Chapter 4 - Visiting Grandfather At Royal Victoria Hospital Care Unit
The next afternoon, Nessa took the subway uptown to Royal Victoria Hospital, carrying a small bouquet of white chrysanthemums.
Her grandfather sat propped up in his bed by the window, staring blankly out at the grey autumn clouds over Toronto.
When he heard her footsteps, his tired eyes brightened with a fragile, affectionate light that always melted her defensive shell.
“You look tired, little sparrow,” he rasped, his voice weakened by months of paralysis and oxygen therapy.
“Just late gigs, Grandpa,” Nessa lied smoothly, leaning over to kiss his soft, paper-thin cheek.
She looked at the digital monitor tracking his vitals, then down at the clipboard hanging at the foot of the bed.
The outstanding balance in bold red ink at the top of the billing sheet read eighty-four thousand dollars.
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Her jaw tightened into a hard line as she gripped the edge of the metal bed frame until her knuckles turned white.
“Don't worry about the bills,” she whispered, stroking his silver hair. “Someone very arrogant is going to pay every single cent by Sunday.”
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