Love Everlasting

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Trent left the room after Adalia had finally fallen asleep that night. She was exhausted after childbirth and the weight of the news Matheson had delivered. He strode down the hall, looking for the ‘good’ doctor with rage burning in his gut.

He refused to envision a future without his precious family. Losing his son was out of the damn question, not only because he loved the boy with every fiber of his being, but because losing Isaac would surely mean losing Adalia as well.

Trent snatched at an orderly and drew the young man close. “Where’s Dr. Matheson?”

The man stammered, eyes wide. “I –”

“There’s no need to accost hospital staff, Mr. Dawson, I’m right here.” Matheson stepped out of an adjacent hallway, carrying a cup of coffee from the cafeteria. “I was about to come and speak with you and Mrs. Dawson.”

“My wife is sleeping. I don’t want her disturbed, understand?” Trent put his arms behind his back and cupped one hand in the other, playing with his wedding ring. Life had seemed simpler then, when they’d been on their honeymoon and had found out about the pregnancy. Anything was simpler than a sick child.

“I understand.”

“What’s going on with Isaac?”

“Isaac is in the incubator at the moment, but we’ve drawn a sample of bone marrow for the biopsy. The nurse will return him to Adalia in about a half hour.” Matheson sipped his coffee and wet his lips.

“That’s all you can tell me? What’s the worst case scenario?”

“We haven’t gotten the results back yet.”

Trent turned his back on the doctor to walk off. He had to see his son, even if it was through a glass window. Two glass windows.

“Mr. Dawson,” Matheson called after him.

He paused and looked back over his shoulder. “What is it?”

“It will still take some time to make an accurate diagnosis. The only thing that is clear is that there is something wrong. Since you insist, I won’t lie to you. The worst case scenario is that this is leukemia. If it helps to figure things out ahead of time, then you need to prepare for that. Do you understand?” The doctor’s voice was gravelly with intent. “Are you prepared to do what it takes to save your son if it comes to that? It’s going to be difficult.”

Trent strode back up to Matheson and poked him in the chest, once, hard. “You’d better understand that he’s my son and I will move mountains to save him. I would tear this hospital down brick by brick if it meant he could have a better life.” Trent shook, blinded by red hot tears.

He strode off before the doctor could speak again, winding through the halls until he reached the room where Isaac lay, enshrouded in glass, tubes and light. His son. This was all his fault. If he’d treated Adalia better during her pregnancy, made her happier instead of filling her with fear then maybe...

No. He wouldn’t do this to himself. He had to remain strong for his family.

Trent watched his son breath in and out, open his mouth and suckle on thin air. After a few moments, he turned and walked out of the room. He brought out his phone and dialed the number which usually called him.

Three rings and finally he picked up. “Do you have any idea what time it is, Mr. Dawson?” Paxton’s voice crackled on the other end of the line.

“My son is ill,” Trent said then jammed his mouth closed.

“I’m sorry to hear that, sir.” Paxton shifted the phone, scraping it against fabric. “How can I help you?” He sounded genuinely concerned, to his credit, which was the opposite of what Trent had expected.

“I’m going to need access to a lot of money soon. Millions.”

“I, uh, I was going to call you tomorrow, sir,” Paxton said, and cleared his throat twice. “I’m afraid millions won’t be possible.”

“You’re my financial lawyer. You know exactly what’s going on in my bank. I have millions. Millions will be possible. I’m just giving you a heads up.” Trent licked his lips and ignored the stares of nurses and passing doctors.

“Sir, you sank a lot of money into getting the flight off the ground. A lot of your personal assets and the money from investors, if you recall.”

“Yes, I’m aware of that.”

“And the deaths of those astronauts –”

“Wait, what?” Trent blinked and turned, slamming his back against the wall out of frustration. “What are you talking about?”

“The astronauts on board the spacecraft, sir. They died in the explosion?”

“Are you mad? That was an unmanned flight.” Trent actually laughed. “You’ve got your facts wrong.”

“Mr. Dawson, there were three astronauts on that flight. They died yesterday. You had to have known that, they signed indemnity forms with Space Inc.” Paxton’s confusion travelled down the line.

“Michelle handles the documentation.” And Michelle had told him they’d gone with an unmanned flight. She’d dealt with everything peripheral to the finances and drumming up the investors for the IPO.

A bucket of ice dropped into his belly. The IPO. It was the reason they had to launch the shuttle when they did. That and the fact that their closest competitor, Black Star Interstellar, was right behind their heels with a planned launch of their own.

“I’m sorry, sir, but the investors have lost confidence in Space Inc. Most have pulled out, including Mr. Montgomery, and nobody wants to touch the company. No one’s bought any shares.” Paxton word-vomited that out in a long stream.

Trent’s stomach clenched. “This can’t be happening,” he said, out loud. This was the second time he’d thought that in the span of a night. He couldn’t lose his life’s work. He’d built the business from the ground up with hardly any capital.

Losing Withnail Montgomery’s backing was a huge blow. The man was a prime investor and a wise businessman. If he said not to touch a company, then the business world didn’t touch it.

“Mr. Dawson?”

“How much do I have?” Trent asked, crossing his fingers because he couldn’t do anything else but f*****g pray right now. “How much do I have to spend on my son’s treatment?”

“Sir, the most you can withdraw currently is,” Paxton paused and the rustling of papers followed. “The most you can withdraw is... I’m sorry Mr. Dawson, it’s ten thousand dollars.”

“Ten thous –” He cut off, choking on air. “I need more than that. This is my son’s life on the line, for f**k’s sake.”

Paxton went quiet, an awkward silence which reached Trent through the phone.

“Paxton, this is for my son. I have to save him.”

“I’m sorry sir, there’s nothing I can do,” his lawyer replied. “The numbers don’t lie, sir.”

Trent crushed the cellphone in his palm, squeezing until it squeaked a protest.

“Mr. Dawson?”

Trent hung up without another word. He stared at the phone, considering calling back and firing Paxton for what’d happened. But this wasn’t his fault. He’d been lied to by Michelle. Had he known about the astronauts, had he stopped to think for one hot f*****g second, he’d have said no to the launch.

He’d have stopped it before it happened.

Van Heerden and Trent’s own lack of attention to detail had effectively castrated him and left him poor, unable to help his wife and son when they needed it the most.

Trent turned and looked through the window, watching as the nurse removed Isaac from the incubator, wrapping him in a blanket and preparing to take him to his mother.

Tears rolled down Trent’s cheeks and dripped down the front of his tailored Armani suit.