Richard stood at the foot of the bed, his face carved with worry as he watched Theo lying motionless, the sedative finally pulling him into uneasy rest. Evelyn sat on the edge of the mattress, her hand brushing tenderly over her son's arm, but her eyes, sharp and snapped to Liam the moment the silence grew heavy.
"What the hell did you say to him?" Evelyn's voice trembled, not with fear but with restrained fury. "And why is he being discharged? The doctor didn't tell me anything…"
Richard's jaw tightened as he turned to his youngest son, his stare no softer. "Liam. Answer your mother."
"Why are you both acting like I planned this?" Liam shot back, his eyes flashing. "He's not nineteen! He's twenty-nine! He's the one who demanded to leave, not me." His fists clenched at his sides, voice rising. "What was I supposed to do, chain him to the bed?"
