Chapter 4

David helped me down the mountain, his phone buzzing nonstop along the way.

Erika sent texts every few minutes.

[Did you find Hazel?]

[Is she mad at me?]

[David, don't snap at her.]

...

Glancing at his screen, David murmured to me, "Remember, just humor her."

Once we returned to the city, I went straight to the inpatient ward.

The doctor hesitated. "You're scheduled for the liver donation surgery tomorrow, but operating in your current condition carries immense risk."

I closed my eyes. "I know, but please, I beg you to proceed."

That night, David called me three times, but I didn't answer. When he sent text messages, I didn't dare open them, eventually turning my phone off altogether.

The next morning, news reached Erika's room that a matching liver donor had been found. David rushed to the doctor's office almost immediately.

Through the door, I heard his voice clearly.

"When is the surgery?" he asked eagerly.

"The donor has already checked into the hospital, and all pre-op screenings have passed," the doctor replied.

"I can compensate them—money, real estate, whatever they want," David said.

The doctor shook his head. "That won't be necessary."

...

That morning, a nurse wheeled me out for the final round of pre-op checks. As we passed through the hallway, I overheard David on the phone.

"I still can't get hold of Hazel. Ever since we came back from the chapel yesterday, she's been acting strange."

Erika's voice sounded frail over the line. "Go look for her."

David hesitated. "Not until your surgery is finished. She's a grown woman; nothing's going to happen to her."

The nurse pushed my gurney into the elevator. Right before the doors slid shut, I caught sight of David looking in my direction, as if catching a glimpse of the hem of my hospital gown.

Just as he took a step forward, the elevator doors closed.

In the afternoon, David brought fresh fruit and health supplements to the donor ward. I heard him asking the nurse outside, "Can I just take one look? I just want to say thank you on Erika's behalf."

The nurse stopped him. "The donor needs to rest."

He paused in the doorway. I lay with my back turned to the door, my hair splayed across the pillow, not daring to move or turn around.

Through the crack in the door, his voice dropped slightly. "She looks like someone I know."

My fingers slowly gripped the bedsheet.

The nurse offered a gentle smile. "Mr. Frazier, you're just being too anxious. The surgery going smoothly is all that matters."

David finally walked away. I relaxed my grip, my palms drenched in cold sweat.

On the day of the surgery, Erika was wheeled into the operating room first. Lying on another gurney, I was pushed through an adjacent corridor by the nurses.

Across the short distance, I saw David leaning down to tuck the blanket neatly around Erika's shoulders.

Three hours later, Erika's procedure proved a resounding success. When the doctor stepped out to deliver the good news, David was leaning against the wall.

His eyes rimmed red as he choked out, "Great! She made it!"

A second later, another nurse came sprinting out of the surgical unit. "Who is the immediate family of Hazel Pratt?"

David froze, his voice trembling. "Are you sure you didn't make a mistake? I'm a family member of Erika McKnight. How could Hazel be in the operating room?"

The nurse was frantic. "There's no mistake. The donor is Hazel Pratt. She just underwent a pregnancy termination before entering liver donation surgery.

"Her vital signs are dangerously unstable right now. We need her family to sign the emergency consent form immediately."