Dane's bodyguards had seamlessly rejoined him and were now carrying premium gift baskets into Walden's suite.
Dane led Claire into the spacious hospital room.
Walden was lying in bed, hooked up to an IV drip.
"Walden?"
At the sound of Dane's voice, the elderly man sluggishly turned his head.
"Dane, you made it."
The old patriarch's face lit up at the sight of him.
In his old age, with his children and grandchildren constantly busy and away, having someone visit him brought him immense joy.
Dane took a step to the side, revealing Claire standing right behind him.
Claire offered a warm smile. "Walden, do you remember me?"
Seeing the young woman who had saved his grandson, Walden's smile widened. "Dr. Claire! You came too!"
"Wait a minute. I thought I was just hospitalized for sneaking some liquor and overeating?"
"Did the doctors find a terminal illness? Is that why Dane dragged you all the way here?"
Walden's face morphed into a mask of profound suspicion.
Dane let out an exasperated sigh. "You're overthinking things."
Fearing the old man might actually scare himself into a heart attack, Claire quickly stepped in.
She clarified, "I happened to be working at the hospital today. When Dane mentioned he was visiting you, I decided to tag along."
"Oh, thank goodness. I was terrified I had caught some incurable disease and Dane had tracked you down as my last hope."
Claire found the interaction highly amusing. During their last encounter, Walden had been the absolute epitome of a stern patriarch, and she had never expected him to have such a dramatic, endearing side.
"How exactly did a man of your stature end up in the hospital over a midnight snack?"
Claire was genuinely curious.
Walden groaned, looking completely defeated. "My health is honestly no better than General Darwin's, but my family has assigned someone to strictly monitor every single bite I eat."
"Because of that, whenever the cravings hit, I'm forced to sneak a bite."
Walden felt it was entirely out of his hands.
During his childhood, he had worked as a cattle herder for a wealthy landlord, constantly living on the edge of starvation.
That trauma had naturally left him with a deep-seated obsession with food.
Even when he joined the military, his biggest fear was going hungry.
Now that he was old and the hard times were over, why couldn't he enjoy the finer things in life?
He knew his body was failing on
+
multiple fronts but totally abstaining
from meat and alcohol fet
like a fate
worse than death!
Surely his dietary crimes didn't warrant a death sentence!
"May I check your pulse?"
Claire guessed that Walden was an incredibly important figure in Dane's life.
Otherwise, Dane wouldn't have insisted on bringing her along.
Bringing her here was a silent plea for her to personally assess the old man's condition.
Walden didn't hesitate for a second. "Of course. Take a look."
As Claire checked his pulse, Dane's expression grew visibly tense.
He dreaded hearing bad news.
But reality wasn't up to him.
All he could do was stare intently at Claire, waiting for her verdict.
Seeing both men looking so deadly serious, Claire found herself carefully weighing her words.
"You have a primary care physician handling your daily routines, correct?"
"He definitely has a private doctor, otherwise his diet wouldn't be so aggressively regulated."
Claire nodded. "Since you have a
dedicated doctor, you should
overnet
perfectly aware of your own el
condition."
"You absolutely cannot consume rich, greasy foods."
"What exactly did you sneak in the middle of the night?"
Walden's eyes darted away guiltily. "Just a few pieces of Glazed Short Ribs."
That couldn't be the whole truth.
An instinct suddenly struck Claire.
"And you demolished a pack of pin smoked brisket too, didn't y
"You ate brisket?" Dane's voice dripped with exasperated disbelief.
"I..." Walden stammered, looking completely caught. He was definitely hiding something!
Seeing the elder act like a guilty child left Claire at a loss for words.
"At your age, heavy, cholesterol-packed meats are incredibly dangerous."
"But the BBQ place downtown is phenomenal! The spice rub on their brisket is unbeatable."
Walden whined defensively. Was it really his fault the food was irresistible?