Page 93 of Missing Pieces (Men of Manhattan 3)

I threw some cash at the cab driver and ran into the hospital. "I'm looking for Jeffrey Shaw," I said to the receptionist.

Her eyebrows lowered slightly. Sympathy. I was so fucking tired of getting people's sympathy. The whole car ride over here I thought about the extra time I spent in California with Tyler. I should have just come home. He was right. God, please don't let me be too late.

"He's in room 237."

"Thank you." I took the stairs two at a time. I didn't even need to find the room. I saw the employees from the bar and friends from town all clustered together at the end of the hall.

I ran over to Anna and shoved the envelope that contained the check and credit cards into her hands.

"Hailey..." There was the sympathy again. All over Anna's face.

"Please just find the doctor and give that to him."

"Hailey..." but I was already pushing the door open to my dad's room.

She caught my arm before I could enter. I never would have guessed how strong Anna was.

"Hailey you need to be prepared for what you're walking into."

"I got the money. He's going to be fine."

"Hon, he's not going to be fine." She grabbed my shoulders so that I would face her. Her eyes were filled with tears. "He's dying. You're lucky he held on this long. He doesn't have much time left."

"He has at least four months."

Anna shook her head.

I didn't have time to listen to Anna fill me on what I had missed. I knew what I had missed. I had missed my last few days with my dad. I shook away from her grip. No. No, he was going to be okay.

I turned away from her and pushed through the door. But I immediately froze when I saw him. He looked ten years older. He looked...he looked like he was dying. I bit the inside of my lip, trying to hold back the tears. I needed to be strong for him. "Dad?" I whispered. It looked like he was sleeping.

He coughed into his hand, which had tubes sticking out of it. "Honey?" He coughed again and slowly opened his eyes.

"Hi, Daddy." I peeled myself from the wall and walked over to him. I grabbed his hand as I sat down next to his hospital bed. His hand felt so cold in mine. Dad.

"I missed you, honey." His voice sounded hoarse and his eyelids looked heavy.

I squeezed his hand. "I missed you too."

"Did you see her?"

I nodded my head.

"Promise me you didn't listen to anything she said."

I blinked faster so the tears wouldn't start. "No, of course not."

"Hails, look at me."

I blinked away my tears as he touched the bottom of my chin.

"Hails, you are not your mother. There's goodness in your heart." He coughed again. This time there was blood on his hand.

"I should get a doctor."

"No, wait." He coughed again. "I talked to a financial advisor. You need to sell the house. And the bar. I had a life insurance policy in case anything happened to me when you were a kid. It's still good. It should be enough to settle all my debts. Enough to give you a fresh start."

I shook my head. "Dad, I got the money for the treatments. You're going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay."

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