WALKING CORPSE.

Chapter: 3

*****

SORA:

“Fifty-dollar deposit.” I repeated the words, my chest tightening so hard I could barely breathe. “What do you mean I need to deposit fifty dollars before you treat my daughter?”

The doctor barely glanced at me. “I don’t make the rules,” he said, turning back to the files in front of him. “Hospital policy. No deposit, no treatment.”

“But she’s really sick,” I said, desperation creeping into my voice as I tightened my grip on my daughter. “She’s burning up. She’s been throwing up and can’t keep anything down. Can’t you at least check her first?”

He sighed as if I were wasting his time. “Sir, there are other patients waiting. Since it’s obvious you can’t afford the deposit, maybe you should look for a public clinic.”

“This is a public clinic!” I yelled before I could stop myself.

He shot me a sharp look. “Watch your tone,” he said coldly, his eyes empty. “Fifty dollars or you leave. Your choice.”

My hands began to shake. Beauty whimpered softly in my arms, her body frighteningly hot. Seeing her like that shattered me even more. She was all I had, the only family I had ever known and I couldn’t lose her. I couldn’t.

“I’ll pay,” I said quickly. “I’ll pay.”

I dug into my bag and pulled out crumpled bills. It was the money I’d been saving for our food for the week. I counted it more than twice. It was everything I had. As I handed it over, my heart sank. The moment the money left my hand, panic crept in. How were we going to survive now? Snap out of it, Sora. Beauty came first.

“Please,” I said quietly. “Help her.”

They took Beauty from my arms, and she clung weakly to my shirt, her fingers trembling. “Papa,” she whispered.

“I’m here, princess,” I said, forcing my voice steady. “I’m not going anywhere.”

The door closed behind her, leaving me alone in the waiting room. The silence pressed down on me as I paced back and forth, restless and terrified. I prayed to the Goddess with everything in me because the thought of losing Beauty was unbearable. Time dragged painfully slow, every second stretching until my chest hurt. After that night on the ship with that strange Alpha, a couple of weeks went by… and not long before I found out I was pregnant with my daughter.

I was so scared, but at the same time so happy. I’d always been all alone, and with her I knew I was never going to feel that way again. When the doctor finally returned, my heart slammed against my ribs.

“She has a very high fever,” he said nonchalantly. “Dangerously high, but we managed to bring it down.”

Relief hit me so hard my knees almost buckled. “So she’s going to be okay, right?”

He didn’t answer, his attention fixed on her chart. “She hasn’t been eating well?” he asked absently.

“No,” I replied quietly, shame burning through me. Parents were supposed to provide for their children, and I couldn’t even give mine proper food.

“That’s what I thought,” he said, finally meeting my gaze. “We’re starting fluids and medication immediately.”

I barely had time to breathe before he continued. “She’ll need multiple drips, injections, and medications. She’ll be staying overnight, and your deposit won’t even cover half of it.”

The world tilted beneath my feet.

“So what do you suggest I do?” I asked desperately.

He shrugged, disgust flickering across his face. “If you really want your daughter treated, you’ll find the rest of the money. It’s that simple.”

“I have nowhere to get it,” I pleaded. “If you send her away, she won’t make it.”

He studied me for a moment before speaking. “There is another way to pay off the bill, if you’re willing.”

“I am,” I said instantly, not thinking twice. “Whatever it is, I’ll do it.”

A slow, satisfied smile crept onto his lips. “The clinic staff are having a small get-together. We need someone to wash the dishes.”

A dull ache spread through my hands at the thought, but I nodded. “Show me to the kitchen.”

When I got there, my stomach dropped. The sink was overflowing with heaps of dishes, far more than I could count. And he had called it a small get-together. Without realizing it, I rubbed the back of my neck where the mating mark still burned faintly. I hated my life, but I hated the Alpha who had marked me even more.

I stepped in front of the sink. The moment my hands touched the cold water, a shiver ran through my body. I wasn’t doing this for anyone but my daughter. I shut my thoughts down and worked. Six hours passed, the dishes never seeming to end.

By the time I finished, it was 5 a.m. My body felt hollow, like I was already dead. I dragged myself to Beauty’s room, every step heavy. She was sleeping peacefully, color slowly returning to her face. I felt like a walking corpse.

Just as I was about to rest, a nurse walked in and handed me a paper.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“A discharge form,” she said. “Sign it.”

I did.

“You’re both free to leave.”

“Right now?” I asked weakly. “It’s almost 5 a.m.”

“You’ve been discharged,” she replied flatly. “You have to leave.”

I stood there frozen for a moment before carefully lifting Beauty into my arms. I wasn’t sure I had the strength to make it home.

But I did.

I entered our small, cramped room, laid Beauty gently on the bed, and collapsed beside her.

I felt like dying.

Maybe death would finally bring me a little peace.