My CEO 274

274 Henry's Health Crisis (Jayden)

Henry's been in isolation for hours now, hooked up to every machine imaginable. The sight of him behind that glass, with tubes in his tiny body, knocked the wind out of me. My son. My tiny boy. He'd been doing so well.

And there's nothing I can do to help him. I can't hold him. I can't even touch him. All I can do is stand there and pray the doctors figure out what's wrong.

They think it's a virus or some type of infection, something that hit him hard and fast, but they haven't ruled anything out yet.

His heart-there's always a fear that the genetic defect that runs through our family might resurface.

I can't even think about that possibility

"Jayden, I don't understand how this could happen so quickly," Winona says, breaking the silence, her voice shaky, barely above a whisper,

I stop pacing and go to her. Her eyes are red-rimmed, and I know she's on the verge of breaking. I put my arms around her shoulders. "I don't know," I admit, my voice hoarse. "But they're doing everything they

can.

She nods, but her eyes drift away again, her fingers fidgeting in her lap. I know that look. She's here, but she's not. Not completely. Something's pulling her focus away from Henry.

Is she thinking about someone else from this past week? Phillip?

"Winona." My voice is sharper than I mean it to be, but I'm at my limit. "Where are you right now?"

Her head snaps up, her eyes wide in surprise. "What?"

distracted. You're not fully

guard, and for a moment I think she's going to deny it. But then she sighs, rubbing her hands

but also

her flight and going hiking out

she was still planning to bé at the hen's party the last he spoke to her. I just... I don't

"Gus?"

he came back yesterday on his way back to

Gus knows more about all this

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274 Henry's Health Crisis

+25 BONUS

either. He

she knows about this too? You should be coming to me with this stuff. Not

to wish us well on our wedding day before he left. I called Judy to get Gabriel's number. It's not like I had a heart-to-heart conversation with

check incoming

to say our boy

steps into the waiting area, and we both stand up immediately, our eyes locked on

critical. We've stabilized him for now, but we need to keep him in isolation until we're sure he's responding to the treatment. He's on a breathing machine to

Breathing machine. Isolation. I nod mechanically, my mouth dry.

not his heart. It's a virus. But his immune system is struggling to fight it off. We're

knuckles white. Winona lets out a shaky breath

squeezing it tightly, like holding on to her is the only thing keeping me

asks,

but no contact," the doctor says gently. "I'm sorry. He needs to be kept in a sterile environment until we identify where this virus came from and ensure it isn't spreading." "How long will the isolation be

It could be as long as a month. But it's better than the alternative." The doctor gives us a grave look. "You may want to make sure everything is in

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