Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 599

"Irene, are you heading to bed yet?" Neil's voice drifted through the phone, sounding oddly distant.

"Yep, about to. What's up?" I was lounging in the bathtub, soaking in the warmth. A hot bath on a chilly evening like this was bliss.

There was silence on Neil's end for a beat, and my sense of unease grew.

Then, he dropped it on me, "Are you trying to starve me to death?"

"Starve you? What do you mean? Doesn't the hospital feed you?" I asked, puzzled.

"I can't stomach hospital food, and I'm off my game with anything from the outside. Got a bit of a sensitive stomach these days. Doctor recommended something light and homemade, said it's best for healing," Neil sounded weak but steadfast in his plea.

Why he thought of bothering his soon-to-be ex-wife for a home-cooked meal was beyond me. If Neil wanted something, couldn't he just snap his fingers and have it delivered? Money solves many things, so why hassle me, especially when I was just about to drift off?

I shot him down without a second thought, "My cooking skills are questionable at best. Maybe Cooper can whip something up for you?"

Cooper was still around, after all. If not now, when?

Besides, Mitch was no longer my concern. Let Neil be Cooper's problem for a change.

"He's only good for picking up takeout from fancy places. I'm sick of it. I was hoping for something simple, like chicken and rice soup, maybe with a bit of greens thrown in," Neil persisted, getting into specifics.

Cooking was not my forte, but I could have one of the housekeepers make some soup, if I felt like it.

"You could have Cooper ask a chef from one of those fancy places to make you chicken and rice soup. I'm not the right person for this," I refused again.

But Neil played his ace, "Are you sure about that? Getting better sooner means I can dig into that Dylan guy and what Karina's been up to with Hiram overseas. You're tied up with your dad's situation right now, aren't you?"

He had a point. My priority was my father's health. Until that was sorted, I couldn't focus on anything else.

"It's for Neil," I admitted, explaining the previous night's call and Neil's current situation.

"Why you? What about his parents, Ryan and Faith? Why isn't anyone else looking after him?" my dad wondered, bringing up a valid point.

It made me ponder the dynamics of our entangled lives and the responsibilities we carried for one another, even as we tried to move on.

Just as I was pondering, my phone buzzed with a text from Faith: "Irene, due to some urgent matters at work, Ryan and I had to head back early. Neil is still at the hospital. If you've got some time, could you please check on him now and then? Thanks."

I handed my phone over to my dad to read the message, saying, "It's here."

After reading it, my dad fell back into silence. Finally, he spoke, "I should never have accepted their gift yesterday."

Yesterday, Ryan and Faith had indeed come bearing gifts, and my dad, ever so stubborn, had intended to refuse. But being unwell, he couldn't exactly chase after Ryan and Faith as they left. Instead of ginseng, let's say they brought over a fine bottle of bourbon, a gesture of goodwill that's common in Western contexts.