Husband With Benefits
Chapter 302: Elijah Frost- Rest In Peace

Chapter 302: Elijah Frost- Rest In Peace

Erasmi Frost sat on a comfortable couch as he stared at the man asleep on the bed. The air hung heavy with the scent of age and illness, a palpable tension that seemed to thicken as the old man lay on his deathbed.

Even as he sat there stoically, with nary an expression on his face, his insides were a mess. He’d thought he had hardened his heart to the old man, but as his emotions churned, he knew it was not the truth. Their time had been cut short, first by his accident and then by this.. and now that it had almost run out, Erasmi realized that this weight of grievances he carried might forever remain unresolved.

He watched silently as the old man’s eyes opened, and slowly searched the room, before lighting up a bit as he stared at him. He sighed," Demetri is on his way with the others, old man. You’ll have to make do with me until then. Save your strength."

Unexpectedly, the old man did not ignore him but reached out his gnarled hand to hold his hand. Erasmi felt a surge of conflicting emotions as the old man’s hand clasped his own.

The old man’s voice, though frail, carried a hint of vulnerability. "Erasmi," he rasped, the syllables hanging in the air, heavy with unspoken regrets. In that moment, he saw for the first time, not the proud and heavy-handed Elijah Frost, but an old man, begging for his forgiveness and understanding.

"I’ve made mistakes, Erasmi," Elijah’s voice was a mere whisper. "I know I’ve let you down, let everyone down. But in these final moments, I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive an old man for his faults."

The old man’s apology caught him off guard, making his wonder what was the point in holding onto the pain of the past. It could not be changed. And while he’d wanted to punish the old man, he did not want him to suffer even in the afterlife.

With a heavy heart, he held the old man’s hand and spoke softly," Let the past remain there, old man. The others are going to be here soon, and you’ll be able to come back home soon."

"I’m not going back, Erasmi. I know that. And so do you. My time has run out. But before that, I want to say something to you."

"Erasmi... that time," Elijah faltered, a sudden cough seizing him. The coughs racked his body, echoing in the small room, and Erasmi’s concern deepened. He could see the old man gasping for breath, a hand clutching at his chest as if trying to stave off the pain.

Worry etched his face as he leaned forward, "Easy, old man. Let me call the doctor." Erasmi pressed the emergency button on the side table, the shrill sound resonating through the quiet room. Within moments, the door swung open, and a nurse hurried in, followed by a doctor.

He stepped back quickly as the doctor took his place, administering the medicine to help his grandfather breathe easily.

As his breathing steadied, the old man whispered slowly," Thank you."

The doctor shook his head and ordered sternly to the two men," Mr Frost is not allowed to talk. Please refrain from talking."

Erasmi nodded but Elijah Frost gave the old doctor a stubborn look as he said," I need to say something. Once I have... I won’t talk anymore."

The doctor shot an exasperated look to the old man while sending a warning glance Erasmi’s way, reminding him that it was up to him to make the old man keep quiet and walked out of the room.

Before the old man could even open his mouth, Erasmi told the man," Don’t talk Grandpa. I did tell you to save your energy. I’ll listen to you when you have recovered a bit."

Elijah Frost shook his head, the urgency in his eyes, a desperate plea, as he spoke in an even weaker but resolute voice," I needed to say this before... before it’s too late." I’m so happy that you are calling me Grandpa again...

"Erasmi... that time," Elijah faltered, attempting to press on despite the obvious strain on his weakened body. Erasmi moved to press the emergency button again, but the old man’s grip on his hand tightened as he continued to try to speak.

But suddenly, his fingers loosened and his eyes, once filled with life, turned vacant. The machines monitoring his vital signs erupted into a symphony of alarming beeps, while Erasmi stood there shocked.

Soon, the doctors and an array of medical professionals rushed back into the room, shouting for things as the nurses and others rushed back and forth.

Soon, a heavy silence settled in as the doctor announced the time of death and turned to Erasmi. "I’m sorry," the lead doctor said, his voice a gentle murmur. "We did everything we could, but he’s passed away."

Erasmi nodded silently as he watched the doctors walk away before almost crumbling onto the couch. Closing his eyes, years of memories passed before his eyes, of his childhood, the old man doting on them, teaching them the ways of business, playing with them... The memories flickered like an old film reel as tears escaped his eyes.

There was a time, when things had not been marred by the old man’s stubbornness and their own anger. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up into the eyes of his twin. He watched all his brothers standing there, having rushed here as hurriedly as possible, still unable to bid the old man goodbye and looked at the pain mirrored in them.

The old man who had pestered and protected them all their life was not in this world anymore. They gathered together, hugging each other as they used to in the past, sharing their pain.

Soon, the old butler entered the room and bowed to his master, before looking at the brothers. The old man would be resting in peace now...

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.