Reprisal

Chapter 26 : Saved (for now)

Foxen was rushed to the hospital by Isabel and Christopher on urgent basis.

“Save him! Please Save him AT. ANY. COST!” - Christopher said to the doctor who guided Foxen's stretcher towards the ED.

“We'll do our best. Have patience.” - the doctor responded professionally before heading inside.

Christopher slumped against the wall. He couldn't have patience. Foxen Wilder could not die like that! He still had so much pain to endure. He had yet to see everything slipping from his hands with his own eyes! He had yet to know that who Christopher Watson was! And then, only then, he will die and that too, a very painful death.

He slowly remembered Isabel was near him and turned to her. She was flat against the steel doors of the ED, looking inside the room through the glass. The heavy and dreadful frown on her face, sent him into thinking again.

He didn't want Foxen to die now but he eventually planned to complete his revenge by killing him. How will she react at Foxen's death ? More importantly, what will she do when she'll find out that he had killed her father ?

His eyes closed and and he let all the breath out through the sigh. Those were the questions always running inside his brain along with the answers. Answers, he knew of, but wasn't brave enough to accept them.

Opening his eyes, he took a deep, quiet breath and moved towards Isabel. “He will be absolutely fine.” - he assured with utmost gentleness.

She looked at him and his heart broke at the way her eyes were seeking assurance through him. He turned her away from the door and towards himself by holding her by the shoulders and looked meaningfully into her eyes.

“Nothing will happen to him.” Yet. He was sure of it. God just couldn't be unfair. He was done bearing all the pain and harsh circumstances. It was Foxen's time to suffer now and he couldn't die like that.

She continued looking at him for a long moment before finally nodding her head. Trying to smile but it came out as grimace.

“Sit here.” - he ushered her towards the waiting chairs and made her take a seat. ”Would you like to eat something ?” - he gently inquired.

They both were on the staircase, making their way towards the dining room for breakfast when they had heard Foxen's shout of his name. Upon finding him unconscious on the floor, they immediately left for hospital hence the breakfast was skipped.

“No. I don't feel like eating anything...” - she reasoned, sighing.

He didn't argue. His rivalry for Foxen aside, he accepted that she was Foxen's daughter and would be worried for her father. He didn't take offense for it. As he shouldn't.

She slowly leaned towards him and her head came to rest on his shoulder while her eyes were fixated on the closed doors of ED. His eyes on the other hand dropped to her fingers making its way towards his fingers before locking them together one by one.

“He will be fine, right Chris ?”

His chest ached. She wanted her father to be always fine whereas he...

He placed his head on hers and replied : “He will be.” For now.

The doctors informed Foxen had endured a serious cardiac arrest but he survived in the ED room. After being successfully resuscitated, he was admitted to the ICU for post-resuscitation care. Still, the doctors didn't fully assure Isabel and Christopher of Foxen's health as only a minority survives to hospital discharge in the case of cardiac arrest. They declared the next 72 hours crucial.