Rivalry: Infinite Buff

Chapter 30- Accident

Ivan ended the conversation with the village chief and intended to return to Leaf Town to work on estate construction. However, his cellphone rang so he had to exit the game. 

He took off his helmet then pulled out his cellphone. The caller ID showed that it was his mother. He immediately answered, “Hi Mom! What is going on?”

He felt uneasy because he seldom talked to his parents on the telephone unless there were emergencies.

“Ivan, your dad had an accident,” His mother was sobbing on the other end of the phone.

“Calm down, Mom. What happened to Dad?” Ivan’s heart sank, but he managed to stay calm, at least for his mother’s sake. 

“Just now… your dad… fell off the third floor. He’s being taken to the hospital for emergency treatment…” his mother sobbed.

“Mom, I’m on my way. Don’t be afraid. Dad will be okay,” Ivan consoled her though he felt a sharp pain in his heart.

When he hung up the phone, he looked at the time, it was already 10:00 p.m. He had no time to waste, he packed a bag to go to San Jose, where his parents worked. He grabbed his jacket and was about to leave when Leo rushed out of the bathroom and called, “Hey, where are you going late at night?”

Ivan turned and saw Leo wearing nothing but his boxers, “My dad had an accident. I got to get to San Jose right away!”

“Martin had an accident? There is no train or bus to San Jose now. Wait a second, I was going to get a shower but let me get dressed then I will drive you there.” Leo looked anxious as he shut the bathroom door to get dressed. 

“Claire, stop playing. Let’s go to San Jose with Ivan.” Leo yelled at Claire. 

…

From San Francisco to San Jose was about a fifty-minute drive normally but Leo was driving the beat up Santana like it was a Ferrari. 

Seeing the speedometer rising, Ivan said, “Take it easy, Boss. My dad has been taken to the hospital already. You can drive a little slower.”

Leo shouted, “Take it easy? How can I take it easy? Your dad fell off the third floor, which is so high. I was once too fun-loving and addicted to my games. My dad killed himself one day by drinking pesticide. I was so caught up in my own life that I missed the chance to see him, all because I was a few minutes late.”

As he was speaking, tears began to stream down his face.

“In this world, many people are hypocritical. Only parents will care selflessly about their children. Let my mistake be a lesson to you and cherish people who truly love you.”

Claire saw Ivan’s watery eyes and heard Leo’s story. She interrupted, “Alright, Leo, don’t say any more. Ivan is already worried. Let’s not make him feel any worse. Besides, my uncle’s death is not your fault. Don’t blame yourself anymore.”

“It’s okay. Thank you for your company,” Ivan said gratefully and looked out the window. 

After about thirty-five minutes they arrived at the hospital in San Jose, fifteen minutes quicker than usual. They quickly found a place to park then ran to the emergency room on the second floor. Ivan’s mother was in the corridor waiting. 

It had only been about six months since he had last seen her, but she had a lot more gray hair than he had remembered. Ivan hugged her tightly, his eyes filling with tears. He wiped the tears from his mother’s face and grasped her hands, “Dad will be fine.”

His mother nodded but she still looked really upset. 

“How did Dad fall?” Ivan asked in a soft tone after his mother calmed down some.

“Because of you.”

“Me?”

“Your dad called the school counselor after work the other day to ask about your studies, but the counselor said you had been expelled from school. Your dad flew into a rage, not because you had been expelled but because you hid it from us.” Ivan’s mother paused. Claire gave her a bottle of water which she had bought from the hospital’s convenient store.

“Thank you, miss.” Ivan’s mother gave Claire a grateful nod. Then she continued, “You know your dad has a stubborn temper, so he insisted on not calling you and waiting for you to voluntarily call to admit to your mistakes. But when he didn’t get a call, he still waited but after a few days, he bought several bottles of whiskey. He decided to sit on the balcony to drink them, I tried to persuade him to come inside but he wouldn’t listen. Later he was so drunk that he accidentally fell from the third floor.” She started to weep uncontrollably again. 

After hearing what Ivan’s mother had said, Leo fixed his eyes on Ivan. He couldn’t understand, it had been a while since Ivan was thrown out of school and he still hadn’t told his family about it.  

“I’m a bastard!” Ivan slapped his own face hard.

“God bless your dad!” Ivan’s mother said with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

Claire noticed the heavy atmosphere and said to Ivan’s mother, “Are you hungry? Do you want anything to eat?”

Ivan’s mother shook her head. “Martin is still inside. I’m not going anywhere.”

Leo also shook his head at Claire. Everyone was nervous and felt time dragged terribly. After about three hours of waiting, at 1:00 a.m. the door finally opened. 

They all rushed toward the doctor. “We’ve tried our best,” the doctor sighed.

“What kind of f*****g doctor are you? Do you know how to fix people or not?!”

Ivan thundered as soon as he heard the doctor’s words. He grabbed the doctor’s gown and began to shake him.

“Ivan, stop it!” Leo took hold of Ivan.

“Ivan, stop that, please,” Claire also said.

“Martin, don’t leave me…” Ivan’s mother was so hysterical that she almost fainted. 

Ivan quickly loosened his grip on the doctor and reached to catch his mother. 

The doctor straightened his gown and explained, “Take it easy, I am not done telling you everything. The patient is out of immediate for the moment. It’s just that his brain has been severely bruised and he is still unconscious. Further observation is needed. One person waiting will suffice, the rest of you can rest.” 

“Mom, it’s all right now. Dad’s condition has been downgraded from critical to serious.” Ivan felt relieved at last and comforted his mother.

“Thank God, thank God,” his mother said, touching her own chest.

Then the doctor told Ivan’s mother, “Though the patient is out of immediate danger, he’s still in a serious condition. There’s a blood clot in his brain constricting the nerves, so he’s at risk of being paralyzed. Without further treatment which will be very expensive, he may not recover. For now, do not worry about that, we will only worry about the cost of the surgery first.”

“What?!” Ivan’s mother was shocked. What if the pillar of the family was paralyzed? Ivan’s dad contributed to the majority of family income. If he was paralyzed, the family would lose their main source of income. She had no idea what to do.

Ivan was deeply distressed but he had to be strong for his mother. He quietly said, “Mom, you don’t have to worry about the medical bill. I can earn money to help.”