The Alibi Room.
"Frank, you really know how to joke."
"Frank, we hate your guts, you can't be unaware of that, right?"
"Frank, you really are a dreamer."
"..."
The group of drunks laughed uproariously, mocking Frank mercilessly, having a grand old time.
Watching this scene, listening to these words, Frank was so angry that not only did his face darken, but he couldn't stop gritting his teeth.
Samantha, holding onto the wheelchair, wasn't faring much better. A very clear look of fierceness appeared on her face.
The next second.
Frank burst out cursing. "Fxxk you all! You bunch of bastards..."
Seeing Frank start cursing, the female version of Frank, Comrade Samantha, decisively opened her mouth and helped Frank curse along.
In the blink of an eye, the Frank father-daughter duo's mouths moved non-stop, spewing all kinds of profanities in a steady stream without pause.
When it came to cursing, the group of drunks truly wasn't as skilled as Frank. Moreover, they were now facing practically two Franks. So, they were soon cursed into dumbfounded silence.
Thirty seconds, one minute, one and a half minutes...
Clearly seeing the reaction of the drunks, Frank, having cursed to his heart's content, finally stopped his mouth and smiled smugly, as if he had won a battle. "Fxxk you!"
After cursing one last time, Frank beckoned to Samantha. "Samantha, let's go."
"You will all die incredibly miserable deaths!!" Samantha cursed viciously, then without wasting time, pushed Frank towards the exit.
Outside the Alibi Room.
"Daddy, where are we going?" Samantha asked.
Frank stopped smiling; he couldn't smile anymore.
Those acquaintance drunks had refused so thoroughly...
Where else could he get a liver from now?
Frank couldn't think of anywhere. Consequently, he realized that he was probably really going to die...
Facing impending death, Frank's mood instantly plummeted to rock bottom. He thought silently for a moment. "Push me to the hospital. Let's go ask the doctor."
Samantha sensed Frank's low spirits and didn't waste words. "Okay."
Under the scorching summer sun, high in the sky.
Samantha pushed Frank, slowly walking towards the hospital.
The Hospital.
Frank grabbed the sleeve of a doctor who looked somewhat familiar. "Doctor..."
Blah blah blah, Frank explained his request, stating that he had secured the money and asked if the hospital had any way to help solve the liver problem.
The doctor, who was initially a bit rushed, suddenly stopped rushing after hearing this and smiled at Frank.
The fact was.
The hospital transplant office could immediately procure a suitable liver for a patient from other places... But there were two prerequisites for doing so. First, the patient had no bad habits and would almost certainly not waste the new liver. Second, the situation was incredibly critical...
Among them, the first prerequisite was the biggest one. If the patient couldn't meet this point, the transplant committee couldn't possibly agree to give the liver to the patient...
The reason was simple.
Because giving it was meaningless. Not long after the transplant surgery, the patient would ruin the new liver again, wouldn't that be a waste of effort?
Obviously, the scumbag Frank couldn't meet this prerequisite at all.
Looking at Frank, the doctor inexplicably wanted to explain to him, so he opened his mouth and started talking.
After finishing.
The doctor added, "Frank, come back when you are about to die immediately. Maybe a miracle will happen, and you can get a new liver."
"But remember, you must come when you are about to die immediately. Coming too early is useless."
Hearing this, Frank was rendered speechless.
Samantha asked worriedly, "Isn't that too dangerous? What if he dies on the way here..."
The doctor smiled and shrugged gently. "That's the risk that must be taken."
After speaking, the doctor looked at Frank again. "Frank, let go. I have to work."
Frank let go absentmindedly. The doctor shook his head with a smile and walked away.
"Daddy?" Samantha looked at Frank, feeling his condition was too terrible, and asked very worriedly.
Hearing this, Frank snapped back to reality, blinked, and suddenly felt he saw hope. With eyes shining, he said to Samantha, "According to the law, if a patient who is about to die immediately comes to the hospital, the hospital must treat the patient immediately, regardless of whether the patient can pay or not..."
Samantha realized Frank had obviously regained his spirit but couldn't quite understand. "So?"
