It felt like forever before Louis found himself able to speak once
more, his mind frantically running over the situation again and again
trying to find some sort of solution, anything that would give him a way
out of this mess without hurting his son, possibly destroying their
relationship forever. There was nothing, though. Lona had trusted him to
honor her wishes and he didn't feel that he could betray her now, not even
to save.... He had to struggle to hold back tears as he thought about how
Elmer was going to react if Lona died, if they had to take her off of the
machines. He knew that he would lose his son forever if that happened.
How could he risk that and yet at the same time, how could he betray Lona's trust in him and the ethical principals he had held for so long?
"I have to tell Hook." Louis said slowly to Chris. "I have to find a copy of this and let him see it." His heart felt heavier with each word that he spoke, knowing that if he did tell, it was likely going to be the end of any relationship with his son.
"Louis...." Chris just stared at him, not really sure of what to say. Elmer was definitely going to take this badly, that she was sure of and if Louis was the one to bring the living will to Hook's attention.
Suddenly, she had an idea. "Louis, do you want me to be the one to tell Hook? Maybe if it comes from someone else...." She liked Elmer and would hate to lose him as a friend, of course, but that would be better than Louis losing his son.
Louis closed his eyes for a moment as he pondered Chris's suggestion She had know idea how tempting it was to pass the responsibility on to someone else. Then he could just focus on his son instead of having to deal with what Lona wanted, with making sure that her wishes were respected. With a shake of his head, he realized that he couldn't do it, though, couldn't pawn off what was his responsibility onto Chris just to save his relationship with his son. When he had signed that paper, it had been like a promise to Lona and he wouldn't break that promise.
"No, I signed the papers. It's my responsibility." Louis said slowly as he stood, his mind running over where they could go to find a copy of the living will. Maybe once they saw it, maybe Lona hadn't been as explicit in the written document as she had been when she had been talking to him.
"Would her lawyer have a copy or does she even have one?" Chris asked Louis. She wised he had agreed to let her handle telling Hook. She hated the thought of what would happen if he was the one to tell. Elmer would totally freak.
"I've got his name in my office." Louis shook his head as he thought of that. He had even recommended the lawyer to Lona. Oh, Elmer would probably think that was another sign that his father was plotting against him, that and his signing of the blasted living will. "I'll call him and see if he has it and can fax a copy over."
Chris slowly nodded. "Let me know when you get it, okay? I'll be in the lab seeing if they've come up with anything." Louis shouldn't be alone when he had to show Hook that paper. "And if you change your mind and want me to be the one to tell...."
"It's my responsibility," Louis said once more as he turned and exited the lounge. And if he was the one to tell, maybe he could put a slight spin on things? After all, Lona had been thinking of something like an accident or something involving head trauma when she wrote out the living will, not the current situation. Maybe he could spin things in a way that would make Hook decide the living will didn't apply to the present situation. And maybe by the time he got back from checking with the lawyer and getting the papers faxed over, Chris would have good news and he wouldn't have to tell Hook about it at all. As he headed for his office,
he started to silently pray for a miracle.
How could he risk that and yet at the same time, how could he betray Lona's trust in him and the ethical principals he had held for so long?
"I have to tell Hook." Louis said slowly to Chris. "I have to find a copy of this and let him see it." His heart felt heavier with each word that he spoke, knowing that if he did tell, it was likely going to be the end of any relationship with his son.
"Louis...." Chris just stared at him, not really sure of what to say. Elmer was definitely going to take this badly, that she was sure of and if Louis was the one to bring the living will to Hook's attention.
Suddenly, she had an idea. "Louis, do you want me to be the one to tell Hook? Maybe if it comes from someone else...." She liked Elmer and would hate to lose him as a friend, of course, but that would be better than Louis losing his son.
Louis closed his eyes for a moment as he pondered Chris's suggestion She had know idea how tempting it was to pass the responsibility on to someone else. Then he could just focus on his son instead of having to deal with what Lona wanted, with making sure that her wishes were respected. With a shake of his head, he realized that he couldn't do it, though, couldn't pawn off what was his responsibility onto Chris just to save his relationship with his son. When he had signed that paper, it had been like a promise to Lona and he wouldn't break that promise.
"No, I signed the papers. It's my responsibility." Louis said slowly as he stood, his mind running over where they could go to find a copy of the living will. Maybe once they saw it, maybe Lona hadn't been as explicit in the written document as she had been when she had been talking to him.
"Would her lawyer have a copy or does she even have one?" Chris asked Louis. She wised he had agreed to let her handle telling Hook. She hated the thought of what would happen if he was the one to tell. Elmer would totally freak.
"I've got his name in my office." Louis shook his head as he thought of that. He had even recommended the lawyer to Lona. Oh, Elmer would probably think that was another sign that his father was plotting against him, that and his signing of the blasted living will. "I'll call him and see if he has it and can fax a copy over."
Chris slowly nodded. "Let me know when you get it, okay? I'll be in the lab seeing if they've come up with anything." Louis shouldn't be alone when he had to show Hook that paper. "And if you change your mind and want me to be the one to tell...."
"It's my responsibility," Louis said once more as he turned and exited the lounge. And if he was the one to tell, maybe he could put a slight spin on things? After all, Lona had been thinking of something like an accident or something involving head trauma when she wrote out the living will, not the current situation. Maybe he could spin things in a way that would make Hook decide the living will didn't apply to the present situation. And maybe by the time he got back from checking with the lawyer and getting the papers faxed over, Chris would have good news and he wouldn't have to tell Hook about it at all. As he headed for his office,
he started to silently pray for a miracle.