Her Joke Cost Him Everything Chapter 04
The driver’s hands stiffened visibly on the steering wheel.
Incredibly, Jacob was actually considering the request.
Sloane shook his arm, her voice a tactical whine. “I went through so much trauma on that plane, Jacob. I just need a little fun to decompress.”
“Besides, it’s just marrow. A few more hours won’t make a difference, right?”
Jacob was sold. “Alright. Whatever you want.”
The driver couldn’t hold back anymore, his voice cautious and trembling. “Sir, the hospital has
been calling non–stop.”
Jacob’s face darkened, and the driver immediately shut his mouth.
I finally looked up at Jacob, my voice cold, clinical, and entirely detached.
“Out of professional protocol, I am giving you one final warning.”
“The marrow in that cooler is dead.”
“You should contact the Be The Match registry immediately, to see if there’s a backup donor, or notify the hospital to adjust their surgical plan right now.”
Sloane pounced on the opportunity, looking at me with theatrical hurt.
“Carey, if you wanted to come to Disneyland with us, you could just say so. Why wishing death on Jacob’s mom?”
Jacob’s expression turned lethal.
“Carey, what is wrong with you? Ever since we got on that flight, you’ve been spewing this alarmist bullshit. Are you trying to ruin Sloane’s day on purpose?”
The tone in his voice was an exact echo of the day he murdered me.
I simply nodded and pushed the door open, stepping out of the car.
The black Navigator roared away a second later, leaving me in the dust.
In a normal life, I would have called the hospital’s emergency coordinator immediately to arrange a
pickup or organize a contingency plan.
But now, I just stood there quietly, looking down at the cryo–cooler in my hand.
There was no point.
A completely non–viable sample paired with a family that didn’t value human life, Calling for backup would just be a waste of medical resources.
I hailed a taxi.
When the driver asked where I was going, I gave the hospital’s name and leaned back, closing my
eyes.
The scene on the roof deck from my previous life flashed behind my eyelids like a recurring nightmare.
As the wind whistled past my ears during the fall, I couldn’t understand it–I was the one who saved her, so why was I the one who had to die?
Now, I finally got it.
Some people deserve exactly what’s coming to them. If you force a rescue, you only transfer their misfortune onto yourself.
I reached the hospital thirty minutes later.
As I walked into the transplant center with the cooler, I saw Jacob rushing toward me.
His father had finally tracked him down and screamed at him over the phone until he showed up.
Mr. Harrison stood outside the OR, his face livid. “Where the hell have you been? Your mom is already prepped! Where is the donor tissue?”
Jacob froze.
Before he could find his voice, Sloane pouted beside him.
“Mr. Harrison, why are you being so mean? Jacob was just taking care of me. I had a massive panic attack on the plane.”
Mr. Harrison looked at her, his expression twisted with disgust.
But this wasn’t the time for a confrontation.
He snatched the cryo–cooler from my hands, his voice frantic.
“Quick! Get this inside!”
A nurse took the box immediately and disappeared into the OR.
The hallway fell into a heavy, suffocating silence.
Mr. Harrison paced back and forth, sweat beading on his forehead.
Jacob finally felt a flicker of genuine unease, whispering to me, “Carey, it’s going to be okay, right?”
I didn’t answer him.
A few minutes later, the double doors pushed open.
The lead surgeon walked out, his mask still on, but his eyes were hollow with exhaustion and
weight.
“I’m so sorry.”
“The patient suffered severe complications during the procedure and has passed away.
“The primary cause was the donor cells. They were completely non–viable due to temperature exposure. The transplant failed.”
“My deepest condolences.”
Jacob stood paralyzed, the color draining from his face until he was as white as a ghost.
“What did you just say?”
