With that, she left with reckless abandon. Desmond smiled and continued his drink. He believed that nothing would stop him from having Anabel back. Not even Sylvester.
.
.
.
The next day, early in the morning, Sir Orton, who was now fully conscious and visibly stronger, was sitting on the edge of his hospital bed as the doctor performed one final check-up.
Lady Orton stood beside him, holding his hand while Jethro stood from the corner of the room. Anabel, though silent, was watching closely. Lady Orton stayed over in the hospital while Anabel and Jethro came very early from the house.
Dr. Maxwell adjusted his stethoscope and gave Sir Orton an approving nod. "You have made remarkable progress. You recovered so much faster than normal. Your vitals are okay, and your body is responding well. At this point, I see no reason to keep you here. You are free to go home." The doctor said, and Lady Orton let out a small breath of relief, squeezing her husband's hand. "That’s wonderful news, Doctor. I thought he would spend a week to recover after what he passed through."
"Thank you very much, doctor. I'm so happy to see my dad strong again." Anabel said excitedly, and the doctor gave them all a reassuring smile before turning back to Sir Orton.
"However," he continued. "there are still precautions to take. Just because you’re out of immediate danger doesn’t mean you should neglect your health." He said, and Sir Orton nodded in response.
Dr. Maxwell reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his pen, then took a blank paper and wrote something that none of them could read.
"On your way out," he said, handing the paper to Lady Orton, "take this paper to the pharmacy, and they will give you a drug. Your husband needs to be taking it every three days. It will help regulate his body functions and keep everything in check."
Sir Orton glanced at the slip before nodding. "It's all right."
"Also," the doctor continued, "avoid heavy stress. Your body went through a critical phase, and while you are recovering well, you must take care of yourself. No strenuous activities, no excessive work pressure. Rest is essential." The doctor finished, and Lady Orton nodded quickly. "I’ll make sure of that."
"Guess that means no yelling at me for a while, Dad." Jethro grinned, nudging his father playfully. And his father chuckled. "We will see about that."
"You are discharged right now. The nurses will take care of the paperwork. Take care of yourself, Sir Orton." With that, the doctor exited the room.
They arranged their stuff and left the room. Jethro took the paper and headed to the pharmacy to buy the drug. Anabel and her parents went on. The cars were already waiting for them. Before they could reach the entrance door, Jethro showed up. He had already gotten the drugs.
Sir Orton entered his car with his wife, while Anabel entered her brother's car. Her dad's driver drove off, and Desmond followed behind.
When they arrived home, Lady Orton wasted no time and headed into the kitchen. She wanted to cook her husband's favorite meal, and bring back some warmth and joy into the house after the harrowing days they had just endured.
The aroma of freshly cooked food filled the dining area as she set down steaming dishes onto the table. Sir Orton sat at the head, looking healthier than he had in days, and Jethro, Anabel, and Lady Orton took their seats around him.
As they began to eat, Jethro glanced at his father and spoke up. "Dad, what would you do for the person that saved your life?" He asked, and Sir Orton looked up, slightly puzzled. He was confused. He just came back from the hospital, and he was asking him what he would do for the person who saved his life.
"I don't get something," he said, clearing his throat. "I just came back from the hospital. We paid the hospital bills. The doctor was just doing his job. What else is there to do?"
"I understand, but it wasn’t the doctor who saved you, Dad." Jethro said, and Sir Orton frowned. His gaze flickered toward Jethro, then toward his wife and Anabel, searching for some explanation. "What do you mean?" he asked. "If not the doctor, then who?"