Frank grinned slyly. "Push me out. Let's talk while walking."
Samantha decisively did as told.
"So, we go find a hospital where I haven't skipped out on bills, where the doctors don't know me. Then, when I'm about to kick the bucket, you get the money from Dexter as fast as possible, and send me to that hospital..."
"Voila, I get a new liver, and I can also get that money borrowed from Dexter!"
"Haha, this way, when I get better, I'll be a rich man!"
The more Frank spoke, the more excited he became, and the smile on his face grew richer.
Hearing this, Samantha also got excited and laughed. "Daddy, you're so smart!! So, which hospital have you not skipped out on bills at?"
Frank shook his head simply. "I don't know. You have to ask them one by one. There must be one."
"..." Samantha was stunned hearing this, but she still obediently did as told.
Soon.
Under the scorching sun, Frank and his daughter began a tour of major hospitals.
---
Without Frank and Samantha, the dark clouds over the Gallagher house seemed to disperse a little.
Ian left early, going to the convenience store to continue working hard for the elopement with Kash.
At noon, only Debbie and Lip remained in the dilapidated house.
Debbie sat on the living room sofa, watching TV with Liam.
Lip sat at the dining table in the dining room, staring intently at the information on the computer.
Lip was researching the relevant situations of various universities, wanting to determine which university was more suitable for him.
This kind of thing... would absolutely not have happened before.
But, thanks to Dexter, this kind of thing indeed happened.
At this time.
Fiona, who hadn't come over at all yesterday, pushed open the back door and walked in with a rather complicated mood.
Hearing the commotion, Lip turned to look at Fiona and didn't speak.
Fiona did the same.
After looking at each other for a few seconds, Fiona, whose will had never been firm, managed to squeeze out a little smile and spoke, asking, "What are you doing?"
Lip took a cigarette from the table and lit it. "Looking at information on various universities."
Hearing this, Fiona instantly felt a burst of joy in her heart. The smile on her face became much more real, and she was even a bit excited. "Really? Made up your mind?"
Lip nodded. "Yeah, I have to go to college. After graduating, find a good job and live my life properly."
Pausing for a moment, Lip added, "I can't stay here. I have to consider for myself."
Hearing this.
The smile on Fiona's face disappeared a lot instantly. At the same time, her mood became unbelievably complicated all of a sudden.
The reason was simple.
Lip's words... basically meant he was going to give up on this family. And she came over this time originally intending to say that she was moving to Michigan with Jimmy...
Before coming, Fiona thought that it was just for a year. In this year, Lip, who was only a year away from being an adult, could take care of this family...
Now, the situation had changed just like that.
Fiona was speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say.
Lip was still very sharp. He immediately noticed something was wrong with Fiona, but thought Fiona had an opinion on his words. "What's wrong? If you have something to say, just say it. I have the right to consider for myself."
This tone wasn't very good, especially that last sentence.
Hearing it, Fiona's eyes widened. Then, she suddenly laughed, her mood improving a bit.
Yes, Lip had the right to be selfish...
Fiona felt she did too, so she smiled and spoke up. "I support you. I don't have anything to say."
Replying like this, Fiona spoke again. "I came over to tell you guys something. Is Debbie home?"
Debbie, in the living room, had already pricked up her ears to eavesdrop.
Hearing her name, Debbie, who felt embarrassed to face Fiona proactively because of the argument yesterday, instantly felt her heart tremble and became nervous, thinking Fiona was coming to scold her...
"Debbie," at this time, Lip called out. "Come here for a second."
Hearing this, Debbie hesitated again and again. Thinking of what Dr. Miller said yesterday, she finally took a deep breath, mustered her courage, got up, and walked to the dining room to face Fiona.
Seeing Fiona, Debbie subconsciously lowered her head in guilt, daring not to look at Fiona.
Noticing this, Fiona smiled smugly, then asked Lip again, "Others?"
"Ian and Carl aren't here," Lip replied.
Fiona had anticipated this and didn't mind. "Then I'll just tell you two. It's the same."
"The thing is, Jimmy decided to go back to medical school in Michigan for a year to get his degree, then come back to Chicago to be a doctor."
