My Son’s Agony in a Corrupt Hospital

My son, Fred, was with me at the hospital, getting an IV drip, when a little girl nearby started wailing, absolutely refusing to get her shot. I was watching, a frown creasing my brow, when suddenly a male nurse grabbed Fred and pulled him away.

Be a good boy, sweetie, Ill give him the shot first. He can show you how its done, okay?

I immediately protested. Not for any other reason than Fred was severely allergic to many medications. A random injection could be disastrous. But before I could even finish my sentence, a stinging slap landed across my face.

My daughter is a princess of the McKay family! Letting your little brat take a shot with her is an honor! Dont be so ungrateful!

I had no idea Aurora McKay had a daughter

Im not doing it! No!

In the infusion room, the screams and cries of a child were incessant. Occasionally, tweezers, alcohol swabs, or needles would fly through the air, threatening to hit someone. Several patients, unable to bear it, had already dragged their ailing bodies out of the room.

Fred clung to me, his face pale. He'd been frail since birth; my wife, Aurora McKay, and I had coddled him for years to help him function like any other child. Seeing him like this, my heart ached. I regretted giving in to his pleas to accompany me for my IV. This was a McKay-owned hospital; I could easily voice my concerns to the chief of staff. But it was a holiday weekend, and the patient flow was immense; I didnt want to waste medical resources over a trivial matter.

It was strange, though. Despite the crowded infusion room, and those who had fled, not a single person dared to speak up. They just endured it, some silently adjusting their IV drip rates, desperate to finish and leave.

Frowning, I raised my voice. "Excuse me, this is a public space, and everyone here is a patient who needs rest. Could you please ask your child to quiet down?" I added, "My child isn't feeling well, and loud noises upset his heart. Please try to be considerate. Thank you."

The male nurse, who had been trying to pacify the little girl, stopped and turned to look at me. He scowled, his tone self-righteous. "No one else here has a problem, only you. Don't you know what 'minority abides by the majority' means?" He then scanned the room. Wherever his gaze fell, people quickly lowered their heads. Satisfied, he nodded.

Then, as if bestowing a favor, he addressed me. "Guess it's my bad luck today, running into two worthless commoners, big and small, who think everyone should cater to them in a public place. Whatever, I need to take care of my daughter, too lazy to bother with you." Before turning away, he glanced dismissively at Fred, his eyes practically dripping with scorn. "Knows he's a sickly kid and still runs around all the time. At such a young age, trying to flirt with rich ladies, like some kind of frail little gold digger?" He paused. "Doesn't look like it's working, though. So many people here, and no one's standing up for you." He leaned in, his voice dropping slightly. "Know why?" He chuckled darkly. "Let me give you a piece of advice: Do you even know who I am?"

The nurses taunts had begun to fuel my anger, but I didnt want to scare Fred, so I forced myself to be patient and reasonable. "I don't care who you are. This is a public place!" I insisted. "People should have some common decency!"

The nurse stared at me for a long moment, as if he'd discovered something new, then suddenly let out a laugh. He leaned down and whispered something to his daughter, pointing at Fred as he spoke. Although I disliked his finger-pointing, at least his persuasion seemed to quiet the girl down. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Then I noticed Fred struggling to breathe, his heart clearly in distress. Frantically patting my pockets, I realized I hadn't brought his medicine. Panicked, I asked a kind-looking gentleman nearby to keep an eye on Fred, then grabbed my IV bag and rushed out. My phone vibrated; a quick glance showed a message from Aurora.

"Sweetheart, when will you be done? I'll come pick you both up. I already sent Liam over with the herbal soup I personally prepared for you. Waaah, honey, why won't you let me skip work to be with you?"

My mind was a mess; I had no time to reply. Thankfully, I always kept emergency medicine in the car, so I wouldnt be completely helpless. I sped up, finally feeling a wave of relief once I had the medicine in hand.

Still a ways from the infusion room, I saw a shadowy figure lurking behind Fred. A smirk of revenge twisted on his face. By the time I realized what he intended to do, it was too late.

"Boo!"

