SWNOVELS Chapter My CEO 274
274 Henry's Health Crisis (Jayden)
Henry's been in isolation for hours now, hooked up to every machine imaginable. The sight of him behind that glass, with tubes in his tiny body, knocked the wind out of me. My son. My tiny boy. He'd been doing so well.
And there's nothing I can do to help him. I can't hold him. I can't even touch him. All I can do is stand there and pray the doctors figure out what's wrong.
They think it's a virus or some type of infection, something that hit him hard and fast, but they haven't ruled anything out yet.
His heart-there's always a fear that the genetic defect that runs through our family might resurface.
I can't even think about that possibility
"Jayden, I don't understand how this could happen so quickly," Winona says, breaking the silence, her voice shaky, barely above a whisper,
I stop pacing and go to her. Her eyes are red-rimmed, and I know she's on the verge of breaking. I put my arms around her shoulders. "I don't know," I admit, my voice hoarse. "But they're doing everything they
can.
She nods, but her eyes drift away again, her fingers fidgeting in her lap. I know that look. She's here, but she's not. Not completely. Something's pulling her focus away from Henry.
Is she thinking about someone else from this past week? Phillip?
"Winona." My voice is sharper than I mean it to be, but I'm at my limit. "Where are you right now?"
Her head snaps up, her eyes wide in surprise. "What?"
"You're distracted. You're not fully here. What's going on?"
She blinks, caught off guard, and for a moment I think she's going to deny it. But then she sighs, rubbing her hands over her face. "It's Cass."
I frown, confused but also relieved. "Cass?"
"I can't reach her, Jayden," she says, her voice trembling. "I've been calling and texting, but there's nothing. I haven't heard from her since a message yesterday about changing her flight and going hiking out of cell service. And now... I don't know. Something feels wrong." I take a deep breath, trying to process what she's saying. "Maybe she needed the break more than we realized
"Maybe," Winona says, but the worry in her voice is unmistakable. "But Gus said she was still planning to bé at the hen's party the last he spoke to her. I just... I don't know."
"Gus?"
"He went there with Maria. But he came back yesterday on his way back to Europe on business."
"I see." Gus knows more about all this than I do.
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274 Henry's Health Crisis
+25 BONUS
"Judy said she hadn't heard from Gabriel either. He wasn't answering her calls and texts."
"Wait, she knows about this too? You should be coming to me with this stuff. Not them."
"It's not like that. Gus dropped into the club last night to wish us well on our wedding day before he left. I called Judy to get Gabriel's number. It's not like I had a heart-to-heart conversation with her."
"Right now, we need to focus on Henry. I'm sure Cass is fine. But maybe, check incoming flights. See what time she might get in. We can go get her from the airport together."
She nods, but her hands still tremble. "I just want them to say our boy is going to pull through whatever this is."
The doctor steps into the waiting area, and we both stand up immediately, our eyes locked on him. His face is grim, and my heart sinks even further.
"Henry's condition remains critical. We've stabilized him for now, but we need to keep him in isolation until we're sure he's responding to the treatment. He's on a breathing machine to help his lungs, and we've started him on tube feeding to try and get his strength back up."
The words hit me. Critical. Breathing machine. Isolation. I nod mechanically, my mouth dry. "And his heart?"
The doctor shakes his head. "We've run tests, and it's not his heart. It's a virus. But his immune system is struggling to fight it off. We're doing everything we can to identify the strain and deal with it."
I grip the back of the chair in front of me, my knuckles white. Winona lets out a shaky breath beside me, her hand reaching for mine.
I take it, squeezing it tightly, like holding on to her is the only thing keeping me from falling apart completely.
"Can we see him?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.
"You can see him through the glass, but no contact," the doctor says gently. "I'm sorry. He needs to be kept in a sterile environment until we identify where this virus came from and ensure it isn't spreading." "How long will the isolation be in place?"
"We don't know. It could be as long as a month. But it's better than the alternative." The doctor gives us a grave look. "You may want to make sure everything is in place, should the worst happen.
I nod, not trusting myself to speak. The doctor gives us a sympathetic look before turning and walking
away.
I sink back into the chair, my body heavy with exhaustion and fear. Henry. My baby boy. He's fighting for his life again, and all I can do is stand by and watch.
"We should postpone the wedding." Winona says suddenly, her voice shaking. "I can't think about anything else right now. Not with Henry like this."
"No." I turn to face her, my eyes burning with determination. "No more delays, Winona. We're getting married. We can make the service shorter, but it's happening."
She blinks at me, startled. "Jayden, how can you think about the wedding right now? Henry might-"
274 Henry's Health Crisis
+25 BONUS
"I know." My voice cracks, and I run a hand through my hair. "I know, Winona. But this-us-it needs to happen. We need to be done with all the 'what ifs'. I'll be there tomorrow. Everything's set. All you have to do is show up." "We could surely put it off another week..."
"And then it's something else that comes up. No. I suppose you want another hall pass week as well?"
She stares at me, her eyes wide. "Jayden, that's not fair-"
"No," I cut her off, my voice firm. "I've given you your space. But now it's time to decide. I'll be at the altar tomorrow, Winona. Everything is ready. It's up to you whether you'll be there too."
"I will be there."
I stand up, taking a deep breath. "This is the worst timing, I know. But there's always something stopping us. Let's just get it done, get Cass home, get Henry well and be a family." "I really hope so."