Chapter 306: Termination
"This child… can't be kept. It has to be terminated."
After a long silence, Frank finally spoke.
Frank liked kids—but some lines could not be crossed.
No matter what, the child in Mandy's womb could not be brought into the world. This wasn't just a personal matter; it was a fundamental issue of morality. On top of that, children born from close blood relations were overwhelmingly likely to suffer from serious physical or mental problems.
"You're not going to tell me you don't even have the money for Mandy's abortion, are you?" Frank asked, eyeing Terry's expression.
"I… don't really have much cash on hand right now," Terry said awkwardly.
Frank was stunned. "Where did all your money go?"
"I spent it," Terry replied.
Back when Frank first started doing business, it had been Terry who helped make introductions and connect the dots. Frank hadn't shortchanged him—he'd paid plenty for that help.
Later, even when Terry was no longer needed, Frank still looked after him. Out of respect for the early assistance—and because Terry knew who Frank really was—Frank had even cut him in on a small share of Blue Angel profits.
The share wasn't large, but given how insanely well Blue Angel was selling, it was more than enough to make a decent fortune.
Unfortunately, Terry was the most stereotypical kind of American spender: the kind who burned tomorrow's money today.
Whatever he earned, he spent—on guns he liked, on drinking with his buddies, on meals, booze, and junk. As a result, he never had any savings.
To make things worse, Mandy didn't have health insurance. There was no reimbursement, no coverage—everything had to be paid out of pocket.
And a proper abortion at a legitimate hospital didn't come cheap.
If the procedure were done at an unlicensed underground clinic, it would of course be much cheaper—perhaps only a tenth of the cost. But the operating conditions would be terrible. Infection would be a real risk, complications could easily turn fatal, and if the body were damaged internally, Mandy might never be able to have children in the future.
"Forget it. I'll pay for Mandy's surgery," Frank said with a sigh.
---
At the same time, out in the hospital corridor—
"So… the kid is your dad's?" Lip asked Mandy quietly.
Frank could tell; someone as sharp as Lip wouldn't miss it.
"Say one more word and I'll blow your head off," Mandy snapped, pulling a gun from her waistband and slamming Lip against the wall. She was shaking with fury, like a nerve had been struck raw.
"Sorry," Lip said quickly, realizing he'd gone too far.
"Are you okay?" Ian asked softly.
"What's with that look? Since when do you Gallaghers get to judge me?" Mandy shot back, overly sensitive.
"That's not what I meant," Ian said. "But… why does he think the kid is mine?"
"He drinks too much. Sometimes he mistakes me for my mom," Mandy said flatly. "And every time he gets that drunk, he blacks out and forgets everything. You'd better not tell anyone."
"We won't," Ian said immediately.
"I just want all of this to be over as soon as possible," Mandy murmured.
"You can come in now," Terry said as the door opened. The three of them fell silent at once.
---
"Everything's clear now," Frank said. "We'll go through the procedures and terminate the pregnancy. I'll cover the cost."
He paused, then added, "Ian, you go with Mandy. If they need a family member's signature, sign as her father."
"I understand," Ian said, without hesitation.
"After the surgery, you two take Mandy home and pack her things. She'll stay at our place for now," Frank continued.
Everyone froze.
After what Terry had done—something beyond unforgivable—there was no way Mandy could continue living with him.
Even if this incident scared him straight—and that was a big if—once a person drank to the point of blacking out, there was no real control. Unless Terry quit drinking entirely, which was clearly impossible, the risk would always be there.
Keeping Mandy away from him was the only safe option.
Strictly speaking, this was someone else's family matter. Frank had no obligation to intervene. By any normal standard, the police should have been called.
But in the South Side, you didn't call the cops lightly. And Mandy, the victim herself, didn't want the police involved.
Frank loved kids. Mandy was a child he knew, a good kid. After understanding what she'd been through, there was no way he could just walk away.
More importantly, Mandy's psychological state was deeply concerning.
Terry drank until he blacked out and didn't know what he was doing. Mandy, on the other hand, knew exactly what was happening. But for reasons no one could fully understand—shame, fear, or something even darker—she'd kept silent, pretending nothing had happened.
And it was obvious this hadn't happened just once.
She'd buried it all… until the pregnancy made it impossible to hide. When Terry accused Ian—her so-called boyfriend on the surface—everything finally exploded into the open.
That kind of mindset was deeply unhealthy.
Looking at Mandy, Frank felt as if he were seeing Karen from years ago. And just like then, he couldn't turn away.
"Frank, Mandy is my daughter," Terry said sharply when he realized Frank intended to take her away.
"You still remember she's your daughter?" Frank shot back.
The two men locked eyes. After a long moment, Terry looked away, defeated, and slumped back into his chair without another word.
After a few more instructions, Mandy and the others left.
---
"What a fucking mess," Frank muttered once the ward fell quiet again.
He leaned back against the bed, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.
"May God bless your soul…"
Frank slowly woke, hearing a soft prayer.
He opened his eyes and saw Ethel—Kevin and Veronica's daughter. Not adopted anymore; officially, she was their child now.
She was kneeling by the hospital bed, elbows resting on the mattress, hands clasped together in prayer.
"Ethel," Frank said gently, smiling with genuine affection. He truly loved the girl—pure, innocent, untouched by the filth of the world.
"Oh—Mr. Frank! I didn't mean to wake you," Ethel said nervously.
"It's fine. I was already awake," Frank replied. "Why are you here? Where's Sammi?"
"Miss Sammi went to take care of Mandy, so she asked me to come help," Ethel answered.