The man suddenly jumped out from behind Fred. Several people nearby were startled, ready to curse, but swallowed their words the moment they recognized him. Fred let out a small gasp, convulsing as he clutched his chest and collapsed to the floor.

The little brats quite the actor, isn't he?

I immediately ran over. "What are you doing?!"

At the same time, the little girl in the opposite seat suddenly shrieked and, mimicking Fred, slumped in her chair. The man ignored me, rushing towards the girl. "Pearl! My sweet girl! What's wrong with you?!" He cried. "Pearl! Wake up" He dabbed at a few nonexistent tears, then wailed dramatically in the infusion room for a few moments before the girl slowly came to. She huddled in the man's arms, clutching her chest, looking utterly miserable.

"Oh, Daddy, I'm scared, my heart hurts so much."

The man's expression hardened. "Pearl, tell Daddy, who scared you?"

The girl pointed a finger at Fred. "It was him"

I found it utterly ridiculous. My heart pounded furiously with anger. I held Fred close, comforting him, ignoring the dislodged IV needle, and sharply reprimanded the man. "That's absurd!" I snapped. "Fred barely made a sound when he was scared, quieter even than your outburst or the startled gasps of those other gentlemen. Unless you were listening carefully, you wouldn't have heard it. How could he possibly have scared her?!"

But the man ignored me, rushing over and brutally yanking Fred from my arms. I was already weak from my illness and completely unable to resist him. The man grabbed Fred by the hair, holding him up as he addressed the other patients. "Folks, I trust your eyes are sharp. Tell me, whose voice truly scared my daughter?"

I looked hopefully at the older gentlemen and ladies. How could any clear-sighted person not see whose fault it truly was? But they avoided my gaze.

"I, I saw it clearly. Miss McKay was scared only after that little boy made a sound"

"I saw it too! It was that little boy who scared Miss McKay!"

"Poor Miss McKay, she's ill and still being blamed and picked on everywhere. Mr. Florrick, you're a generous man to let it go, but these two actually tried to scare Miss McKay! How can there be such a black-hearted father and son in this world!"

"Disgusting!"

I stared in disbelief at the crowd, who were now vehemently condemning Fred and me. They were indignant, as if Fred and I were truly the most heinous criminals. My vision blurred. After being shoved down by the man, I had remained on the floor, too weak to get up.

There were many people around. No one dared to help me up. Most of them were echoing the man, vilifying Fred and me. But Fred was still in his hands. I could only grit my teeth, struggling to get back on my feet. A passing nurse, unable to bear it any longer, bit her lip and helped me up. She quickly whispered in my ear, "I advise you to play along with him, don't confront him anymore. Just let him vent, and it'll pass." She continued, "He's basically just loafing around the hospital, always throwing his weight around, never doing any actual work, and nobody dares to do anything about him."

I clenched my jaw, asking, "Why is someone like that allowed to stay in this hospital, wasting such good resources?!"

The nurse gave me an odd look. "You really don't know who he is? He's Florrick Adrian, the husband of Aurora McKay, the head of the McKay family, the wealthiest in the city. His son is truly a McKay princess; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say his family has a throne to inherit." She leaned in again. "Do you think these people haven't tried to stop him before? They've all been taught a lesson already. Trust me, he won't go as far as causing a fatality. Just bear with it; it'll be over soon."

The nurse's words left me stunned. If I hadn't misheard, the wealthiest family in the city, the head of the McKay family, was my wife, Aurora McKay. But when did Aurora McKay get such a grown-up daughter? And how did her husband become Florrick Adrian? My mind flashed back to the sweet message she'd just sent.

Before I could ponder it further, Florrick Adrian sighed dramatically. "I really didn't want to make a big deal out of this," he declared. "But this lady and her son keep harassing my son and me, again and again." He continued, "My wife loves me to death. I can't imagine what the consequences would be if she found out." He paused for effect. "My wife isn't like me; she's not one to be reasoned with. If she found out, I'm afraid everyone here would be in trouble." He added, "After all, it's because of your negligence that my son and I have been harmed." He then pulled out his phone, a sinister smile on his face. "What to do? She just sent me a message saying she's coming to see me and our son right away." He concluded, "That's how much she loves us. During work hours, she heard our son was unwell and is rushing right over."

