Chapter 1

The shrill sound of a heart monitor echoed through the operating theatre as doctors and nurses moved frantically around the small body lying on the operating table.

“Charge again!”

A doctor stepped back while another adjusted the equipment. The room was filled with tension so thick it seemed to suffocate everyone inside it.

Nurses rushed from one side of the theatre to the other, exchanging urgent instructions while machines beeped relentlessly.

“Clear!”

The child’s body jerked slightly from the shock. Nothing. The monitor continued its terrifying rhythm.

Outside the theatre, Katie Anderson paced restlessly along the corridor, her trembling fingers gripping her phone so tightly that her knuckles had turned white.

Every few seconds she glanced toward the closed doors, desperately searching for any sign that things were getting better. There was none.

The doctors had rushed Madison into surgery almost an hour ago after her condition suddenly worsened, and since then, nobody had come out to give Katie any news.

Her heart pounded violently inside her chest. She quickly unlocked her phone and pressed a familiar contact.

Brian…her husband. The call connected. Katie pressed the phone against her ear and waited. One ring. Two rings… Then the automated voice she had heard far too many times lately filled her ears.

“The number you are trying to reach is unavailable. Please leave a message after the tone.”

Katie ended the call before the message could finish. “No, no, no…”

Her voice cracked. She immediately dialed again. This time the call went straight to voicemail.

The sinking feeling in her stomach deepened. “Please answer,” she whispered desperately. “Please, Brian.”

Their daughter was fighting for her life. She needed him… Madison needed him, yet he wasn’t answering.

Katie pressed the phone against her forehead as tears burned behind her eyes.

For months they had been battling Madison’s kidney failure. Hospital visits had become their weekly routine and every improvement was followed by another setback.

Through it all, Katie had held onto hope because she believed her daughter was strong enough to survive. Now that hope was slipping through her fingers.

Inside the theatre, doctors continued their desperate efforts.

“Pulse dropping…”

“We’re losing her.”

“Prepare another dose!” The room became increasingly chaotic.

Katie tried calling Brian again but it all went into voicemail. Her breathing grew uneven and the corridor suddenly felt too narrow.

She lowered herself onto one of the waiting chairs and wiped out her tears before forcing herself to stand again almost immediately. Sitting still was impossible.

Every second felt like an hour. Every minute felt like torture. Unable to bear the silence any longer, she scrolled through her contacts and selected another number.

Rita, her best friend. The call rang several times but no answer. Katie swallowed hard and tried again. Still nothing…

“Please pick up,” she whispered. The call eventually disconnected and Katie stared at the screen helplessly.

Neither Brian nor Rita was answering and for the first time since Madison had been taken into surgery, she truly felt alone.

She wrapped her arms around herself and continued pacing. Suddenly, a scream erupted from inside the operating theatre. Katie froze. The sound was followed by hurried voices and rapid movement.

Fear shot through her entire body. “No.” Her heartbeat accelerated as she rushed toward the doors.

A nurse emerged seconds later, her expression tense and unusually pale.

Katie grabbed her arm immediately. “What happened?” she demanded.

The nurse opened her mouth to speak but words failed her. Before she could answer, the look in her eyes told Katie everything.

“Where is my daughter?”

“Katie…”

“No! Where is Madison?!”

Katie pushed past her and rushed into the theatre. The room fell silent the moment she entered and the doctors stood around the operating table.

Nobody was moving anymore, nobody was shouting instructions…nobody was trying to save her daughter.

The monitor beside the bed displayed a flat line. Katie’s eyes slowly traveled toward the small figure lying beneath the bright surgical lights.

Madison, her daughter, her little girl. She wasn’t moving. For one horrible moment, Katie convinced herself Madison was simply asleep.

Then she noticed the expressions on the doctors’ faces. The sympathy, pity, defeat. Just then, reality came crashing down on her, “No…it can’t be.” Her voice emerged as a whisper.

