Chapter 216
Irene walked through the hospil hallway, thinking about Brandon’s next steps. Today they’d remove his cast, but the crash damage went deeper than anyone could tee.
If the bones hadn’t healed right, they’d need another surgery. Even with perfect bones, fixing the nerve damage would take months. The triplets had stayed home with Adam for his morning exercise routine, giving her time to focus completely on this case.
She pushed the door open, eyes landing first on Brandon in his bed, hen on Nathan standing nearby. A third figure by the window caught her off guard–a stranger standing with his back to the light.
He wasn’t particularly old, but something about him felt ancient. Long hair framed a face that might have been handsome if not for the hollow cheeks and shadows beneath his eyes.
He stood like someone who’d perfected the art of being invisible–present but somehow not quite there.
The family resemblance clicked immediately. This had to be Wesley, the wandering artist brother she’d heard about but never met.
Irene nodded briefly, keeping her greeting nonverbal. These “brothers” were still strangers, shared blood or not.
She moved to Brandon’s bedside and began examining his leg while feeling Wesley’s eyes track her movements, assessing but emotionally flat.
If you guys need to talk, it’ll have to wait,” she said without looking up. “We’ve got
tests to run.”
Brandon’s face brightened instantly. “Fine by me!” The relief in his voice made it clear that escaping the room’s tension was a welcome bonus.
The examination room glowed with strengthening sunlight as noon approached. Irene focused on the monitor, fingers dancing across controls with practiced ease. She tracked each reading herself making notes as Brandon’s leg responded.
“Whoa,” he murmured as current pulsed through his damaged leg. “Feels like lightning bugs got trapped under my skin.”
“That’s the treatment finding where the damage is,” Irene replied, eyes locked on the changing numbers. “Try not to move–I need to get good readings here.”
As tests progressed, Brandon filled the silence with stories of his racing days and the crash that landed him here. Rain–slicked tracks, the millisecond he knew the car was gone, the sound of impact that he swore echoed for minutes afterward.
Meanwhile, Nathan and Wesley waited in awkward silence, worlds apart despite sitting in the same small room.
When Brandon returned, wheeled in by a nurse as afternoon sun slanted low, both brothers jumped to help him settle–their only synchronized moment all day.
Irene followed with the test results, looking quietly satisfied. “Good news. Your bones have healed enough to skip another surgery, but we need to start the electric stimulation treatment right away.”
She looked straight at Brandon. “You’ve got a long road ahead. Standing again? Totally possible. Racing again? At least two years, if I’m being honest.”
Where others might have deflated, Brandon lit up like someone had flipped a switch. “Two years? That’s nothing! Just being able to stand–hell, I was told I might never walk again!”
He beamed at Irene with uncomplicated joy. “My genius sister pulled it off! The best damn doctor on the planet!”
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Chapter 216.
Nathan’s mouth quirked upward, and even Wesley’s perpetual gloom seemed to lift by a degree.
Irene rolled her eyes, failing to hide her smile. “Save the sweet talk for your next girlfriend. Might actually work there.”
Brandon laughed, the sound filling the sterile room. “Just facts! Henty dragged me to specialists across three countries who all said the same thing–permanent damage. You looked at it once and found a solution. That’s next–level talent, sis.”
His sunshine energy made Wesley’s dark corner seem even more shadowed by comparison–one brother radiated light while the other absorbed it.
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