On the other side, there had been no news of Deanna for several days. Lance hadn't rested for days either.
He visibly grew thinner and more haggard.
No one could persuade him otherwise. The thought of Deanna being missing, possibly harmed, made him anxious. He hated himself for not being strong enough; otherwise, he would have found her by now.
On the fourth day, Lance's body reached its limit, and he collapsed from exhaustion.
Moreover, his long-suppressed old ailment erupted.
Logan, Samantha, and Old Ashley were shocked to learn that Lance had fallen ill.
They hurried to Lance's room and found Gunner performing acupuncture on him.
The two little ones saw their pale, unconscious father on the bed and their eyes immediately reddened with tears.
However, they remembered their mother's rule not to disturb the doctor during treatment.
Logan, Samantha, and Old Ashley also knew not to interrupt Gunner and stood quietly by the side.
A few minutes later, Gunner inserted the last needle, then stood up and took a towel from Jagger to wipe his hands and forehead.
Noticing the people standing nearby, he said in a deep voice, "You're here."
"Grandmaster, how is our dad?" the two little ones asked tearfully.
Logan, Samantha, and Old Ashley looked on with concern.
Gunner's expression was grave. "His old ailment has flared up and shows signs of worsening."
Everyone's heart skipped a beat at his words.
"How can this be? Didn't Deanna say he was getting better when she treated him before?" Samantha asked in disbelief.
Logan didn't say anything but shared Samantha's sentiment, wanting to know why.
Old Ashley speculated, "Is it because Lance hasn't been resting well these days?"
"That's about right. Extreme fatigue lowers all bodily functions, allowing the virus to invade," Gunner nodded in agreement.
Logan and Samantha were both angry and heartbroken. "We told him to rest well. He agreed but still did as he pleased. Now look at him; he's almost lost his life. How will he save Deanna now?"
Old Ashley felt deeply guilty. "It's Deanna who has burdened Lance."
"Oh no, don't say that. We all know Deanna was captured because of Lance. If anyone's burdened someone, it's our Lance who has burdened Deanna," Samantha quickly reassured the elderly lady.
Logan echoed, "Old Ashley, you don't need to blame yourself. As Deanna's fiance and the father of her children, if Lance doesn't shoulder his responsibility now, he doesn't deserve to be with her."
He then turned to Gunner and asked, "Mr. Martinez, is there any way to treat Lance?"
"There is a way, but if we start treatment now, he might be bedridden for a month. I doubt he'll cooperate," Gunner replied honestly.
Hearing this, Logan and Samantha fell silent.
They knew Lance wouldn't stop searching for Deanna just for treatment.
After a long pause, Logan calmly asked, "If we don't treat him now and just suppress the illness, what are the consequences?"
"If we don't treat him now, he'll miss the last chance for a cure. Future treatments would only extend his life by a few years. One more flare-up would be fatal," Gunner stated the worst-case scenario.
Samantha and Logan's faces grew serious at his words.
The two little ones turned pale with fear and burst into tears.
"I don't want Daddy to die."
"Grandmaster, please save our daddy," Chloe cried as she clung to Gunner's leg.
Seeing the little girl in tears, Gunner felt a pang of sorrow.
He gently patted her head and said softly, "Don't cry. Your daddy will be fine."
As he spoke, Old Ashley's voice filled the room.
"Mr. Martinez, please treat Lance. I'll handle everything else," she said firmly.
She couldn't let Lance risk his life to save her granddaughter.
Samantha and Logan were moved by her words. "Don't worry, even if Lance can't act, we as his parents will definitely rescue Deanna," Samantha assured her.
"I believe in you and Mr. Martinez," Old Ashley said with tears in her eyes.
Gunner nodded solemnly at her. "Rest assured, Old Ashley. Deanna is the heir to the Martinez family; I won't let anything happen to her."