Chapter 3

Mom's insulated container was knocked over. The eggs shattered. The yolks and whites splattered across the ground, staining Mom's pant legs.

The red cloth was torn down and trampled underfoot. Mom screamed and lunged forward to stop them.

Connor shoved her, causing her to lose her balance and fall belly-first onto the floor. Blood began to pool out between her legs, mixing with the raw eggs on the ground.

"Mom!" I screamed until my throat hurt.

I charged forward, throwing all my weight into a punch that landed square on Connor's face. He reeled back, but the very next second, he drove his boot hard into my stomach. I dropped to my knees on the ground, crawled back up, and was knocked down again.

Terence rushed over and hauled me up, while Scarlett shrieked and dialed 911.

The cafeteria fell silent, save for the sound of Mom's groans, which were growing weaker and weaker.

The ambulance arrived in no time. When Mom was being lifted onto the stretcher, she tried to tell me something. Her lips parted, but she couldn't find her voice.

The ambulance doors slammed shut, and the siren began to wail.

My pants were covered in Mom's blood. Terence helped me into a cab. "Take us to St. Jude's Hospital."

I called my homeroom teacher in the car. "My mom's hurt, Ms. Jones."

The other end of the line went silent for a few seconds. "Head to the hospital first, Nathan. I'll talk to the school on your behalf. I'll also bring up the stall situation with the authorities."

I hung up.

…

When we arrived at the hospital, Mom was wheeled into the operating room. The red light above the door came on.

Terence and Scarlett stood beside me.

Half an hour later, the doctor came out. There were streaks of blood on his white lab coat.

"The mother is out of danger."

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"The baby didn't make it."

My ears began to ring.

The doctor continued, "The patient was already showing signs of a threatened miscarriage. The force of the impact caused serious damage to her uterus. It may be very difficult for her to conceive again in the future."

My eyes pricked with tears. The baby brother our whole family had been looking forward to was gone.

Mom was wheeled out, her complexion pallid. When she spotted me, her lips quivered. "Did you manage to save the eggs, Nat?" I couldn't say a word.

Once she was settled in the ward, Mom fell asleep.

My phone rang. It was Dad's number. I answered it. "Hello, may I speak with a family member of Mr. Eric Moore? This is the Emergency Department at St. Jude's Hospital. The patient's condition has worsened due to severe emotional distress, and he's receiving emergency treatment. Please have a family member come to the hospital as soon as possible!"

Dad had found out. He'd been watching the television in his ward when the local news broadcast the report about what happened to Mom. The second the segment ended, he collapsed.

I took a cab to St. Jude's Hospital. On the way there, I called one of Mom's colleagues, begging her to go keep Mom company.

When I arrived at the hospital, the doctor told me that his condition was critical. The surgery would cost 30 thousand dollars.

I only had 2,400 dollars in my account. I called every single one of our relatives and managed to borrow 12 thousand dollars. I was still short by 16 thousand dollars.

Thus, I dropped to my knees and begged the doctor. "Doctor, can you perform the surgery first? I promise I'll pay for my dad's medical bills!"

"I can't. It's against regulations."

Regulations. It was always the damn regulations.

…

At 2:00 am, I had finally gathered 30 thousand dollars.

I had taken out a high-interest loan with a monthly interest rate of 3%.

Dad was wheeled into the operating room, and I sat out in the corridor all night long.

Terence called me. "Nathan, the school said they'd make a ruling on your mom tomorrow."

"A ruling on what?"

"They accused her of engaging in unauthorized business activities, which resulted in a fight and caused serious negative impact. They want to strip her of her position."

I tightened my grip on my phone, and a crack split across the screen.