Chapter 5

Sharp, stinging pain hit him. Jack watched helplessly as bag after bag of his blood was drained from his body.

At first, he was still fairly conscious.

He did not know how much had been drawn, but his vision started to go black.

A bone-chilling cold spread through his entire body, and even his limbs gradually went numb.

Almost instinctively, he looked up at Hazel. He wanted her to hold him the way she used to, or cover his eyes and tell him not to be afraid.

But what he saw was Hazel keeping watch over Bennett.

She was holding his hand as tears welled in her eyes. Her shoulders were shaking from crying.

“Ben, don’t be scared. You’re going to be fine. As long as you pull through, I’ll do anything.”

It was not that Hazel never cried. In all their years together, she had only ever cried three times.

The first time, he had been in a car accident and was covered in blood.

She had abandoned a meeting and rushed to the hospital. She had grabbed his hand and cried her eyes out.

The second time, he had accidentally fallen, hit his head, and suffered severe bleeding. The doctor had said his life was in danger.

She had gone down on her knees, sobbing and begging God to save him, swearing she would give up ten years of her own life if he would just let Jack live.

The third time, they had gone mountain climbing and got caught in an avalanche.

After he shielded her with his body, he was severely injured. She cried and said she wanted to die with him.

But at that moment, she was crying for another man.

She no longer cared about him.

A suffocating pain ripped through his chest, and even his insides churned with a sharp, twisting agony.

He lowered his head as his eyes slid shut.

Alex noticed Jack’s blood pressure plummeting beside him, and his expression changed.

“Hazel, you can’t draw any more blood! Jack’s blood pressure just crashed, and his heart rate is dropping fast. If you keep going, he could die.”

Hazel did not move. She simply asked, “What about Ben? Is he out of danger yet?”

Alex shook his head. “No, he still needs another pint.”

“Then, keep drawing!”

At that moment, Jack’s heart turned completely cold.

Hazel would not relent. Even though Alex knew they could not keep going, there was nothing he could do.

Nearby, Anna shouted, “Dr. Clare, Mr. Brook is having a hemolytic reaction! He’s already in shock! We have to pull the needle right now!”

Only then did Hazel turn and look at Jack in the chair.

His lips were purple, and his face was as pale as paper. His whole body had begun to tremble violently.

“Jack!”

Before he lost consciousness, he finally saw Hazel let go of Bennett’s hand and run toward him.

He never thought that at the very end of his life, he would still get to see her panic over him.

But her concern had come too late to mean anything.

He smiled faintly before finally passing out.

The heart monitor let out a sharp, piercing beep.

Alex panicked and began frantically trying to resuscitate him.

Anna was so terrified that she burst into tears.

If anything happened to Jack, it was a major malpractice case. Her entire career would be ruined for the rest of her life.

“Dr. Clare, Mr. Brook has thalassemia! He can’t donate this much blood! You forced him to donate. What if something happens to him?!”

“Alright, that’s enough! I’m not going to let anything happen to Jack!”

The hospital room descended into chaos.

Hazel stood frozen off to the side as her face grew paler by the second.