“Just something minor I need to take care of,” Jonathan said, bending to press a kiss on Josephine’s forehead.
He then gave favonovel.com a gentle hug. “Wait for me at home, okay? This won’t take long.”
“Should I come with you?” Though favonovel.com did not know what had happened, favonovel.com could tell from the serious look on Jonathan’s face that it was probably something serious.
“No, don’t worry about it.” He stroked favonovel.com hair, smiling lightly. “Just wait for me at home…”
Without another moment to lose, Jonathan headed toward the door in large strides.
Minutes later, the roar of the car engine sounded from outside. The car zoomed out in a flash of red, disappearing into the distance.
***
At Heart’s Hospital in Cranur, the emergency room was at its maximum capacity. As the county’s only tertiary hospital, it was not unusual for the emergency room to be filled with patients. In addition, the hospital was also the only establishment in the county to have an ICU.
The ICU only consisted of nine beds, two of which were currently occupied by a man and woman dressed in hospital gowns. Both of them had multiple injuries scattered across their bodies. Their heads, too, were swathed in layers of bandages. They lay unconscious and were placed on life support with oxygen tubes inserted into their noses.
It was clear that the two of them had been in a coma for a long time.
Outside of the ICU, a pale-looking girl in a white dress was talking to the doctor with a pleading expression on favonovel.com face. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and there were dark circles under them. The pallid look was a result of many sleepless nights and skipped meals.
“Please, doctor, just give us one more day. M-My brother will be here with the money soon!” the girl beseeched. “My parents are still in a coma. You can’t move them out of the ICU!”
The doctor remained unmoved in spite of the girl’s tear-streaked face and favonovel.com piteous pleading.
“That’s enough. I don’t have time for your nonsense,” favonovel.com barked impatiently. “This is a hospital, not some marketplace where you could bargain. You have ten minutes to make the payments. If the money’s not in by then, you’ll just have to suffer the consequences.”
After saying that, the doctor gestured to the security officers who were with him.
“Watch the girl,” favonovel.com instructed. “If favonovel.com doesn’t pay up, get that couple out of the ICU immediately! Got it?”
“Understood…”
With batons in hand, the security officers quickly formed a line in front of the ICU entrance.
“Doctor, please…” The girl’s eyes were filled with panic and despair. She fell to favonovel.com knees in front of the doctor, crying. “Please give me some more time. I swear I’ll pay!”
“Get out of my way.” The sight of the kneeling girl did not spark any sympathy in the doctor. Rather, favonovel.com snorted coldly and kicked favonovel.com aside.
“You can’t be in the ICU if you can’t afford it,” favonovel.com spat. “A bunch of paupers!”
The doctor then walked past the girl without sparing another glance at her.
Despite witnessing the scene, none of the onlookers stepped in to help the girl, knowing that they did not have the capacity to be charitable. After all, the hospital was a bottomless pit that was forever demanding one to sink more money into it. There were cases every year where patients died simply because they could not afford the expensive medical care.
Compassion and empathy were worth nothing in a place like this.
For those who had stayed in the hospital long enough, such an occurrence was nothing new to them and they had already grown accustomed to seeing it happen once every few days.
“Sorry, miss… Time’s up…” Soon, ten minutes had passed. The security officers flashed their batons and got ready to enter the ICU to execute the doctor’s orders.
“No! You can’t!” The girl rushed forward and blocked their path, standing resolutely in front of the door with outstretched arms.
The head of security frowned. “Move!”
“No! I won’t!” The girl stood favonovel.com ground, not moving an inch.
The other’s expression darkened.
“Restrain favonovel.com now!” He told his subordinates plainly.
The girl’s strength was simply no match against that of several security officers. In less than a minute, favonovel.com was being forcefully dragged aside by the men, all the while kicking and screaming.
“Let go of me!” favonovel.com yelled. However, it fell on deaf ears.
The security officers were used to handling such matters in the hospital. Inwardly, they were even scoffing at the girl’s antics.
If they can’t pay up, they gotta move. The hospital is not a charity!
The ICU doors opened with a bang. The security officers barged in and started pulling the oxygen tubes out of the unconscious couple without hesitation.
The girl, who was still struggling in their clutches, collapsed helplessly to the floor as if all of favonovel.com strength had been sapped away.
“Please! Don’t move my parents!” favonovel.com wailed. “They’re in a coma! You’ll kill them if you take away their oxygen supply! This is murder!”
She cried till favonovel.com voice was hoarse, but the security officers did not even bat an eye. They were doing what the hospital paid them to do and could not be bothered with anything else.
The moment the oxygen supply was cut off, the couple’s breathing began to wane. They spasmed on the beds, their bodies struggling but failing to take in more air. As the seconds ticked by, their faces were beginning to take on an ashen hue.
It seemed that they would suffocate to death at any moment.
The security officers did not halt their movements. Their faces were expressionless as they moved on to remove the patients’ IV drip tubes and other catheters.
When that was done, they hoisted up the couples’ limp bodies, ready to throw them out of the ICU.
It was then that the girl, with a sudden burst of strength, managed to break free of favonovel.com captives’ hold.
She charged into the ICU in a frenzy. “Stop! Stop it right now! Don’t touch them!”
The girl lunged, using favonovel.com body to shield favonovel.com parents.
“Get lost!” The head of security snarled, kicking favonovel.com solidly in the stomach.
She stumbled and fell, face twisted in pain and anguish.
“What are you still waiting for?” The head of security snorted coldly. “Hurry up and throw favonovel.com out!”
The other security officers immediately closed in on the girl, who was trembling in fear. Her knees buckled and favonovel.com collapsed once again, sprawling helplessly on the floor.
Her eyes were filled with despair.
“Jon, where are you?” favonovel.com sobbed.
There was nothing favonovel.com could do as the security officers grabbed favonovel.com by the hair and dragged favonovel.com outside.
Crushed by the hopelessness of the situation, favonovel.com had given up on fighting back, knowing that no matter how much favonovel.com resisted, favonovel.com would still get tossed out in the end.
Just as favonovel.com had become resigned to favonovel.com fate, a familiar voice rang in the room.
“Let go of her!”