Such unreasonable remarks, yet everyone's resentment could only be swallowed. Their primary fear now was the unknown retaliation from the rumored head of the McKay family. These were ordinary people, keenly aware that a single finger from someone with that background could crush them. They dared not blame the irrational Florrick Adrian. Thus, all their anger was redirected towards Fred and me.

Between the McKay family and seemingly unremarkable Fred and me, anyone could grasp who held more weight. Someone, anxious to appease, immediately proposed, "Mr. Florrick, please don't be upset. We'll all bear witness here. Let's teach this reckless father and son a lesson, and you can calm down, okay?"

Just then, Florrick Adrian, seemingly tired, casually tossed Fred onto the floor. I tried to rush forward, but suddenly several large men from behind me pinned me to the ground. Someone slapped me, the blow making my entire head ring. "Stay put!" "You shameless brat, it's all your fault for angering Mr. Florrick! Do you want to drag us down with you now?!"

Some of the accompanying family members also immediately got up, ready to act. One of them rummaged through a trash can and pulled out a discarded needle. Gritting his teeth, he straddled Fred. "It's your rotten mouth! Why did you have to speak up and scare Miss Pearl?!" He snarled, "I'll sew it shut right now! Let's see if you can still speak up and harm people after this!" Several others, quick to anticipate, immediately rushed over and held down Fred's limbs, preventing him from struggling.

The moment the needle pierced Fred's lower lip, I erupted with astonishing strength, roaring as I broke free from the men's grasp and lunged towards Fred. "Get off him! Get away!" I trembled, holding Fred close. The needle was already through his lower lip; I didn't dare move, unsure what to do. I knelt, crying, begging the nurses nearby for help. "Please, I'm begging you, I'm kowtowing to you. Save my son, he's really not well" But no one responded. They watched with cold eyes, no one daring to get involved.

Florrick Adrian suddenly began to cry as well. "Is not being well an excuse to harm people?!" He wailed, "Did I say anything when my daughter was scared like that? Why is it now making it look like we're bullying you?" He added, "If only my wife were here"

Florrick Adrian's sorrowful cries terrified the crowd even more. Now that he was only crying and not speaking, the others, at a loss, could only bow and scrape before his daughter. Pearl stretched, then announced loudly, "Giving shots is so much fun, Daddy, teach me! I want to give this little brat a shot too" Someone quick-witted immediately seized the opportunity to flatter Pearl. "Miss Pearl is so kind and generous! She knows he's unwell and still wants to learn how to give him shots to cure him" Another chimed in, "You two little wretches should be kneeling and bowing to Miss Pearl and Mr. Florrick!"

Florrick Adrian was quite pleased with this suggestion. "Good girl, Pearl! How about Daddy gives him a shot first, shows you how it's done, and then you can give him one, okay?"

My only thought was that I absolutely couldn't let them take Fred from my arms again. Fred was allergic to many medications; any random drug injected into his body without medical supervision could be fatal. I wanted to escape this place. But the doorway was blocked by several burly men.

"You wretch, we gave you a chance to atone, and you refuse! Do you want to drag us all to hell with you?!" Someone tried to snatch the nearly unconscious Fred from my arms. The force was so great I feared Fred's arm might be torn off. In that brief moment of loosening my grip, Fred was immediately pulled away. Over there, many needles and vials of liquid were already prepared.

No. Absolutely not! I could only grit my teeth and lunge at Pearl. In a move no one expected, I snatched a needle and held it to her neck. Extreme rage made my whole body tremble. "Let go of my son." I warned, my voice tight. "I am Aurora McKay's husband. If you touch my son again, I swear I won't let any of you get away with it!"

Florrick Adrian shrieked, tears instantly flooding his eyes. "Wife!" Just as he screamed, I suddenly felt a heavy blow to the back of my head with a wooden stick.

"How dare you touch my daughter? Do you have a death wish?"

Florrick Adrian was overjoyed. "Wife!"

The searing pain at the back of my head almost made me collapse. Hearing him say "wife," I froze. Had Aurora McKay arrived?