Damien's POV

The hospital waiting room smelled like antiseptic and medicine.

"You know, if you hadn't abandoned us, maybe this wouldn't have happened."

I looked up from my phone, to see my mother, Margaret, sitting across from me, her arms crossed, her face tight with barely concealed anger.

"Mom, appendicitis doesn't happen because you both moved to another state."

"That's not what I meant," she said, her voice sharp, "If you'd been here, if you'd been checking in like a good son, maybe ...