Chapter 65 Heartless In the blink of an eye, it was Thursday, the day of Bruceâs seventieth birthday banquet.
Early in the morning, Bernice had called to inform Finnegan that Bruceâs birthday banquet would be held at Grand View Hotel in the evening. She asked him to meet her in the afternoon so they could go together.
After ending the call, Finnegan took out a small box and opened it. Inside was a pill with a strong aroma, albeit not the most aesthetically pleasing. âWith this pill as a birthday gift, I reckon Old Mr.
Zimmerman wonât object to me and Bernie being together, right?â
Over the past few days, apart from treating Desmondâs paralysis and making time to tend to Lindseyâs condition, Finnegan had been collecting ingredients to prepare that medicinal pill as a birthday gift for Bruce, After all, since he wanted to date Bruceâs granddaughter, he needed Bruceâs approval.
Although Finnegan himself wasnât overly concerned, he still had to consider Berniceâs feelings.
With that medicinal pill, Finnegan was confident Bruce would be more than happy for him to be together with Bernice.
He put away the pill and was about to head downstairs when his phone rang again.
He assumed it was Bernice calling with something more to say but was surprised to see Alexander calling him.
âMr. Larkin, are you free today?â
Finnegan asked, âIâm free in the morning. Whatâs the matter?â
Alexander chirped, âMr. Larkin, Iâve prepared an office for you. Do you have time to check it out today?
It wonât take long!â
Finnegan swatted his head and recalled his promise to Alexander about becoming a special consultant at General Hospital. Now that Alexander was calling him, it likely meant there was a challenging case at the hospital.
âAll right. Iâll go over soon.â
âI shall look forward to your arrival, then, Mr. Larkin!â
After ending the call, Finnegan left the room and went downstairs.
At that moment, Desmond and Quiana were the only ones having their breakfast in the dining room.
âGood morning!â Finnegan walked over, took a seat, and served himself some oatmeal.
Quiana hesitated to speak. âFinny, can I discuss something with you?â
âJust speak your mind, Mom.â
Looking uneasy, Quiana said, âItâs about Max. Last night, your Aunt Melinda called, telling me Maxâs leukemia is worsening, and staying in the ICU ward is costing them nearly ten thousand a day. If youâre able to treat him, can youââ
Finnegan put down his bowl of oatmeal and got to his feet. âMom, if that is what you have in mind, you can drop it. When our family was caught in a tight spot and Uncle Adrian and his family avoided us like a bunch of ingrates, I no longer considered them relatives. I have something to attend to, so Iâll be leaving now. I have plans in the evening, too, so I wonât be back for dinner!â
Not wanting to witness Quiana shedding tears before him, Finnegan finished his sentence and left without finishing his breakfast.
Quianaâs eyes reddened. âHeâs heartless. Max is his biological uncleâs son, his cousin!â
âI understand Finnyâs feelings. You shouldnât make things difficult for him anymore.â
Quiana snapped, âDonât give me that cr*p! Why did you persuade me to be more considerate and kind when it came to matters related to Raymond, then? You even told Finny to let the past grudges slide.
So, your elder brother is our family, but my younger brother isnât?â
Desmondâs face instantly flushed crimson with rage. âYouâre being unreasonable!â
âHas there been any news from the Chomsky family?â On the way to General Hospital, Finnegan massaged his temples.
The sight of tears brimming in Quianaâs eyes when he left the house earlier caused him to feel a little frustrated.
Alisha glanced at him and replied, âTristan is no longer accompanying his son in the hospital all the time like before now. He would just visit him a few hours a day and spend the rest of his time at the office. They havenât taken any action so far. However, at times like this, you need to be more vigilant.
This is likely the calm before the storm.â
Finnegan shut his eyes and took a deep breath. âNo matter what they plan, once fifteen days are up, the downfall of the Chomsky family is inevitable.â
Alisha nodded. Then, she changed the topic of conversation, asking, âYou donât seem to be in a good mood today. May I know whatâs wrong?â
âItâs none of your business!â
His insensitive response prompted Alisha to roll her eyes. âYouâre such a stupid, dense guy.â
Upon reaching General Hospital, Finnegan got out of the car alone and entered the hospital. He called Alexander, notifying him of his arrival.
Alexander was beyond excited. After sharing the location of the office with Finnegan, he hurried over too.
âMr. Larkin, this is the office Iâve set up for you. How do you find it?â
When Finnegan reached the office, Alexander, accompanied by a young male doctor in his twenties, also arrived.
The corner of Finneganâs lips twitched as he gazed at the so-called office. âDr. Cooper, are you sure this is my office and not yours?â
Most of the consultation rooms were only ten to twenty square meters, but the office Alexander had prepared for him was sixty to seventy square meters.
Aside from the normal consultation area, there was also an attached treatment room and lounge.
The entire space was also beautifully decorated.
Alexander chuckled. âMr. Larkin, youâre the miraculous doctor Mr. Miles and Dr. Magnussen praised highly. In my opinion, this room is still too modest for you.â He paused briefly before speaking to the young man behind him. âMaurice, come here and greet Mr. Larkin.â
The fair and gentle-looking Maurice Cooper walked over. A hint of doubt flickered in his eyes as he greeted, âHello, Mr. Larkin.â
Alexander introduced, âMr. Larkin, this is one of the doctors from General Hospital, Dr. Maurice Cooper.
Heâs currently a medical intern. Heâll be assisting you when you visit the hospital as a consultant in the future. Feel free to assign him any tasks.â
Finnegan looked at Maurice, who seemed a little embarrassed, then glanced at Alexander. âDr. Cooper, are you using your position to favor your grandson?â
Alexanderâs expression changed slightly. âMr. Larkin, you know heâs my grandson?â
Maurice was indeed his grandson.
However, to avoid gossip, only a few higher-ups in the hospital knew about their relationship.
Alexander had also requested Maurice never to reveal their connection to others.
Finnegan strode into the office. âFamily members often share resemblances. Itâs easy to spot if you pay attention.â
âMr. Larkin, youâre adept at physiognomy too?â
âI only know the basics. Letâs discuss why Iâm here instead.â
Suppressing his astonishment, Alexander cut to the chase. âThe thing is, a patient with late- stage lymphoma was transferred here from Durbaine last week. His family members hoped our hospital would try our best to extend the patientâs lifespan by another fifteen days so he could celebrate his eightieth birthday. However, even Dr. Magnussen is at his witâs end, so I invited you over to examine this case.â
Finnegan asked curiously, âDurbaineâs healthcare system is more advanced than Jadeborough. Isnât it a waste of effort to transfer him to Jadeborough?â
âThis old man is from Jadeborough and wishes to spend his final days in his hometown. His eightieth birthday banquet will take place in approximately two more weeks, so his family hopes he can hold out until then.â
Finnegan nodded. âPeople from the older generations tend to have the idea of spending their final days in their hometown. I can understand. Still, to be able to make you invite me over in person, I figure this old man is no ordinary man?â
With Alexanderâs status, he wouldnât have had to do something like that.
Alexander responded, âItâs Soren Caulder, the ex-chancellor of Durbaine University. Heâs a nationally recognized academician.â
William Caulder, seems Finnegan narrowed his eyes. âIf Iâm not mistaken, his youngest son, to be the director of the Department of Education in Jadeborough, right?â
âThatâs right.â
âBring me to them, then.â