"Oh my God, how is he? Did he wake up?"
"He's fine. He's sedated. Yes, he woke up once, but he had convulsions and they sedated him again."
"He had convulsions?" his father asks.
"Yes, they hadn't removed all the splinters. One was close to a sensitive spot and they needed my permission to remove it."
"Why did they need your permission? Couldn't they have removed it during the first operation?" Gabriel asks angrily.
"Unfortunately, they didn't want to take the risk."
"What risk?" Lauren asks.
"Removing the splinter could make him an invalid. They said there’s only a 60% chance of success."
Lauren gasps before starting to cry.
"You didn't sign, didn't you?" Gabriel asks.
I sigh. "Of course I signed."
"You're a fool, Isabel!"
My anger takes over. I don't care who I’m in front of anymore. "How dare you! Should I have left the splinter in his back, condemning him to death? You're just as selfish as always."
"Watch your mouth, Isabel. Your father raised you better than that!"
"This is all your fault! If you had been a father, Nathan wouldn't be here!"
"You can't blame me..."
"Sure, I can! Who sent him to the military academy? Who forced him to pursue a military career? You and your obsession with family traditions, not caring how he felt!"
"Isabel, that's enough!" he says, approaching me.
"If I won't stop, what? What are you going to do? Do you want to hit me like you did with him?" Gabriel widens his eyes, as if my words had hit him like a slap.
"Have you ever wondered how Nate felt about your stupid oppression? Of course not! The Grand Duke of Weister must control everyone's life by ruling everyone's fate."
"I ... I've always wanted the best for him,” he says, sitting on the sofa and putting his head in his hands.
"Maybe the best for him would have been a hug from his father and not being ignored. You treated him like a puppet," I say leaving the room, leaving them with Nate. I lean against the wall and let myself slide on the floor. I can't believe I said everything I thought to the duke. I rest my head on my knees, trying to calm down. Nausea threatens to hit again.
"I thought I was doing the right thing. I didn't think Nathan felt that way," Gabriel says, sitting on the floor next to me.
I don't say anything. I think I told him everything I had to say.
"I'm sorry I judged your choice."
"It's not me you have to apologize to."
"Thanks, Isabel,” he says, standing up.
"For what?"
"For opening my eyes, making me understand what a failure of father I was," he says, walking away.
Two days later, Nathan's parents return to London. Obviously, their work commitments cannot be postponed.
