By eight o'clock that evening, the waiting room at Dallas General Hospital was quiet, illuminated only by the soft fluorescent lights above. Caleb stood by the window, staring down at the city lights, his wedding suit jacket thrown over a chair.
Maya: Caleb... the doctor just came out of the ICU.
Caleb: How is he, Maya? Please tell me he woke up.
Maya: He opened his eyes ten minutes ago. The antitoxin worked. The doctors said the head wound required twelve stitches, but there’s no permanent brain damage.
Caleb: Thank God... oh, thank God!
Caleb sank into a chair, burying his face in his hands as tears of pure relief finally spilled over his eyes. Maya sat down beside him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
Maya: Noah is asleep in the private room down the hall. I cleaned the blood off his face and got him some fresh clothes from the car.
Caleb: How is he holding up?
Maya: He’s still scared, Caleb. He thinks Victoria’s lawyers are going to come after him.
Caleb: Nobody is coming after him. Detectives just left Victoria’s house twenty minutes ago.
Maya: Did they find something?
Caleb: They found an entire stash of unlicensed pharmaceutical drugs inside her safe, along with forged signatures for Dad’s corporate accounts.
Maya: So she was really trying to kill him slow...
Caleb: She was draining small amounts every week, building up a offshore account in the Bahamas. When Noah caught her today, she panicked and tried to blame the whole thing on a child.
Maya: She’s a monster. A complete monster.
Caleb: The District Attorney signed an arrest warrant two hours ago. Victoria was taken into custody at her attorney’s office while trying to transfer five million dollars out of the country.
The door to the hallway opened, and a nurse stepped out, nodding gently toward Caleb.
Nurse: Mr. Sterling? Your father is asking to see you and your fiancee.
Caleb: We're coming right now.
Caleb and Maya walked quietly into the dimly lit ICU room. Charles Sterling sat propped up in the hospital bed, a white bandage wrapped neatly around his head, monitors softly pulsing beside him.
Charles: Caleb... Maya...
Caleb: Dad, don't try to sit up too fast.
Charles: Where is Noah...? Is my little boy okay...?
Maya: He’s safe, Charles. He’s sleeping down the hall. He was so brave today.
Charles: I remember... I remember sitting in the chair... Victoria was forcing me to drink... and Noah tried to pull her arm back...
Caleb: He ran all the way from the guest house to the main mansion foyer to stop her. He saved your life, Dad.
Tears rolled down the old man’s weathered cheeks as he reached out, taking Caleb’s hand in a tight, trembling grip.
Charles: I was so blind, Caleb... I trusted her... I almost destroyed our family because I was too proud to see what she was doing...
Caleb: It’s over now, Dad. Victoria is in police custody. She’ll never hurt you or Noah ever again.
Charles: What about your wedding...? I ruined your wedding day...
Maya: You didn't ruin anything, Charles. A wedding is just a ceremony. Today proved that this family will stand up and protect each other no matter what.