BETWEEN TWO BROTHERS AND A PAST

Chapter 6: Family First. (Five years ago)

Andrew POV

The car roared down the empty stretch of road, headlights slicing through the early morning fog. My jaw was tightened as my hands tightly held the steering wheel. I could still hear Sophie’s panicked voice on the phone.

“Your father passed out. He’s surrounded by doctors right now. Andrew, you have to go home. Right now."

The tires screeched as I sped by a car that had been moving slowly. Edward wasn’t a man who ever got sick. He was unshakable, always in control. It seemed unreal to think of him surrounded by doctors.

When I saw the mansion's gates, I slammed the brakes and barely stopped in time. The security guard waved me through without a word, likely tipped off about the situation.

I entered a hauntingly silent house, but the faint sound of conversations guided me to the living room. Edward sat on the couch with three white-coated doctors around him, appearing pale and weak.

As I rushed at him, I exclaimed, "Dad," in a stiff voice.

Exhaustion softened his normally harsh countenance as he looked up. "Andrew," he said feebly.

One of the doctors stepped forward, a clipboard in hand. "Mr. Kane, a surge in your father's blood pressure caused him to briefly lose consciousness. It’s fortunate he was found quickly. This is not something to be taken lightly, but he is now stable."

"What was the cause?" With narrowed eyes, I demanded.

After giving Edward a quick look, the doctor said, "Stress, primarily. Mr. Edwards has been overworking himself. He needs regular observation, a healthy diet, and rest."

“Why wasn’t this prevented?” I raised my voice and asked.

“We’ve advised him on lifestyle changes before, but he hasn’t adhered to them,” the doctor said carefully.

With a tired tone, Edward said, "Andrew, that's enough. I'm all right."

I became so upset that I yelled, "You're not fine. This shouldn’t have happened.”

The doctor cleared his throat. “If you’ll excuse us, we need to run a few more tests to ensure everything is stable.”

I gave them a rigid nod and moved aside to give them space to work.

I looked at the door every few seconds while I paced the room. Where was Luke? He should’ve been here by now.

The front door sprang open as I was thinking it, and Luke stumbled in with his hair in a jumble and his shirt untucked.

As he hurried into the living room, he asked in a panicked tone, "What happened?"

I responded coldly, "You're late," and moved ahead of him.

Luke ignored my tone and remarked, "I came as soon as I could." He looked to the closest doctor. "Is he alright?"

The doctor summarized for him what he had already told me. Luke frowned and his face sank.

"We'll need to keep a close eye on him," the doctor said.

"Take any necessary action," Luke advised.

Luke and I went out into the patio as doctors went back to work. The cool morning air did little to calm my anger.

As soon as the door shut behind us, I turned on him and shouted, "This is your fault."

Luke blinked, obviously surprised. “What are you talking about?”

My voice was quiet but angry as I said, "You insisted that we go to that ridiculous party. We should’ve been here. With him.”

Luke retorted in a defensive tone, "You were there too."

"Because I was pushed by you!" I lost my temper. “You’re always so focused on having fun, on escaping responsibility, that you don’t think about the consequences. Our father needed us, and you dragged me to some pointless event.”

Luke's mouth clenched. "Andrew, I had no idea this would occur. Don’t put this all on me.”

"And this morning, where were you?" And I insisted. “Why weren’t you here hours ago?”

Luke rubbed the back of his neck in hesitation. "I was... I had to sober up before I could drive.”

I stared at him, my disbelief turning into disgust. "You were drunk? While our father was here, surrounded by doctors, you were too drunk to show up?”

“I didn’t know he was sick!” Luke yelled, his annoyance exploding. “I found out when Sophie called me, same as you. Andrew, what do you want me to say? That I made a mistake? Okay, I made a mistake. But don’t act like you’re perfect. You also attended that party."

I clinched my teeth and said, "I didn't want to go. You dragged me there.”

“You needed to go,” Luke countered. “You’re so obsessed with work that you don’t even know how to live. Without me, you most likely wouldn't ever leave the office."

I retorted, "At least I take my responsibilities seriously."

Luke gave a sour laugh. Yes, as you are the moral leader of everything as the CEO, isn't that right? You're not the only one who cares about this family, Andrew."

Tension was high between us as we stood there and glared at one another.

The silence was broken by the sound of a car approaching. A moment later, Sophie stepped onto the patio, her heels clicking against the stone.

With a worried eye between us, she asked, "What's going on?"

Neither of us answered, our anger still simmering just below the surface.

Sophie crossed her arms and moaned. “ How is he doing?"

I quickly stated, "He's stable."

With her eyes darting between Luke and me, she nodded. "And the two of you? Are you stable?”

Luke laughed bitterly, and I turned my head away without responding.

The tempest between us had only just begun, and the morning was far from over.