Chapter 5 The Body left Behind
“The richest man in the country?”, Marcus blurted out the words, unable to hide his shock.
Victor Voss, the billionaire industrialist and one of the most powerful men in the nation, stared at his son’s reaction with concern.
“Easy, Ethan,” one of the doctors said. “We believe the accident caused partial memory loss. He may have difficulty recalling certain events”
“Will he recover?” Victor asked immediately. The worry in his voice was obvious.
“I don’t want anything happening to him,” he continued. “His memory is important. None of this would have happened if he hadn’t gone to that club”
Victor turned back to Marcus and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you get the best treatment possible. Just focus on recovering”
Marcus remained silent. He was still trying to accept the reality in front of him. He had seen stories about people waking up in another person’s body, but those were only fantasies created for entertainment.
Not only had he lost his own body, but he had somehow become Ethan Liam Voss, the son of the richest man in the country.
Before he could process it further, the hospital room door opened. A man in a white coat walked in, slightly out of breath.
“I apologize for the delay,” he said. “The board meeting took longer than expected. I was officially appointed as the new hospital director today”
The moment Marcus saw him, his expression changed. It was Reginald Thorpe, his uncle, the man who had destroyed his career, taken everything from him, and watched him get sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit. Now, he was standing in front of him, pretending to care.
The anger inside Marcus surged, “Get out!”, he shouted.
Both the chairman and Reginald looked surprised.
“Mr. Voss, are you upset with me?”
Reginald asked. He quickly forced a worried expression.
“I only wanted the best for you after the surgery. I personally arranged for Maya to take care of you. The memory loss is only temporary, and we will help you recover”
Marcus stared at him in amazement. The hypocrisy almost made him laugh, because he was now Ethan Voss, Reginald was acting like he cared.
“If I wasn't Victor Voss's son, would you still be standing here pretending to care?” Marcus thought.
His hands tightened into fists, “I said get out”
His voice became colder, “I don't give a damn about your explanation”
“Ethan,” Victor interrupted. “Calm down. Reginald has been helping with your treatment”
Marcus looked away, because no one here knew the truth. They didn't know the man standing in front of them had destroyed his life.
“Where is the other victim?” Marcus asked suddenly.
Victor frowned slightly, “Which other victim are you talking about?”
“The man who was involved in the same accident”
Reginald immediately stepped forward, “Ethan, you just woke up. You don't need to worry about him. He is only a prisoner who…”
“Enough!”, Marcus’s eyes turned cold.
“Take me to him”, he requested.
Victor studied his son carefully. Since waking up, Ethan had changed completely. The old Ethan would never care about a stranger.
After a moment, Victor nodded, “Alright”
He turned to Reginald, “Help him into the wheelchair”
Marcus immediately pointed at Maya, “She can do it”
Reginald smiled politely, “I only want to ensure the Voss heir receives the best care possible”
Marcus looked at him coldly, “Get your filthy hands away from me!”
The smile on Reginald’s face disappeared for a moment, but he quickly recovered.
Maya stepped forward and pushed the wheelchair. They left the room and headed toward the ICU.
The moment Marcus saw the person lying inside, his entire body froze.
It was his real body. Bandages covered his head, tubes connected him to machines, and his face was pale and lifeless.
For a while , he actually forgot how to breathe. He slowly walked closer. Seeing himself lying there felt more painful than he expected.
This was the body that had carried him through years of studying, struggling, and becoming a doctor.
His eyes became wet, then he reached out and held his own hand.
"When will he wake up?" he asked quietly.
Maya lowered her eyes, “His injuries are severe. We can only continue treatment and hope for the best”
Marcus looked at her, “Hope?”, His voice trembled, “He has to survive”
He grabbed her hands, “Money is not a problem. My father can pay anything. The best doctors, the best equipment, anything you need, just mention it”
Maya looked at him with surprise, “ Maybe he felt guilty for the accident”, she thought
“I understand, but I don't have the authority to make that decision. Only the hospital director can approve special treatment”, she said loudly.
Marcus immediately turned and walked out. His headache was getting worse, but he ignored it. The only thing that mattered was saving his body
When he reached the hallway, Victor and Reginald were waiting.
“That man inside must be saved,” Marcus said firmly.
He looked directly at Reginald, “Tell me what you need. My father will provide it. You must do everything at all cost to resuscitate him”
Reginald sighed, “Ethan, you don't understand. He was a prisoner. Spending resources on someone like him isn't worth…”
Marcus grabbed his collar before he could finish, “Don't say that again”
His eyes burned with anger, “He is a human being”
Reginald was dumbfounded at his reaction, he just nodded his head.
“If anyone doesn't deserve to live, it is someone who can look at another person's life and decide it has no value”
Victor quickly stepped between them, “That’s enough”. He separated the two.
“Ethan, let's go home first. You need rest”
Marcus released Reginald, but before leaving, he looked back at the ICU room one more time.
The private Voss motorcade was already outside. When Marcus saw the armored luxury limousine, he stopped. He had only seen vehicles like this in movies.
Victor noticed his reaction and smiled faintly, “Let's go. Your mother is waiting”
