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Back The Hallows Save as PDF
Chapters (89)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. 82
  87. 83
  88. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  89. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“This is Tatum.”

“Mr. Graham? This is Dr. Langley at Saint Mark’s.”

“Yes, hi.”

“We need you to come down to the hospital right away. It’s about your father.”

44

44

We sat in the lobby a long time. The doctor came over and sat down on a chair, same young guy as before.

“I’m sure you know this type of cancer your father has is called small-cell cancer. It’s inoperable. I know he’s been resistant to treatment, and I fully understand that. The elderly population has a difficult time with the side effects caused by this treatment, but he simply needs to decide whether he wishes to live or not.”

I don’t know why it dawned on me then: maybe it was seeing the blood my father now constantly coughed up, or the fact that I understood there was no changing his mind about treatment, but now I knew what I had to do.

“Start the treatment.”

“I can’t begin any treatment without his consent.”

“I’ll be filing a motion tomorrow morning to have him declared incompetent. Start the treatment then.”

He nodded. “I know that’s a difficult decision, but it truly is for the best if he’s going to survive this.”

We asked a few more questions, and the doctor left us to attend to some other patients. Gates took my hand as I leaned my head back against the wall.

“He’s going to be fine. He’s as tough as a bull.”

I shook my head. “He doesn’t want to live. That’s why he’s been denying the treatment. He’s been trying to tell me that the past few days, and I haven’t listened. He hasn’t been the same man since my mother died.”

She was silent a moment and then said, “Your mother’s death really shook him. More than you know. He would come over and drink with my dad, and I’d hear them talk.”

“What about me, Gates? You think it was easy for a ten-year-old kid to lose his mother and be left with an alcoholic father? And instead of getting better, he became even more of a prick.”

“You can’t judge someone until you’ve been in their position.”

“I can judge,” I scoffed. I blew out a long breath and leaned forward, staring at the floor.

“The prelim starts in two days. I think you should be here with him. I can take over—”

“I have never, not once, ever let anything personal get in the way of a case. I fell off my house’s roof on a Friday once and was at a trial Monday morning. I don’t lose, and I don’t call it quits.”

She nodded. “I understand. I’m just saying no one would blame you if you needed to take some time. I can handle it. And Jia and Will can handle it, too.”