"Cough... cough..."
Harrison was already in immense discomfort.
The coughing fit was uncontrollable, wracking his frail body until he looked like he might choke to death.
Claire, who had just returned to the room, stepped forward and immediately pressed down on key pressure points on his chest and back.
The coughing subsided rapidly, allowing him to expel a thick wad of phlegm.
It seemed the phlegm had been caught in his throat, making it difficult for him to even speak.
Once his airways were clear, he looked visibly relieved.
Harrison looked at Claire with deep gratitude. "Claire, you're a lifesaver."
"If you hadn't helped, I would have had to ask the nurses to use that awful suction machine again. I absolutely hate that thing."
"You still need the suction machine if it gets bad, Harrison," Claire replied, refusing to coddle her patient.
Some patients would grit their teeth through the discomfort without complaining, only to suffer terribly in the end.
More than one patient had suffocated on their own phlegm.
At a critical moment, it could genuinely be lethal.
"I know, I know," Harrison agreed politely, though he mentally swore off the machine.
He was exhausted and didn't want to suffer anymore.
To change the subject, he looked at Tilda. "Tilly, you're here to visit Walden?"
"Yes, I brought him lunch."
Although Tilda wasn't a fan of the nickname 'Tilly', she wasn't about to correct him.
Being called a nickname wouldn't kill her.
Harrison looked envious. "Walden is a lucky man, finding such a beautiful and capable granddaughter-in-law."
His words instantly reminded Tilda of the arranged marriage between the Darwins and the Hamiltons.
She hesitated, unsure of how to return the compliment.
"Actually, Yolanda is a wonderful girl too."
"Isn't she?" Harrison seized on the agreement. "Yolanda is fantastic. It's that idiot Reggie who didn't know how to appreciate her."
"Honestly, I shouldn't just be jealous that Walden got you as a granddaughter-in-law.
I should be jealous that he has such a good grandson to begin with."
"At least he has a worthy successor."
"Look at me. I'm practically knocking on death's door, and I'm still agonizing over my descendants."
"I won't even be able to close my eyes in peace when I'm on the operating table."
Harrison was entirely out of patience
with his family's drama, to the point
he couldn't even muster the
ی تربیم
rgy to be angry anymore.
His family was a mess of lost causes.
He finally had one brilliant,
capable
grandson that he wanted to et
but his own relatives
blocked him at every turn
Recently, Harrison had gotten into a massive fight with Arthur and Silas's wives over Noah.
Both women wanted their own children to take the reins, but Harrison was adamantly pushing Noah forward.
It wasn't favoritism; Noah was genuinely the only one competent enough to handle
it.
Did they really think Harrison was blind to how utterly useless his own flesh and blood were?
"Don't say that, Harrison. Your great-grandson is wonderful."
"He's definitely going to achieve great things." Tilda prided herself on being a good judge of character.
One look at the boy, and she knew he was driven and destined for success.
Whether that success would benefit the Darwin family, however, was another story.
Noah fundamentally despised the Darwins Harrison knew full well that
Noah could the completely bet
independently of the family.
Expecting the boy to willingly dedicate his life to the Darwins was a pipe dream.
The kid held a grudge.
Realizing he couldn't force Noah's hand, Harrison had felt a deep, crushing wave of despair.
It was the primary reason his health had deteriorated so rapidly.
The sheer force of will that had kept him fighting had finally evaporated.
Without it, holding on became impossible.
"Forget it. I won't ask for too much. I just want him to be healthy and safe."
"Whether he lives a quiet life or a wealthy one, that's his destiny to figure out."
As Harrison spoke, the fading life signs in his demeanor became undeniably prominent.
Claire noticed it instantly.
After taking his pulse and administering a few needles, she pulled Noah out into the hallway alone.