Ezzy waved his hand to the tray. “Help yourself, Dad.”
“Thank you, son,” Berni replied with a grin and swiped the beef roll off Ezzy’s plate, making them all laugh.
“Nice, Dad,” Ezzy fake grumped out.
“You all sound happy in here. How are you feeling, Jacob?” Berni asked.
“The same. Well, that’s not true, I feel really weak, but that could be because I’m just lying here,” Jacob admitted.
Fran looked at him in concern. “You are? You should have said something, I would have phoned Robbie or Emory.”
Jacob shook his head. “That’s why I didn’t say anything, they have sick people at the hospital to look after.”
“But you’re sick as well,” Joe pointed out. “Maybe you should be in the hospital.”
Jacob shook his head. “I’m fine here.”
At that moment Robbie came rushing into the room carrying his doctor’s bag.
“Rob?” Ezzy asked, seeing him first.
They all turned to look at him as he walked closer to the bed.
“The results are bad aren’t they?” Jacob asked softly.
“They’re not the best,” he admitted. “Youwerepoisoned with silver.”
Gasps were heard around the room.
Fran scooted closer to Jacob and took his hand. “How bad is it?”
“I ran additional tests and it shows the silver has caused some damage to your heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys.”
“That’s why I feel so weak,” Jacob guessed.
“It is, yes.”
“Can you get rid of the silver and fix Jake?” Joe asked, putting a hand on Jacob’s arm.
“Hopefully. Thankfully, the hospital keeps good research records and I found an antidote. Not gonna lie, Jacob, this is going to make you sick, really sick, as you expel all the silver from your system. The next forty-eight hours will be tough.”
“But there’s more, isn’t there?” Jacob summarised looking at Robbie’s expression. “You said my insides were damaged. Am I still going to be alive in forty-eight hours?”
Gasps were heard again from the others.
“Yes you will be,” Fran told him.
Robbie sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. “I honestly don’t know. The silver’s been in your system for days. What I do know is I will do everything I can to keep you alive.”
“Should Jake not be in a hospital, be in acute care, or something like that?” Joe asked in concern.
“Not if he doesn’t want to. Fran, Emory, and I can look after him just the same here as at the hospital.”
“No, I want to stay here, but I need you all to leave then. If I’m going to get really sick, I don’t need everyone witnessing it,” Jacob told them.
“There’s no way I’m leaving you,” Fran said hotly. “I’m a nurse and your mate, I’m staying.”
Jacob looked at Fran, giving him a small smile. “I’m sorry for how I treated you at the lodge. But just think, if I do die, the fates will give you a mate who is worthy of you.”
