She Let Her Father Die for an Elevator

"Mr. Brown! Mr. Brown, are you alright?"

I had just washed my hands when I turned around and saw Marvin Brown, our usually cheerful janitor, curled up on the wet floor in agony.

He was clutching his chest tightly. In just a matter of seconds, his face had turned ghastly pale, and his mouth was wide open as he gasped desperately for air.

I knew immediately that he was having a heart attack.

We were on the 21st floor of the office building.

Every second counted, so I dropped to one knee, gritted my teeth, and hoisted the 180-pound man onto my back.

"Hang in there, Mr. Brown! I'm getting you to the hospital! There's an emergency medical station downstairs!" I tried to sound as calm as I could.

Even as a grown man, carrying someone 25 pounds heavier than me was tough after years of sedentary office work and lack of exercise.

But in that moment, a massive surge of adrenaline gave me incredible strength.

With him on my back, I stumbled out of the restroom and sprinted toward the elevators.

"Excuse me! Please let us through! He's having a heart attack!" I shouted down the hallway, my voice hoarse.

Marvin grew heavier with every step. Each labored breath he took came with a faint rattling sound.

Just as I turned the corner into the elevator lobby, the doors of a private elevator reserved for executives slid open.

"Wait! Please, hold the door!" I said anxiously.

The open elevator gave me a glimmer of hope, so I pushed myself and bolted forward.

There was a woman inside. She was wearing a perfectly tailored designer suit and holding a cup of hot coffee.

It was Alexis Brown, our new chief operating officer, who had joined the company just the day before.

"Ms. Brown! Please hold the door! The janitor is having a heart attack. We need to get him downstairs immediately!"

I was breathing hard, less than ten feet from the elevator.

But instead of helping, Alexis frowned in disgust.

"This elevator is for executives only. Janitors and regular staff use the service elevator. Don't you know the rules?" she said arrogantly.

"And what is that smell? You two stink," she added, covering her nose and waving a hand dismissively.

Seeing the doors sliding shut, I lunged forward and threw my shoulder right between the closing doors to block them.