Without wasting a second, Anabel called her brother, Jethro. The moment he picked up, she repeated the same panicked message.
“Dad collapsed! You have to come home!”
“I’ll be there, Anabel! Just hang on!” Jethro replied.
After ending the call, she knelt beside her father again, gripping his hand as she watched his shallow breathing. “Daddy, stay with me,” she whispered through her tears. “Don’t leave me. Help is coming. Nothing will happen to you. You are going to be fine.”
A few minutes later, she heard a car pull up. She was expecting the doctor, but when the door opened, it was her brother, Jethro. He had to speed up immediately after he answered the call.
"We need to take him to the hospital," Jethro said just as he entered the room.
"I've called the doctor. He said he's coming."
"You have called the doctor, and he's yet to come?" Jethro asked.
"I don't know what is delaying him. He said he's coming already."
"I don't think I'm going to have that patience. Come on, let's carry him." Jethro said, and just then, they heard a car pull up.
"It must be the doctor." Anabel said. She sprang to her feet at the sound of the door opening.
Dr. Maxwell rushed in with his medical bag in hand. His face was grim but attentive.
“Oh, finally! Thank God you are here!” Anabel gasped, stepping back to give him space to work. “Doctor, please! Please save him!”
"Don't worry. I'm here. Like I've assured you, nothing will happen to him. I'm going to handle it now."
"Jethro, help me; let's lay him on the bed." Dr. Maxwell said, and Jethro carried him from the waist. The doctor held him on the shoulder and supported his neck as they laid him on the bed.
"I hope we are not going to lose our father, Doctor." Jethro asked.
"You don't need to worry about this. I know how to handle this situation. I've done this several times. So it's nothing to me." Dr. Maxwell said as he stood beside Sir Orton. He pulled out his equipment and began to check his vitals. “I’ve got this,” he assured them. “He’s going to be fine.”
Anabel nodded and hugged her brother for comfort. They she stood a couple of feet away, watching as the doctor worked quickly, administering medication and adjusting her father’s position.
At first, they clung to his words, believing that everything would be fine. But as time passed, they noticed something was going wrong.
Dr. Maxwell was not calm or coordinated. He was looking scared and sweating. Yet the room was cool. The air conditioner was humming softly in the background. His movements became less confident and more strained.
At that point, the doctor was becoming uncomfortable. Yes, he has handled similar cases, but right now, he was struggling.
Anabel's breath caught. "Why is he struggling?" She asked herself. After a couple of minutes, the doctor exhaled slowly and shook his head in defeat. At that point, he knew he wouldn't handle it.
Anabel’s stomach twisted in fear. “Doctor…what’s wrong?”
Dr. Maxwell ran a hand over his forehead, visibly troubled. He hesitated before speaking up. “He’s too weak, Anabel. He needs to be admitted to the hospital for proper treatment.”
Anabel felt her heart drop. Her biggest fear was about to befall her. She wasn't ready for this.
"Don't tell me my father can't make it." Jethro said with some trace of threat in his voice.
“He can still make it. He's in a coma. Only a specialist can handle this level. I will reach out to a specialist. A doctor who will handle this. This case is bigger than me.”