The Chase, Volume 3 Read Free Page A

scan and MRI, there appear to be some signs of brain damage from your father’s stroke.”
    I gasped. “Is the damage permanent?” I quickly brushed away the hot tears that fell down my cheeks.
    “It’s too early to say what the lasting damages are at this point. Right now he’s lost a significant part of his muscle movement on one side of his body, which has affected his ability to speak. He’s also suffering from some memory lost. These are common side effects of a stroke. Many patients make a good recovery and can regain most, if not all, of their movement and ability to speak. But please be aware that it’s a very long recovery process, and there may be some residual cognitive, behavioral, and physical disabilities. For now, let’s remain optimistic as we continue to monitor his recovery.”
    “Okay. Thank you, Dr. Hines.”
    I slowly walked back to my father’s hospital room as I took in the news. I was relieved that he had finally woken up from his coma. He’d been in a coma since his stroke three months earlier. But it was hard not to continue to worry about what this could all mean. I wanted to desperately tell him about Trent and what he was trying to do, but I also didn’t want to worry him at this point when he needed to rest and time to recover.
    “Here are some ice chips,” came Dean’s voice inside my father’s hospital room.
    I heard my father’s garbled speech as he tried to respond, and my heart broke at the sound. Just as I was about to walk into the room, Dean’s words stopped me.
    “You don’t have to worry, Mr. Parker.” There was a sincerity in his voice that I’d never heard before. “Just focus on taking care of yourself.”
    I wasn’t sure why, but I took a step back and stood beside the wall next to the doorframe of my father’s room.
    “B— Brrr.” I heard my father’s attempted words and I shut my eyes, trying to keep the tears at bay.
    “Yes, Blair,” Dean responded softly.
    “Y—yyuu? B—buh…f—ffrr?”
    Dean let out a warm chuckle. “Mr. Parker, nothing gets past you, does it? Well, Blair and I haven’t exactly talked about it, but just between you and me,”—he lowered his voice—“yes, I’d like to think that I’m her boyfriend.”
    “G—good.” He let out a labored signed.
    “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of her. All you need to think about is getting enough rest and having a speedy recovery. I’ll take care of the rest.”
    I smiled and blinked back the tears as I listened to Dean’s conversation with my father. I always wondered if there was a deeper side to him beyond his cocky, aggressive exterior, and now I knew. This was a side of Dean I’d never seen before. It was a side of him he didn’t show me, but I could see now that this was the real Dean.
    I waited for a minute after their conversation stopped before walking through the door.
    “Hey, I’m back.”
    “Welcome back.”
    “How’s it going?” I smiled at my father. Half of his face responded and formed into a tired smile. “Is Dean bothering you, dad?”
    “Hey, be nice!” Dean laughed. “Your dad was telling me how much of a brat you were as a child. I see that you haven’t changed a bit.”
    “Don’t put words in my dad’s mouth, asshole,” I teased. “He would never say that about me.” I made a face at Dean.
    My father’s laugh came out low and uneven, but I could tell he was in a good mood.
    “Well, I hate to leave, but I really need to get back to the office.” Dean got up. “It was great meeting you, Mr. Parker.”
    “B—bill.”
    Dean smiled. “It was great meeting you, Bill. Don’t forget what I said. Just focus on taking care of yourself.”
    “Dad, I’ll be right back.”
    I walked Dean out of the room and into the hallway.
    “Thanks for taking the morning off and coming to the hospital with me.” I buried my face into Dean’s warm embrace, feeling more at home with him than I could remember with anyone else.
    “Thanks for helping