One of the doctors stepped forward. “We’re sorry—”

“Don’t tell me that, she’s just asleep.” Katie said, a humorless laughter escaping her as she approached her daughter.

“Katie, we did everything we could.”

“No!” The scream tore from her throat. She stumbled toward the operating table and grabbed Madison’s hand. It was cold…far too cold for an alive human.

“No, sweetheart.” Fresh tears blurred her vision. “Madison, wake up.”

Nothing happened.

Katie shook her gently. “Baby, wake up. It’s not time for jokes, I’ll buy you ice cream when we are leaving.”

The doctor approached again. “We tried to revive her—”

Katie turned on him instantly. “You didn’t try hard enough!” The room froze. “You were supposed to save her!” Her voice cracked as grief consumed her. “You told me there was still hope!”

“Katie, please—”

“You were supposed to save my daughter!” She shoved the doctor’s chest. The movement surprised everyone.

Another doctor stepped forward. “Katie, please calm down.”

“Calm down?” A hysterical laugh escaped her lips. “My daughter is dead!” She pushed at another doctor. Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face. “You let her die!”

The nurses quickly moved toward her. “Let us help you.”

She struggled against them. “Bring her back!” Her screams echoed throughout the theatre. “Do something! Bring my baby back!!”

The doctors remained silent. There was nothing left to do. A nurse gently pulled Katie away from the table while another carefully reached for a white sheet.

Katie’s entire body shook. “No.” The word emerged weakly.

The nurse hesitated.

Katie watched in horror as the sheet was slowly pulled over Madison’s small body. “No…please.”

Everything inside her shattered. The sight was unbearable. Katie’s knees nearly gave out beneath her.

The room began spinning, her breathing became rapid and uneven, air refused to enter her lungs properly. Her chest tightened painfully.

A nurse noticed immediately. “Katie?”

The walls seemed to close around her, the lights became brighter and the voices around her grew distant. Katie pressed a hand against her chest desperately. “I can’t breathe.”

The nurse grabbed her shoulders. “Katie, look at me.”

Katie couldn’t. The panic had already taken over. Everything blurred together. The theatre, the doctors, the white sheet covering Madison and realization that Brian wasn’t here.

That Madison was gone. Gone forever.

***

When Katie opened her eyes again, the room was quiet. Her mind felt foggy. She spent several seconds looking at the ceiling high above her, then the memories returned.

A broken sob escaped her lips. She sat up abruptly and immediately regretted it when dizziness washed over her.

“Easy.” A gentle voice spoke from beside her.

Katie turned her head only to find a nurse seated beside her. She quickly looked around the room. It was empty… No Brian. No Rita and no family.

Just her and a nurse. The realization hurt almost as much as losing Madison.

The tears returned instantly. “My daughter…” The words barely escaped her lips.

The nurse’s expression softened. “I’m sorry.”

Katie lowered her head into her hands. The grief crashed over her all over again. Her shoulders shook violently as she cried.

The room remained silent except for the sound of her sobs. Several minutes passed before she managed to regain some control. Even then, her chest still hurt. Her eyes burned and her heart felt completely broken.

The nurse handed her a glass of water and Katie accepted it with trembling hands. After taking a small sip, she stared blankly at the floor.

“I don’t even know where to begin.” Katie admitted quietly.

The nurse nodded sympathetically. “Many parents don’t, especially when it comes to burying their child.”

Katie closed her eyes. Parents? She was alone this time.

The nurse leaned forward slightly. “If you need help with arrangements, paperwork, or anything else, I’ll assist you.”

Katie looked up. The kindness in the woman’s eyes nearly made her cry again. She stared at her for several seconds. Then another thought suddenly entered her mind.

A painful one…

Her gaze shifted toward the door. “Did my husband come at all?”

The nurse’s expression immediately changed. A small frown appeared on her face and Katie’s heart sank.

Then the nurse slowly shook her head. “No.”

Katie lowered her eyes.

The nurse continued quietly. “No one came to check up on you, so I decided to help you.”