoulder.
"Dad, let me handle this. I've already figured something out."
He searched my face, confused but too exhausted to press.
I went to pay the deposit.