Chapter 41
I went to see George to talk him into letting me leave the hospital.
However, George flatly refused in an unwavering tone. “Do you even want to get better, Samuel? You just had surgery, and you need to stay for observation so we can adjust your treatment as needed. We don’t want any unexpected complications.”
He patted my shoulder and tried to slowly persuade me. “I get you don’t want to be stuck here,
but I’m only doing this for your sake.”
I could feel that George genuinely cared about me, but in the last moments of my life, I didn’t want to spend them bound to a hospital bed with nothing but the smell of antiseptics in the
air.
I gave him a small smile and replied softly, “Don’t worry, George. I’ll keep a close eye on myself after I leave. If anything feels out of place, I’ll come straight back here. Deal?”
The hospital felt like a prison to me, and I couldn’t imagine spending my final days trapped here. Every minute in this place was a painful memory of my sister. It filled me with an endless cycle of guilt and regret.
I couldn’t waste any more of my time here. I needed to make something of it, to find a purpose. I wanted to help kids with serious illnesses like my sister get the treatment they
needed.
It was the one thing that would bring me some peace.
Seeing the determination in my eyes, George realized he wouldn’t be able to change my mind: With a heavy sigh, he nodded reluctantly.
“All right. I’ll approve your discharge, but only if you promise me one thing.” He grasped my shoulder, and his eyes were filled with concern as he continued, “If you feel any discomfort or have any reactions, you have to contact me immediately. Got it?”
I smiled and nodded. “You got it.‘
After completing the discharge paperwork, I returned to the same rented apartment I lived in before. It was a small place that was less than 430 square feet, but it had everything I needed. I could cook by the entrance, and the bathroom had a water heater for hot showers. It was -enough to make me feel content.
I lay on the bed, reflecting on the events of the day, and found them almost laughable.
Just then, my phone vibrated, pulling me out of my thoughts. I glanced at it to see that Abigail was calling me. Without a second thought, I ended the call.
I had no interest in listening to her chatter again
Chapter 41
Time slipped by, and soon, I was sweating from pain. I clutched my chest as I struggled to sit up. When I finally looked at the clock, I found that it was only half past five in the morning.
Relentless pain shot through my body, and I was sure I wouldn’t be able to continue sleeping.
Deciding to make the best of it, I made some soup noodles. After eating, I felt a bit better.
I scrolled through my phone contacts and noticed that a close friend of my sister was celebrating her birthday today. She had congenital heart disease and was waiting for a matching donor for a heart transplant.
I went to the gift shop and picked out a set of dolls, along with some small cakes, and then headed to the hospital to visit her.
The nurse and attending physician knew me. When they saw me, they greeted me with friendly smiles.
“Mr. Gebb, you’re here.”
The attending physician, Paul Miller, shook my hand with a grin. “Are you here to see Madeline?“!
“Yeah. She’s my sister’s best friend. It’s her birthday today, and I’m here on my sister’s behalf,
I explained as I raised the gifts in my hand and smiled.
Paul chuckled. “Mr. Gebb, you and Ms. Bardot are really in sync! She just arrived, and she’s in
- Madeline’s room right now.”
Chapter 42
