Nicholas Vice, hurried out of the elevator and strode into the private ward he had been informed his father was admitted.
Met with the shocking sight of his father, looking frail and feeble, he stopped short on his heels, his face wreathed with disconcert.
He brazed up himself and continued his stride to his father's side. The man slept in an awfully quiet way that made him uneasy.
"What happened?" He questioned, glancing towards his father's attorney, Martin, who was standing by the foot of the bed.
"He had a cardiac arrest, and he had to undergo another surgery. The doctor said it was a minor surgery, so he should be awake anytime now." The man explained and Nicholas warily glanced back his father.
A frown formed across the lines of his face when a thought came into his mind. He swivelled his head back towards the attorney, his eyes holding a piercing gaze. "What could have caused him a heart attack? What was he doing?"
"I was told that he received a call," Martin replied.
Nicholas face contorted into a scowl. "A call? What type of call? And from who?" He demanded.
"Im afraid I can't answer that. I wasn't there, so I have no idea. But I think you should see this." He stretched out a brown envelope. Nicholas narrowed his eyes on it.
"What is that?" He stretched out his hand to receive it, and Martin passed it over. He said nothing and waited as Nicholas opened the envelope and pulled out the document in it.
"What is this?" Nicholas darkly demanded as he skimmed his eyes through the document.
"What is the meaning of this?" He forcefully asked, swiveling his darkened gaze towards the attorney.
"It's the new draft of your father's will." Martin calmly responded, even though Nicholas could already tell what it was.
"I am asking what this means. This doesn't make any sense. Why is the company going to Paul and not me?" He asked, since that was exactly what he wanted to know.
"I'm sorry, but only your father can answer that." Martin told him.
Nicholas shot him a murderous glare, before staring at the damned shit of paper again, "Are you certain he was in his right mind when he had you draft this?"
"Yes, I was. And you... don't get to glare at my attorney that way." A weak, hoarse voice broke through the brooding gloom in the room, and Nicholas's gaze dashed towards his father.
"Dad?" Nicholas called as he hurried forward.
"Sir Richard," Martins greeted with a polite bow of his head.
"It's okay, Martin. I'm sorry you have to deal with this son of mine."
"And you're not going to deal with me either." Nicholas warned his father.
"How are you feeling?" He asked with a look of concern, choosing to set his concern over the details of the Will aside. His father's health mattered most to him at the moment.
Richard smiled at the worried look on his son's face. "It seems you are still going to have me around for a long time, son."
Seeing that smile on his face, Nicholas felt relieved and also unsettled. While his father was blessed with strength to always go against the odds of life and emerge unscathed, the man was always known to keep his problems away from the his children.
Nicholas studied his father's face and his face pulled into a deeper frown. "Although you are insufferable at times, I prefer you stick around much longer. So, you better not think of going anywhere anytime soon." He warned and the man flashed him a knowing smile which offered him a tad bit of comfort.
"I should get the doctor." Martin offered and dashed out of the room.
Richard scoured his gaze around the room. "Where are your sisters?" His weary eyes returned to Nicholas.
"I asked them to get some coffee and wait at the cafeteria while I see how you are doing. They were very shaken. You gave them quite a fright."
"And you?" Richard asked with a teasing smile.
"Well, you got me jumping on a plane the second I got the call, and I'm sure I gave the crew quite a scare all the way here." He casually said and sighed.
Richard nodded with a smile. "I'm sure you did." Nicholas was his son after all, and he knew him well.
"I should let them know you are up." Nicholas said as he whipped out his phone and made a quick call to one of his sisters.
He lowered his gaze to his father. "Martin said you got a call, and that's what led to this. Do you mind telling me who called?"
"I think we should rather talk about the document in your hand." Richard tipped his chin at it.
Nicholas stared at the sheet of paper. As much as he would have loved to talk about it, now wasn't the time or the place for that conversation.
"I'm sure we can talk about this much later when you're feeling better and back home." He said, but Richard shook his head.
"I want us to talk about it now." He asserted.
Nicholas intended to protest, but knowing how stubborn his father was, he knew they were only going to argue endlessly over it, and since he didn't want to stress him, he conceded.
"Alright, old man, tell me what this is? What got into you? Why am I suddenly getting kicked out? Am I adopted and you want to give it all to your biological son whom you've been hiding this whole time?" He asked dryly, and Richard chuckled.
"I wish it was as dramatic as that. But no. It's simple. I want you to get married, and I have someone in mind for you."
"What? What are you talking about?" Nicholas asked with a confused frown, hoping he had heard wrongly.
"I want you to get married and I have a wife in mind for you," his father repeated.