Chapter 8: A Tremor in the ICU
Back at the clinic, the steady rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor finally shifted. Clara’s fingers twitched against the sterile sheets. Dr. Aris confirmed her vitals were stabilizing; the worst of the cranial swelling had subsided. Julian squeezed her hand, a flicker of hope piercing his grief.
The moment was shattered by a man in a cheap suit pushing through the ICU doors. A process server.
He handed Julian a sealed envelope. Marcus Thorne had filed an emergency injunction. Enclosed was a copy of a living will, supposedly signed by Clara, explicitly refusing life support in the event of a coma. Eleanor, as the family matriarch, was listed as the executor of the medical proxy. Thorne was legally attempting to pull the plug.
