Chapter 397: Through The Hospital Door
The polished marble floors of the private hospital gleamed under the cold fluorescent lights as Elina and Jacob rushed down the long corridor. Their footsteps were quick and uneven, betraying their rising anxiety. Dean had called them only minutes ago, his words urgent, clipped, and confusing. At first, neither Elina nor Jacob had been able to make sense of what he was trying to say.
Earlier that afternoon, after Emile had left the Ramsy mansion, Zhou Ruyan had quietly informed them that Micah had sneaked out. Supposedly, it was because he feared being scolded after yet another one of his reckless decisions. They hadn’t thought much of it. Micah’s antics were hardly new to them. He had always been like that. Like a slippery fish, impossible to grasp when it decided to wriggle free. Whenever he thought he had caused trouble, he would disappear for hours, avoiding confrontation. But in the end of the day, he would always return to face whatever punishment awaited him.
So when the phone rang and Dean informed them Micah was in the hospital, of all places, and not just that, but in the company of the Du Pont Patriarch, both parents had been struck speechless. The name alone was enough to rattle them. For a long time, Elina had simply stared at Jacob, wondering if she had misheard. Dean repeated himself, his tone grave.
Even then, they had remained sceptical. The Ramsy troublemaker... How had he ended up with that fearful man?
But after repeated attempts to call Micah went unanswered, they knew something really had happened. Their son simply wasn’t hiding this time.
The drive to the hospital had been frantic. Jacob’s hands gripped the steering wheel slightly; his knuckles blanched. While Elina sat rigid in the passenger seat, her phone clutched against her chest. Each red light they stopped at felt like an eternity.
When they finally arrived, Elina had wasted no time. She demanded to see Micah, convinced he was injured again, convinced he had been hospitalised. But Dean, waiting outside the ward, quickly intercepted them. "It’s my uncle. Not Micah."
Elina blinked, confused. "Then, why did you call us here? Where is Micah?"
Dean exhaled through his nose and began to explain the whole situation that had occurred.
Elina stood stiff, her face pale as she absorbed the words Dean had just spoken. Her hand clutched the strap of his bag tightly, knuckles whitening. The vision she saw that day flooded her mind. She had known something bad was coming, but this...
Jacob wasn’t any better. "Are you saying... Someone kidnapped Micah?" he asked incredulously.
Dean nodded, his expression grim, watching their reaction.
Jacob tilted his head, confused. "Let me get this straight. Micah was with your uncle, right?"
"Yes," Dean replied.
"Why?"
The three Du Ponts, Dean, Emile, and Jacklin, exchanged uneasy glances. They didn’t know if they should disclose the relationship between Micah and Clyde or not.
Emile spoke decisively. "Our uncle wanted to treat him as a thank you for helping me. We were supposed to join them too, but Micah disappeared before we arrived."
Elina and Jacob tried to wrap their head around it. The situation was hard to believe.
A few seconds later, Elina looked at the closed door. "You say... he won’t leave your uncle’s side?" she asked, voice hushed.
"Yes. We don’t know what happened, but when they found them, the two were like that. And young master Micah won’t talk about it." Dean half lied.
"Could it be... he saved Micah?" Jacob mumbled.
The three du Ponts keep their mouths shut. Let them misunderstand, they thought silently. Better than digging deeper.
Elina smoothed back her hair, her movements sharp with tension, and then walked toward the door. Her hand lingered on the handle before she pushed it open slightly, peeking inside.
Through the gap, she saw her son seated like a frozen sculpture, motionless in the chair beside the bed. His eyes were fixated on the man in the bed, his expression blank. The IV line trailed from his hand, but still he clung to Clyde’s fingers.
Her heart twisted. Quietly, Elina stepped inside. "Micah," she called gently.
Micah’s head turned slowly at the unexpected sound. The instant he saw her, his eyes welled up, tears rolling down his cheeks despite his restraint.
Elina’s heart squeezed hard at the sight of her son crying. She crossed the distance in quick steps, kneeling at his side. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling his trembling body against her chest. "Sweetheart..." she whispered, her hand stroking his damp hair.
"Mum..." Micah’s voice broke into choked sobs.
"I’m here..." she murmured, holding him tighter.
"Mum... It’s my fault..." Micah whispered. "I’m scared."
"No, it’s not your fault, honey," Elina said firmly, her own eyes shining. "He will be okay."
Micah buried his face into Elina’s chest, his shoulders shaking with cries. He felt powerless. Alone. Heartbroken.
He couldn’t do anything right. And even put others in danger.
Elina rubbed circles into his back, trying to soothe him. She could feel the high temperature under her palm. He flinched whenever she accidentally touched his bruises. Her son was a mess. She didn’t know whether she should be thankful for this man or think he was the one who put Micah in danger.
After a few minutes, Micah calmed down, leaning back slightly.
"Sweetie," Elina coaxed gently, brushing his damp cheek. "Let’s get you checked. You’re burning up. You need to eat something too. You look awful. What if you faint?"
"No... I can’t leave him." Micah mumbled, shaking his head stubbornly.
Elina sighed softly. She knew she couldn’t pursue him.
Outside, Jacob and the three du Ponts could hear Micah’s cries from the gap in the door. Their expression shifted, sadness shadowing their features. For the prideful, arrogant Ramsy young master to break down so completely ...
It was a sight none of them had imagined.
The three Du Ponts exchanged silent looks. To them, it was becoming clear. Micah’s feelings for Clyde, their uncle, ran deeper than they had thought.,
Meanwhile, Jacob stared at the door with furrowed brows. To him, it wasn’t love he saw but trauma. His son had been broken by fear.
What exactly had happened? Who had abducted Micah? Was it their enemy? Or Du Pont’s enemy?