"I don't know yet. A little money, maybe a lot. There's a child in the hospital."
"Then we'll figure it out."
Within an hour, Marcus had contacted several members. Some could contribute money. Others could help with transportation, meals, and paperwork. One member knew a hospital social worker who could explain the assistance process.
Nobody demanded that Daniel tell them his entire family history.
They simply helped.
When Daniel returned to the waiting area, Emily was sitting with a paper cup of water between her hands.
"Who were you talking to?" she asked.
"My friends."
"Your motorcycle friends?"
He nodded.
Emily looked uncertain.
"I always thought they were the reason you disappeared."
Daniel accepted the accusation without arguing.
"Sometimes I used riding as an excuse not to go home. That's on me, not them."
He sat beside her.
"The club has helped people before. They're going to help us find out what options we have."
Emily studied his face.
"You don't have to do all this."
Daniel looked toward the intensive care doors.
"Yes, I do."
"No, you don't. You can leave if this is too much."
He turned back to her.
"Emily, listen to me. I am not here because I expect you to forgive me. I'm here because you're my daughter, and Noah is my grandson. I should have been here long before today."
His eyes filled with tears.
"I'm not asking you to forget what I did. I'm asking for the chance to do something different now."
Emily's mouth trembled.
She looked away before he could see her begin to cry again.
But this time, she did not tell him he was too late.
Chapter Four: The Call Nobody Expected
By midafternoon, the waiting area had filled with families.
A little boy in a superhero shirt slept against his mother's shoulder. An elderly man paced beside a vending machine. Two nurses discussed shift changes near the elevators.
Emily had not eaten anything since the previous evening.
Daniel noticed.
"When was the last time you had food?"
"I'm not hungry."
"That wasn't my question."
She gave him a tired look.
He almost smiled.
For a moment, he could see the teenage girl who used to steal fries from his plate and insist that she was not hungry enough to order her own meal.
"I'll get you something," he said.
"Dad, please don't—"
"I'm getting food. You can be angry with me while you eat."
He walked to the cafeteria.
When he returned, he carried two sandwiches, bottled water, and a cup of coffee. He placed everything on the table without making a speech.
Emily looked at the food.
Then she looked at him.
"You remembered."
"Remembered what?"
"I hate mustard."
Daniel glanced at the sandwich.
He had asked for hers without mustard.
"I remember a few things."
She took the sandwich.
For several minutes, they ate in silence.
Then Emily's phone vibrated.
She looked at the screen and went pale.
Daniel noticed immediately.
"Who is it?"
"Michael."
"Your husband?"
Emily nodded.
After three months of silence, he had finally called.
She answered with trembling fingers.
"Michael?"
A man's voice came through the speaker.
"Emily, I heard about Noah."
She closed her eyes.
"How did you hear?"
"Someone from the neighborhood told me. Is he okay?"
"The doctors are still treating him."
A pause followed.
"Listen, I know things have been difficult between us."
Emily stared at the floor.
"Difficult?"
"I'm trying to get my life together. I didn't know it would become this serious."
"Our son is in intensive care."
"I understand that."
"No, Michael. You don't. You weren't here when he collapsed. You weren't here when the ambulance arrived. You weren't here when the doctor told me what was happening."
"I was overwhelmed."
"So was I!"
Her voice echoed through the waiting area.
Several people turned toward them.
Emily lowered her voice, but the anger remained.
"I was overwhelmed, terrified, and completely alone. I called you because Noah is your son. You ignored me."
Michael sighed.
"I said I was sorry."
"You haven't said that to Noah."
"I want to see him."
Emily hesitated.
Part of her wanted to believe him. She wanted the family she had imagined when she married him. She wanted Noah to have both parents beside his bed.
But another part of her remembered the nights she had worked extra shifts while Michael promised that his next business venture would finally make everything easier.
She remembered the unpaid bills and the excuses.
She remembered telling Noah that his father was busy when she did not know where Michael had gone.
"Where are you?" she asked.
"I'm about forty minutes away."
"Then come here."
"I will."
The call ended.
Emily stared at the phone.
Daniel said nothing for a moment.
Then he asked, "Do you want me to be here when he arrives?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
"All right."
She looked at him with exhausted eyes.
"What if he makes everything worse?"
"Then we'll deal with that when it happens."
"You can't fix every problem."
"No," Daniel said. "But I can stand beside you while you face them."
Emily leaned back in her chair.