"Thanks," Clara replied, a hint of pride in her voice as she settled behind her imposing desk. "It's still a work in progress, but I think it reflects the organization's mission properly." Elliot nodded. "But the children mainly suggested it." Clara said with a fond smile playing across on her face. Elliot nodded, taking in the room's bright colours with little handprints all over the walls and some decorative items in the office, stickers filled the rest.
"How is your baby, Jonah?" Clara asked. Elliot chuckled slightly, then sighed, "Not doing any better, he plans on using work to distract himself." He told her.
"And his parents?" Clara asked.
"We spent the whole day in the hospital yesterday, his father had a heart attack due to the stress of watching those items the blackmailer sent them." Elliot narrated. He had forgotten to fill her in on the details since.
"Oh my God, that is so terrible." Clara said.
"Yea." Elliot affirmed.
"How is Jonah coping with all these?" Clara asked.
"He isn't, his mum practically hates him for breaking their conservative hearts." Elliot answered.
"Tell me that amidst all these, his father is recovering, tell me that please?" Clara asked her heart aching on Jonah's behalf.
"That, we can't even tell, the doctor said the chances are slim. We can only hope he becomes conscious." Elliot told her.
Clara sighed, "Oh poor Jonah." But we can't let all these derail us. Jonah needs support, and we need to focus on finding the blackmailer and making him suffer for causing Jonah this much pain."
"Any progress on that front?" Elliot asked, his eyes filled with hope. Clara hissed. "Some," she said, pulling up a file on her tablet. "I have been going through the financial records of several individuals who might have a motive. Lila is at the top of my list. Her recent behavior has been suspicious from those I asked. Sadly there is no evidence yet." Clara said, her voice low.
"We need to find something," Elliot said, his voice filled with urgency. "Jonah is falling apart. His mother's rejection, his father's condition, the constant threat of exposure he is reaching his breaking point, we both are reaching our breaking points."
"I know," Clara said, her voice soft. "I am doing everything we can. I have also contacted some private investigators, people who specialize in digital forensics and financial tracing. They are working on identifying the source of the videos and messages, and tracking the money trail."
"We need to find the blackmailer, clear Jonah's name, and help his family heal. We can't let them win."
"Agreed," Elliot said, his eyes filled with determination. "What is the next step?"
"We wait, we stay patient." Clara said, her voice low. "We wait for the investigators to find something, for Lila to slip up. And we continue to support Jonah, to give him the strength he needs to face this."
"And we keep an eye on his parents, maybe try to settle the dispute." Elliot added. "We can't leave them vulnerable." Clara nodded.
"Exactly," she said. "I will keep you informed of any progress, and we need to be there for a Jonah's parents if they need anything."
"Thank you so much Clara," Elliot said, rising from his chair. "I am going to head to the hospital. I want to be there when Jonah finishes work and watch over things, incase his parents need anything."
"Alright," Clara said, her eyes filled with resolve. "Keep me updated."
*****
The day at work seemed endless for Jonah. He felt like he had spent days in the office,if not weeks. The revisions Victor requested were completed, but the lingering thoughts of the past days events and Victor's over bearing presence in the office made it difficult to concentrate.
Victor dropped in every few hours "To see the work Jonah has done." He could not wait for the day to end, for the chance to see Elliot, to check on his father, to just leave this suffocating atmosphere.
Finally, the clock struck five. Jonah quickly gathered his belongings, eager to leave. As he reached for his phone, it buzzed, the screen displaying an unfamiliar number. He hesitated for a moment, then answered.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Hartfield?" a voice on the other end said. He recognized the voice from yesterday. It was Liam, the lab technician from the hospital.
"Yes, this is he," Jonah replied, a knot of unease tightening in his stomach. "This is Liam from St. Jude's Hospital. We need you to come back in as soon as possible. There are some further results from your blood tests that we need to discuss immediately." Jonah's heart skipped a beat.
"Further results? What do you mean? Why didn't we discuss this yesterday?" Jonah asked.
Liam's voice was hesitant. "I am afraid I can't discuss the details over the phone, Mr. Hartfield. It is important that you come in so a doctor can explain everything properly."
A shiver washed over Jonah. "Is it bad?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"Please, Mr. Hartfield," Liam said, his voice pleading, "just come in. We will explain everything as soon as you get here." Jonah's mind raced. What could be so serious that they could not even mention it over the phone? His imagination conjured up a series of terrifying possibilities.
"Alright," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I will come. I will be there as soon as I can." He ended the call, his hand shaking. He felt like the world was closing in on him. First his father, then his mother disowning him, the blackmail, and now this. What else could possibly go wrong? He hoped his Father was still alive. He rushed out of the office, his mind consumed by fear and anxiety. He drove to the hospital, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, his thoughts a chaotic jumble of worry and despair.
He parked the car and practically ran inside, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He raced to his father's ward as fast as he could. He pushed the door open panting heavily as beads of sweat already began breaking out on his forehead. The door startled his mother and she sat up and sneered. Jonah ignored her and looked to his father and the machines hooked up to his father. He let out a breath of relief confirming his father was still alive.
He shut the door still ignoring his mother as he headed towards the lab floor. He found Liam waiting for him near the lab.
"Mr. Hartfield," Liam said, his expression grave, "thank you for coming so quickly. Dr. Wilson is waiting for you in his office." Jonah nodded, his throat tight. He followed Liam to Dr. Wilson's office, his legs feeling heavy and weak. He entered the office, his eyes searching Dr. Wilson's face for any hint of what was to come. Dr. Wilson greeted him with a gentle smile, but Jonah could see the concern in his eyes.
"Please, Jonah, have a seat," he said, gesturing to a chair. Jonah sat, his heart pounding in his chest. "What is it, Doctor?" he asked, his voice trembling. "What else did the tests show? Shouldn't Elliot be here too?" Jonah asked. "Well I felt you should get to hear this first before you decided who to share it with." Dr. Wilson replied. Dr. Wilson took a deep breath. "Jonah," he began, his voice soft, "the tests revealed something we were not expecting. It appears that you have cancer."