Startseite / Emotional Realism Kurzgeschichte / The Heart They Gave Away / Kapitel 1 – Kapitel 10

Alle Kapitel von The Heart They Gave Away: Kapitel 1 – Kapitel 10

10 Kapitel

Chapter 1

Nathaniel Whitcomb's face froze.Then his brows drew together."Are you questioning my professional judgment as your attending surgeon? You could last another month. You could probably last another year."I let out a laugh that wasn't one.Of course he believed that. He hadn't asked about my condition in a full year.Twelve months ago, he'd been running my scans when Jocelyn Crane came by with lunch for him, and he missed her. She cried, and from that moment every ounce of his attention swung to her. I got handed off to Dr. Theo Lang, then a first-year cardiology fellow.From that day on, everything that should have gone to his patient and his sister went to Jocelyn instead. I was left with Theo and all but forgotten.When I didn't answer, Nathaniel called the fellow. "Theo, bring me every report in Rosalie's chart for the past year. Now."Theo came through the door a few minutes later with a thick file.Nathaniel had barely opened the cover when his phone rang.The tension w

Chapter 2

Despair came over me like a tide and swallowed everything.Theo panicked and called every Whitcomb number he had, but each one ended in voicemail or a dead tone.His eyes were red when he handed the phone back to me. "Ms. Whitcomb, is there anyone else I can call?"I opened the group chat and saw the notice. I'd been removed. Whatever strength I had left went out of me.The last message before they cut me out was a family photo from Jocelyn. She was leaning into Miles Corwin with their fingers laced together, both of them smiling like they belonged to each other.The picture made my eyes ache, and every breath tasted like blood.As my mind blurred, I saw the little house we lived in when I was a child, full of laughter again.I was fourteen, riding on twenty-year-old Marcus's back while he ran from room to room.Mom laughed. "Slow down. Your sister isn't a little girl anymore."Marcus grinned. "She'll always be my baby sister."Spencer Whitcomb had a paintbrush between his te

Chapter 3

Something like regret crossed Spencer's face, and he caught my arm."Don't take it the wrong way, Rosie. We had hundreds of guests coming, including people Marcus works with. Jocelyn only agreed to stand in for you."Since you're here, we can run the ceremony again."Nathaniel stepped in front of me.I looked at him, not understanding."You told me to wait at the hospital until you came for me. Why did you tell everyone I refused to come?"Marcus and Spencer both turned toward him.Nathaniel went pale. "I lied. Jocelyn wanted a wedding of her own, and you owe her...""Enough."I cut him off and looked at Spencer through burning eyes. "And she told you she wanted to wear a wedding dress, so you gave her mine. Is that it?"Spencer looked at the floor and said nothing.I turned to Marcus."Jocelyn wanted a birthday nobody interrupted, so you had someone run me down. Is that it?"This time Marcus looked away.I laughed until the tears ran down my face."Why not just tell the

Chapter 4

Pain drove through my chest and breathing got hard.I wiped the tears off my face anyway.I looked at Jocelyn."I'm going to die soon regardless. You can have all of them. I don't want any of it."Then I turned and limped away.Behind me, Marcus asked Nathaniel urgently, "What does she mean, she's going to die?"Jocelyn answered through tears. "Rosalie told me a few days ago that she was getting better. Maybe... maybe she only said it to make everyone feel guilty."I didn't explain. I took a rideshare out to Sunmeadow Memorial Park and picked out a plot as far from the Whitcomb family ground as I could get.It was full dark by the time I got back to the house.Everyone was in the living room. Theo was there too.A thick stack of medical reports sat on the coffee table.I ignored all of it, went into the small bedroom they'd given me, put my bank card and what few valuables I had into a bag, and came back out.Marcus caught my arm and dragged me in front of the others."So

Chapter 5

The resuscitation lights were a painful white as my awareness lifted out of my body and drifted up near the ceiling.I don't know how long it was before the doors banged open.Nathaniel came at the bed like he couldn't believe what he was seeing and started pressing down on my chest, again and again."That's impossible." His eyes were bloodshot. "My sister can't be dead. Rosie, wake up. I haven't found you another heart yet. You can't die."Theo tried to stop him, and Nathaniel shoved him off. "Don't touch her. You people couldn't save her, and now you want to get in my way?""Dr. Whitcomb." Theo was shouting through tears. "She's already been pronounced."Marcus grabbed the emergency physician by the collar with his fist drawn back."My sister was fine. How does somebody die like that? Save her. I'm telling you to save her."Spencer kicked an equipment cart over with a crash."Rosie can't be dead. She can't be."He kept saying it, staring at nothing, unable to take in what w

