Chapter 308: Rush to the Hospital
Athena’s heart sank upon hearing Aaron’s cry over the phone. She didn’t know what happened. He was asking for help.
"Son, calm down. Tell me what happened. Where are you?"
"District Hospital, Mommy... Uncle–" he responded in between his sobs.
Athena didn’t wait for Aaron to finish his words. "Wait for us, Aaron. I’m coming. Just calm down. Everything will be fine."
"Athena? What is going on?" Vladimir asked her in confusion.
"We need to go to the hospital now! Aaron is there," she said with urgency.
Vladimir nodded, grabbing her hand. They immediately left the cabin, rushing to the hospital.
He sped up when he noticed Athena’s troubled expression. No one between them knew the details of what happened. But Athena assumed that it had something to do with Enzo.
It did not take long before they reached the hospital lobby. They approached the front desk to inquire about Aaron and Enzo. She was dialing Aaron’s phone number, but he was no longer answering the phone.
To their surprise, Enzo bumped into them at the front desk.
"Bro? Are you alright? I thought something happened to you. Where is Aaron?"
Enzo glanced at Athena, guilt written all over his face. He didn’t know how to explain himself. Running into Athena and Vladimir here was the last thing he expected.
"I’m sorry, Sis," Enzo muttered, averting his gaze. He knew he had to apologize for something he’d done behind her back.
Both Athena and Vladimir exchanged confused looks, unsure why Enzo was suddenly apologizing.
A few seconds later, Athena’s anxiety spiked, her thoughts immediately jumping to the worst. Was it her son?
"Did something happen to my son?" she asked, her voice tight with worry.
"No!" Enzo quickly replied, shaking his head. "It’s not Aaron. I swear. I don’t know the full details yet. I just got here after getting a call from the hospital staff."
Athena blinked in confusion. "Then why are you apologizing? And who came here with Aaron?" she asked, eyeing her brother suspiciously.
Enzo darted his gaze back and forth between Athena and Vladimir, nervously scratching his face. He knew neither of them would be pleased once he told them the truth.
"Brother! Answer me," Athena demanded, grabbing his shoulders firmly.
"It’s Dominique," he muttered reluctantly, lowering his gaze.
Athena’s eyes widened in disbelief at his answer, while Vladimir’s face darkened at the mention of his rival’s name.
"Why are they together?"
Vladimir asked coldly, his voice laced with suspicion."Remember what Aaron said this morning? He told you that he would invite a friend. That friend he was referring to was Dominique." Enzo explained, his tone cautious.
Athena fell silent, conflicted by her swirling thoughts. She had always known that Aaron grew fond of Dominique and considered him a friend. It was something she failed to prevent from happening ever since the father and son met each other accidentally.
"Athena, don’t stop me from beating that guy. What if Aaron got into trouble because of him?" Vladimir growled, clenching his fists. His irritation flared—Dominique just wouldn’t stop hovering around Athena.
Athena sighed deeply. "Let’s find out what happened first," she said, trying to stay calm.
She then approached the front desk to inquire about Aaron and Dominique. The staff provided them with the ward number.
Without wasting another second, Athena hurried to the ward, ready to confront Dominique if anything had happened to her son.
But as soon as they stepped into the room, they were met with an unexpected sight. Dominique, unconscious, was the one lying on the hospital bed, not Aaron.
Meanwhile, the young boy sat in a chair beside him, clutching Dominique’s hand. His face was streaked with tears, his eyes swollen and red from crying in fear and worry.
Athena didn’t know how to react or what to feel upon seeing this scene. She froze in her spot for several seconds, just watching her son and Dominique on the sick bed.
For some unknown reason, her heart began to race even faster as she took a closer look at Dominique’s face. He looked unwell—thinner than before, and his complexion was alarmingly pale. Was he sick?
This time, Aaron finally noticed their presence as he called upon her with a hoarse voice.
"Mommy!" He uttered, tears threatening to fall once more.
Hearing his helpless voice, Athena managed to step forward, making her way to her son. She immediately hugged him, rubbing his back to comfort him.
The young boy clung tightly to her, his small body trembling in fear. "Mommy, will Uncle Dom be alright? The doctor said he had already given him medicine... but why isn’t he waking up?"
The doctor, standing behind Aaron, offered them a reassuring smile. "Young one, the pain reliever I gave him has a sedative effect. He’ll wake up soon."
"I’m glad you came. I can finally talk to an adult. Who among you is related to Mr. Dominique?" The doctor asked Athena, Vladimir, and Enzo.
Before one of them could respond, Aaron spoke up. "Doc, you can talk to my Mom. You can explain to her Uncle Dom’s condition."
Vladimir’s face twisted in displeasure when he heard that. He wanted to tell the doctor that Dominique had nothing to do with them, but Aaron insisted that the doctor should speak with Athena.
"Alright. The test results haven’t come out yet. I will inform you as soon as they are available. But the patient was brought in with severe stomach pain. He almost collapsed on the way, and this young boy kept crying for help in the hospital lobby. I administered some pain relief. Does anyone here know about Mr. Smith’s medical history? Do you know what might have caused his abdominal pain?"
Enzo instinctively glanced at Athena, wondering if she knew anything. After all, they had been married before. However, even Athena couldn’t answer the doctor. She had no idea, as Dominique hadn’t been prone to illness when they were together.
"Hmmm, I suppose we’re all in the dark here," the doctor said. "Don’t worry. I’ll ask Mr. Smith once he regains consciousness. For now, you should talk to this young boy—he’s been extremely frightened." he gently patted Aaron’s back.
He paused and added, "Let’s hope this isn’t anything serious, just a result of extreme stress. But I’ll run some tests to determine the real cause."
"Thank you, Doc," Athena said before shifting her gaze back to Dominique.
She wondered if Dominique’s illness was a result of the recent events with the company. They had successfully reclaimed it from him, and she had ended their relationship. Had the emotional stress finally taken its toll on him?
Athena knew she shouldn’t feel guilty or worried about Dominique. However, her heart remained uneasy. She wasn’t accustomed to seeing this vulnerable side of him. He no longer resembled the strong, cold man who had betrayed her five years ago.
"Athena, don’t pity him and don’t feel sorry for him. This is not your fault," Vladimir whispered in her ear. He seemed to read what was on her mind.
Athena could only nod before focusing her attention back on her son. "Can I talk to my son alone?"
Vladimir and Enzo understood Athena’s motive. The two immediately excused themselves and stepped out of the ward to give the mother and son some privacy.