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"What happens if he doesn’t have the surgery?" Aidan asked gri on the lump in his throat, he turned to theof his dad’s room, but the blinds were drawn so he couldn’t see inside

"Go," Veronica urged "You’re his son You should see him first"

He hesitated Christ, he didn’t want to walk into that roo there, hooked up to h as it was

But he had no choice This was his father, for chrissake

Taking a breath, Aidan opened the door and walked inside

Ti on a hospital bed in the middle of the private rooreasy and unkempt His dark eyes were closed but snapped open at Aidan’s entrance

"Aidan," his dad said gruffly

As he approached the bed, he grabbed the nearbywas a da his father so pale and beaten

"Hey, Dad" He sed "How’re you doing?"

"Still alive, so that’s so" The attempt at humor fell flat, and neither ery"

"If h to allow it"

Aidan’s throat was so tight he could barely force out any words, but heheart proble care of ht, exercising, I even quit s last year"

It spoke volumes that Aidan hadn’t known that Conversations in which they shared any part of their lives were few and far between, and his heart constricted painfully as he realized he hardly knew theon the bed This was his father, dalad you ca Ti, "You are?"

"Of course I a that I’d want to see my son before I died?"

Panic erupted in his chest "Don’t fking say that You’re not going to die, Dad"

"There’s a chance my heart will stop on the table Doctors said so"