It's almost the end now. I am going to miss this story. It's one of those that came out really smoothly, although there're a few places where you might spot some discrepancies. Thanks for all the reviews. There aren't many of you, but there's enough incentive to keep me going.

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Ch. 24

The room was dead quiet and the air was stale. The only movement came from the liquid dripping down the IV line. None of the 5 was sure since when the room had begun to feel too crowded. Each of them, with the exception of Asha, had questions and answers bombarding their head.

Rose wanted to say something, but her son raised his hand bluntly and gestured her to stop.

There were a million threads of thoughts in his mind and he dared not speak, for fear of entangling them further. Instead, Burke sat on the bed, carefully examining the man in front of him. This man, his father, was alive all these years. Where was this man when his mother was threatened by greedy proprietors to sell the restaurant? Where was he when Burke broke his nose fighting with a classmate who called him the unwanted, fatherless child? Where was he when Burke graduated first in medical school and made his mother proud?

And the most unsettling of all was that he, Preston Burke, among everyone else in the room, appeared to be the only one who did not already know something about the man lying in bed, the one he used to fondly call Dad.

It wasn't anger. It was more than that. Burke felt left behind. All his life the surgeon wanted to get ahead and be the leader, because, as he now realized, that way people would have to follow him and he would never be left behind.

"Forgive me, will you? Samuel was fully conscious now. He held out his hand to reach his son, disrupting Burke's train of thought.

It was an awkward moment. For 5 seconds, nobody moved. Rose was heart broken seeing her son remain stone-cold. Cristina also couldn't believe her loving husband was capable of such heartlessness. Burke touched Samuel's cheek earlier, why couldn't he take the old man's hand this time and reconcile? Were they really expecting too much from Preston Burke?

Despite that, Samuel smiled before closing his eyes to hide his tears. At the same instant, Asha jumped off her grandma's lap to kiss her grandpa's hand.

Everyone was startled by her move. Burke took off his glasses and grinded his teeth, feeling lost and dejected. Why was it so hard to take the hand? Why did he have such a small heart? He was such a bad example to his own daughter. Such a bad father himself.

"It's alright. It's gonna be alright." Cristina stepped up and squeezed his shoulder. She knew Burke might push her away again, but she could not stop herself. The sight of his grimace was a torture to her mind. She wanted him to know that no matter how inept she had been as a wife, she was there for him. Cristina could feel that his muscles were tense and there was something behind the icy stare. It was something one might refer to as helplessness.

Cristina felt the same.

Burke knew if he didn't grab the opportunity, it would be too late. Already they had missed too many years, what more could they bear to lose? Yes, he was mad that his father deserted them. Yes, he was mad that everyone in the room tried to conceal it from him. Nonetheless, no child would genuinely wish his own father dead right in front of his eyes. As a surgeon, Burke was mad that he could not do anything to save him.

"Dad."

Rose steadied her gaze upon her son's face, hoping to decipher his expression. She turned to her in-law for additional clues, only to find Cristina looking equally defeated.

"Cristina, is he stable enough to be discharged tonight?" Burke broke the silence.

Flipping through the case record and checking his vital signs, Cristina mumbled "yes" hesitantly. What was he thinking?

"Let's go home. The turkey should be ready."

Cristina nodded and Rose followed suit.

The room was silent once more. The word forgiveness was never uttered again, but they all assumed it had been granted.