"He invited me to go with him. I considered it for a long time and decided to go."
"After all, I also have the right to consider for myself."
Hearing these words.
Lip instantly felt irritable. "!!!"
Debbie's body shook. She looked up sharply at Fiona, dumbfounded. "????"
The next second.
Purely instinctively, Debbie panicked and asked in disbelief, "You're going to Michigan for a year? Then what about us?"
"Fiona, is it because of yesterday morning? I was wrong yesterday morning. I apologize. I'm sorry."
Fiona took out a cigarette from her pocket, lit it, took a fierce drag, and replied, "When I was sixteen, Monica ran away. Frank... was just Frank."
"Starting from that year, I took responsibility for taking care of this family."
"This year I'm twenty-two. Six years. That's not a short period of time."
Saying this, Fiona looked at Lip again. "Lip, you're seventeen this year. Ian is sixteen."
"I believe you two can take care of Debbie, Carl, and Liam."
"Speaking of Liam, I can take Liam to Michigan. Of course, provided you are willing."
"If you aren't willing, I have no objection."
Fiona said all this in one breath while smoking.
Just like that.
The dark clouds shrouding the Gallagher house had only dispersed a tiny bit not long ago. At this moment, they gathered again immediately, becoming even thicker.
For a moment, neither Lip nor Debbie could speak.
In the dining room, apart from obviously rapid breathing, there was no other sound.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
Lip smoked fiercely, staring at Fiona without blinking, trying to judge if this was a whim of Fiona's or if she had really made up her mind.
The answer was regrettable.
Lip believed Fiona had really made up her mind this time.
So, beg Fiona to stay?
Impossible.
On one hand, seeing Fiona's dedication over these years, Lip genuinely believed Fiona should consider for herself.
On the other hand, although he was scared witless by Dexter yesterday, the arrogance in Lip's bones remained. Begging was impossible.
"Okay. I think it's a good idea. I wish you and Jimmy all the best in Michigan," Lip took another fierce drag on his cigarette and spoke again. "As for Liam, he has to stay. We can take care of him."
Actually, Lip and the others taking care of Liam wasn't realistic.
After all, September was coming soon. Lip and the others all had to go to school. How would they take care of Liam?
Hearing Lip's words, even though she knew she shouldn't be like this, Debbie really couldn't control it. Her head buzzed, her eyes widened even more as she looked at Lip, unable to believe her ears. "Lip!!"
Lip took another cigarette from the pack, lit it, looked at Debbie, and said with an incomparably calm tone, "Debbie, no problem. I'm already seventeen. I can take care of you guys."
"Even if I can't do it alone, there's Ian."
Debbie didn't want this. Her eyes turned red quickly, tears welling up in her sockets.
But the effect of yesterday's psychological therapy was still there. Debbie clenched her teeth and didn't make a sound.
Seeing this, especially hearing Lip's words...
Fiona struggled with heartache for two seconds, but in the end, didn't ask how Lip would take care of Liam.
Immediately after, Fiona glanced at Debbie who was already crying, sighed silently, and spoke to Lip again. "Mm, I believe you can. Then I'm leaving."
Dropping this sentence, Fiona turned and left.
Lip didn't stop her.
Debbie watched Fiona's retreating figure, crying tears like rain.
---
The Gallagher House, Dining Room.
Lip silently smoked one cigarette after another. Only after lighting another one did he speak to Debbie.
"Debbie, don't cry. This day would come sooner or later. Just get used to it," Lip comforted softly. "We are Gallaghers. Nothing can defeat us."
Debbie cried silently, not making a sound.
Lip had to continue comforting her as much as possible.
After a long while.
Debbie stopped crying. Not because of Lip's comfort, but similar to yesterday—crying and crying, she suddenly figured it out.
What couldn't be given up?
Yesterday she gave up on Frank.
Today, since Fiona was so heartless, then give up on Fiona too.
No big deal.
Debbie raised her hand, wiped her tears fiercely, thought of Dr. Miller's words about foster homes, and then took a deep breath.
"Lip, I just hope I won't be sent to a foster home."
"Can you guarantee that?"