Although Haley's eyes were closed, her expression was less than composed. She looked uncomfortable.
Brian was struggling. Timothy tried to offer support, but there was little he could do.
Soon, a group of seven or eight doctors and other medical staff approached the two brothers.
Leading the group was an arrogant looking woman with a somber expression on her face. She was tall, beautiful, and wore gold-framed glasses. In any other circumstances, the brothers would have found her attractive.
She introduced herself as Susan Ware, the administrator of the hospital.
She was only in her thirties, but as she was already head of the hospital, it showed she was a capable leader.
Baltimore General Hospital was one of the best hospitals in the city. Brian had always taken his family there whenever they had needed treatment, so he knew his daughter was in good hands.
Susan held out her hand to Brian. "I'm glad you're here." She quickly introduced her colleagues, and then Brian got down to business.
"Dr. Ware, how is my daughter? Is she going to be okay?"
Timothy couldn't stay quiet, either. "Please tell us the truth. Don't sugarcoat it."
Susan's pretty face was dignified, but she couldn't hide her concern. "We've stopped the internal bleeding, but she's still in critical condition. The next forty-eight hours will be difficult. It could go either way."
Susan didn't want to make any promises. Even though the hospital staff would do all they could for the girl, if something bad did happen, she didn't want to give the family false hope.
"What?" Brian asked as his face paled. "Is it really so serious? Isn't this the best hospital in the city?"
Brian's emotions got the better of him, and he started to yell, "Are you trying to tell me you can't do anything else? I don't believe it! I'm one of this hospital's biggest donors. Don't tell me all we can do is wait and see." He shook his head. "She fell from a horse, dammit. That should be easy to fix!"
Anyone could see he was simply a father who was worried about his daughter. Susan was not at all insulted by his reaction. "I understand that you're worried," she said calmly. "We're doing everything we can, but her fall was bad, and the horse rolled over her. She has internal injuries, fractures, and a severe concussion. Right now, we're most worried about her ribs. She broke several of them and one punctured her lung and is dangerously close to her main pulmonary artery. We need to get her stabilized before we can attempt surgery. If that rib shifts and hits the artery…" She trailed off.
She took a deep breath and patted Brian's shoulder as she continued, "I've called in several pulmonary surgeons and experts to take care of her. Rest assured; she will have the best care imaginable."
One of the doctors in the group also spoke up. "We'll know more this evening, at the very latest."
"Don't give me that nonsense," Brian snapped. "Results. Give me results. No matter what happens, Haley must live. If anything happens to her, you'll all pay."
He looked through the window again at his daughter. "How hard can it be for such a large hospital with so many experts to save one young girl?"
Everyone stood quietly. Brian was a man of power, and when he was angry, it was best to stay silent. No one doubted his words. If his daughter died, he would make the hospital suffer.
"Brian, I know you're angry and worried. We want to see her recover too," Susan said quietly. "But please understand, her injuries are severe. She is in the best hands. Please, just give us some time."
Brian wasn't moved. "Stop talking and do your job. I'm not one of the hospital's biggest donors for nothing. You wouldn't want me to pull my funding, would you?"
Susan and the others looked embarrassed, but they stayed quiet.
Timothy grabbed Brian's shoulder. "Brother, listen to Dr. Ware. They will do their best. That's all they can do, and it's all you can expect them to do. Why don't we go to the waiting room and sit for a while? They'll come find us when they know more."
Brian took a long breath and looked back at his pale daughter once more. Then he nodded and followed his brother to the waiting room.
Sitting down in the lounge, Brian raised his head and asked, "Where's my wife? Has anyone told her what happened yet?"
"She went to Bethesda for an auction," Timothy responded. "I've already called her, and she's coming back. It will take her some time to get here, though."
"Why did she go to an auction in Bethesda?" Brian wondered. He and his wife, Hillary, had a grudging respect for one another. They tended to live separate lives, but when it came to raising their daughter, they banded together.
Timothy poured a glass of water for his brother and said, "Don't worry. She'll be here when she can. What matters now is that we figure out a way to help Haley."
He poured himself a glass of water before going on. "According to the administrator, Haley's situation is very serious and complicated. Otherwise, she would have told us everything was fine. But the doctors don't seem very optimistic." He looked closely at his brother and said carefully, "The doctors here are great, but they may not be able to help her. Even the experts that they've called in may not be able to do much."
"What on earth are you trying to say?" Brian asked impatiently.
"What I'm saying is, why not let Alex come and have a look?" Before Brian could object, Timothy went on. "As far as I know, he is a medical and martial arts master, and he's well respected at that clinic of his. He has helped many people. I heard he helped that critically ill girl from Philadelphia, and he was entered in the Top Doctor Competition. The man has some skills, and he might take a different approach than the doctors here would."
Compared with his older brother, Timothy was full of confidence in Alex's skills and hoped that his brother would give Alex a chance.
"You're only saying this so I'll let Alex go," Brian said, scowling. "To what extent have you been brainwashed by him? There is no way I would let that man treat my daughter."
Brian looked at his younger brother's face and said with finality, "I tell you, no way! He's a quack. I will place all my hope on the doctors here at the hospital. If they can't help Haley, then I'll find other experts."
"I wish you would listen to me, brother," Timothy pleaded. "Just give Alex a chance. You don't have to release him; just have him brought here to look at Haley."
Brian shook his head obstinately. "No. Alex may have some medical skills, but I believe in the doctors here. They will save Haley. I'll never ask for help from Alex!"