Chapter 6

Whenever school let out and Jocelyn had nowhere to go, I brought her back to the Whitcomb house so she could feel what a family was like.I wanted her to be part of us.It never occurred to me that she didn't want to join my family. She wanted to replace me.The change started about a year ago.By then Nathaniel had become one of the most celebrated transplant surgeons at Ashenbrook University Medical Center. He waved my latest results at me, excited."Rosie, you're near the top of the regional transplant list. The minute a compatible donor comes up, I'm going to get you well."Jocelyn changed after that.She used to drag me along to every dinner and every shopping trip.Little by little, she started having secrets with my family that I knew nothing about.One afternoon I walked into a room and found Spencer and Jocelyn with their heads together over a computer, laughing.I came over smiling. "What are you two talking about?"They stopped instantly. Spencer glanced at me, aw

Chapter 7

Marcus stepped forward, eyes red. "If money can save Rosie, the Whitcombs will spend every cent we have. Make the call."Miles grabbed at the same impossible hope and stared at Jocelyn. "Call him. There might still be time."They closed in around her, half pleading, half threatening.Jocelyn's face went white. She fought against Nathaniel and screamed, "There's no broker. There was never any broker. I made it up.""What did you just say?""Why did you lie to us? Where's your cousin? Bring her here. Make her give Rosie's heart back. I'll give my own life for it."Jocelyn was shaking so hard she could barely get the words out. "There's no cousin. I took money to have the heart sent to someone rich. That's all."The truth hit them like a thunderclap.Just then the hospital's chief of staff came in with two senior physicians. He looked at the monitor and the record, then turned to my family. "I'm sorry. Rosalie Whitcomb has been pronounced dead."Mom went down without a sound.Na

Chapter 8

He always said he wanted his first patient to get well and live a long, healthy, happy life.That wish wasn't ever going to come true.He opened my bag slowly. There was a bank card inside, with the PIN written on the back in marker.Several pieces of jewelry were wrapped separately, each one labeled with the giver's name and the date.A small stuffed rabbit sat at the bottom. Theo had given it to me after he found me crying alone at the hospital. "When you're unhappy, tell the rabbit. Don't keep it all in."A nurse came into the waiting room. "The Whitcomb family is asking to have Ms. Whitcomb released to them."Theo was on his feet at once, running for the morgue with my bag.By the time he got there, Marcus and the others had already brought the transport stretcher out into the hall. Mom was there, and so was Nathaniel, awake again."Don't move her."Theo put himself in front of the stretcher and faced my family without dropping his eyes.Marcus frowned. "What do you think

Chapter 9

Theo held the rabbit and stood in front of the marker for a long time without saying anything.Then he bowed deeply, three times, and turned away with his mind made up.I wondered where he was going, and why I was still here at all now that I'd been put in the ground.I followed him back to the Whitcomb house.Jocelyn was on her knees in the middle of the living room, apologizing through tears. "I know I was wrong. I didn't mean to deceive any of you."Nathaniel said Rosalie could hold on a while longer, so I thought I'd take the money from the heart and send her abroad for better treatment. I just ran out of time."The tears came easily, and she looked heartbreakingly fragile. "For five years I've thought of you as my family. I can't lose you, I can't. Please forgive me this once."Marcus looked down at her, cold. "Go. We're not going to hold you responsible for any of it. That's the last mercy you'll get from us.""Go?" Jocelyn's head came up, her face full of resentment. "Ma

Chapter 10

"Miles, I pulled you out of the fire today. I think I got hurt too, but that doesn't matter, because you're safe. I bought you a St. Christopher medal. Wear it, and let it bring you home."My recorded voice was young and gentle, with something hurt underneath it. "Why didn't any of you thank me after you got better? Why did everyone go cold on me? I don't understand. I love you all so much."The recording ended, and the living room went silent.Jocelyn's face was white and her body wouldn't stop shaking.Shock and guilt and regret filled every other face in the room.Theo spoke coldly. "Jocelyn showed up once, where all of you could see it, and you handed her credit for everything. Did any one of you ever stop and think what that did to Rosalie?"Mom covered her face and cried without holding any of it back.Nathaniel grabbed Jocelyn by the hair and threw her down onto the floor. "You liar. You destroyed her. I'll kill you."Marcus and Spencer went after her too.Years of guil

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