Like Father, Like Daughter : The Story of the Prime Minister and His Daughter

Chapter 9

"Hey, Ben," Ryan greeted as Carlton painfully sat down at the kitchen table. "You feeling alright, today?" Carlton gave him a small nod, but nothing more. Morgan, who was sitting next to Ben asked, "What's wrong, Grandpa?"

Carlton gave her a small smile, then said, "Just feeling a little ill, Dan--erm...I mean..." Ryan looked at him sympathetically and said, "Morgan." Carlton snapped his finger and said, "Right. Morgan."

Ryan set a plate of eggs down in front of him and said, "Eat and take your pills. I can tell these new ones are making you a little better." Carlton ignored him, but took a few bites of his food and swallowed his pills. 

"Where's Dani?" He asked. Ryan told him, "Had to be at work early this morning, even though she's due in a few days now. I don't understand how she can do that." Carlton smirked as he told him, "She's her mother." 

Ryan couldn't argue with that. "Morgan, go get ready for school," he told his daughter. "Ben, you'll be home alone for a few hours today. You okay with that?" Carlton nodded, but didn't look so good. Ryan looked at him oddly and asked, "You okay, there?"

Carlton just nodded again. "I'm going to go take a nap," he told him. He stood up from the table, but as soon as he did...he fell to the ground. "Ben!" Ryan quickly got down next to him and called an ambulance. 

"Ben, Ben...hey, look at me," he said. "Come on, Ben, please!" Carlton's eyes wandered everywhere around the room. When he landed on Ryan, he weakly asked, "Who...who are you?" Ryan calmly said, "It's me, it's Ryan. I'm Dani's husband."

Carlton seemed incredibly confused. "Dani?" He asked. "Who's Dani?" Ryan was sure as hell glad that Dani wasn't here to hear that. "She's your daughter, Ben," he told her. Again, that just seemed to confuse him. 

"Daughter? I don't have a daughter. I'm...I'm the Prime Minister, I don't have time for a family. I have to deal with this...this...this woman. American. She's my new...new assistant. Bloody hell, she's a bitch." 

Ryan could hear the ambulance coming down the street as he said, "Well, I hate to break it to you, pal, but you marry that bitch." Before Carlton could ask, paramedics were rushing through the door. 

They got Carlton on a gurney and rolled him into the ambulance. Ryan, in the meantime, grabbed Morgan and followed the ambulance to the hospital. He called Dani, too, who was already on her way there.

When Ryan got there, he spoke to Doctor Watts, who told him, "He had a heart attack on the way over here. The paramedics were able to sedate him, but we have him in ICU. I'm sorry, but the Alzheimer's...it's gotten him to the point where all we can do is make him comfortable."

About an hour later, Dani was rushing into the hospital and saw Ryan and Morgan in the waiting room. Ryan carefully explained everything he was told by Doctor Watts. Dani had never cried so hard in her life. 

As soon as she was able, she went to his room in ICU and sat with him as he slept. She held his hand and cried as she watched him. Her father, the strongest man she has ever know, was now weak and helpless in the hospital. There was nothing more she could do. 

After a few hours, he started to wake up. Dani had fallen asleep in her chair with her hand in his. When she felt him squeeze it, she practically jolted awake. "C...Cassie?" He weakly asked. Dani shook her head and said, "No, dad, it's me. It's Dani."

"Dani," he repeated. He barely had his eyes open when as he looked at her. "Dani...my baby girl." She sniffled and let a few tears fall as she told him, "Yeah, it's me. You had a little fall, but it's going to be okay."

Carlton had his eyes a little more open now and was staring at her. "Dan," he said, "you are...you are so beautiful. So much like your mother." She gave him a small smile and he continued, "I miss her. I miss her so much."