License to Choose

Chapter 20.

Mason returned to the warmth when the cold became unbearable, and though he only had the option of returning to the waiting room, he chose to sit as far away from his father as possible.

A new family had appeared, and their whispers of delight as they shared their excitement to a second cluster of people kept to a corner, as Mason silenced their chatter with his headphones. Meanwhile, the man who had been staring at the window had disappeared, likely receiving the news he had been after, and he accepted that he wouldn't know the outcome or cause for the stranger's tears. Focussing on someone else's sadness, or even their joy, wouldn't do anything to ease the blazing heat that flared in Mason's stomach as he glared at the older version of himself across the room.

Mason senior's refusal to meet his gaze may have even suggested that his appearance had gone unnoticed, but he knew he was present; he knew that his son deserved his embrace. And yet, his father just sat there...waiting...without even the audacity to apologise for his wrongdoings.

"Mr Park?" A young woman entered the room as she assessed the waiters that remained. Of course, her call engaged both men who shared the family name, and she requested that they follow her once they moved to their feet.

Unlike the waiting room, or the rest of the hospital, Dr White's room was hot, and the hint of detergent peaked through the mask of perfume she must have sprayed often enough to obscure the chemical smell. The pictures of cats lined the wall almost reminded Mason of that wretched woman from Harry Potter, but the doctor's blue eyes were warm, negating that thought almost immediately. It also helped keep the tension under control, and strangely, Mason found himself at ease.

"What's happening to my wife?" Mason senior asked, breaking the silence as she opened the file on the desk.

"Your wife...your mother has just come out of surgery," Doctor White explained, pulling out the X-rays so that they could see the damage Iseul had endured. "Typically, surgery in the first twenty-four hours is crucial, and the earlier we can provide surgery, the better the outcome. As you can see, all metacarpal bones and phalanges were crushed during the accident," she pointed to the mess of bones with the nib of her pen, "and her fingers were dislocated. During surgery, we were able to assess the damage, re-position her fingers and mobilise the bones with a splint. We also reattached the severed nerves-"

"You're speaking too medically," Mason senior interrupted, "will my wife be able to use her hand again?"

Doctor White released a small sigh as she met Mason's eyes, the warmth coated with sorrow as she explained the events that were to unfold. "The extent of Mrs Park's injuries is unknown. The surgery will allow her to keep her hand, but she has a long way to go. Her recovery will only begin after the three weeks of rest we will impose, followed by physiotherapy...we cannot say for sure how much function of her hand she will regain,"

"But she needs her hand," Mason's father cried, his shoulders moving despite the attempts to hide his sadness. "She's a car mechanic; her hands were made for building cars, her fingers were always nimble enough to do the fiddly bits,"

It was hard for Mason to remain focussed as his father mourned, but he cleared his mind and asked the most question, requesting the answer he needed most. "Will she wake up?"

"Your mother had a high alcohol content in her bloodstream," Dr White began her explanation once more, her lips pursed as she glanced at the notes before her. "Anaesthesia contains drugs that suppress normal body processes such as breathing, heart rate, and circulation- and alcohol affects these same processes. Typically, we would have just given a local anaesthetic, to numb the area but due to the extent of blood loss, we thought it best to use general, which required an increased dosage, advancing the risk of cardiac events. Alcohol can also affect medication, the way blood clots, and may delay recovery. She's still under her anaesthesia, and we'll be monitoring her constantly as we draw her out...."