Chapter 4

His whole body went rigid.

"Are you insane? The patient is unconscious!"

"How is he supposed to press a fingerprint? This is murder!"

Nadia clicked her tongue, impatient.

"Unconscious? Then use his blood."

"He's coughed up plenty of it. One fingerprint won't make a difference."

"I'm a fair person."

"He wants his life, he trades his name for it."

"That's what he owes me. And what he owes Ivor."

Ivor took the confession from Nadia's hand.

Step by step, he walked to the door of the ER.

He looked at the nurse, his voice soft enough to drip.

"Miss, I'm sorry, could you make an exception? Nadia only wants what's best for Warren."

"Warren's stubborn. He won't admit he's wrong until he's suffered a little."

"One fingerprint, and Nadia pays and signs right away."

"You don't want to watch Warren die on the operating table, do you?"

The nurse shoved Ivor away, shaking with fury.

"Get out of here! The two of you make me sick!"

"I quit!"

"I'll take responsibility myself and start his dialysis!"

She rushed into the ER and slammed the door shut behind her.

On the table, the attending physician had already raised the dialysis catheter.

Moments earlier, the on-duty hospital director had invoked Article 1220 of the Civil Code, the "emergency treatment authority."

Bypassing family consent, he stamped the hospital's official seal straight onto the papers.

"Save him first! The hospital takes all responsibility!"

The director's words were still echoing over the intercom.

I lay on the cold operating table, the surgical light too bright to open my eyes against.

The lower half of my body had gone numb.

Only the shrill blare of the machines rang in my ears.

The doctor was performing CPR on me.

"Warren! Wake up! Don't go to sleep! Think about your family!"

My eyelids were as heavy as lead.

Then the ER door was kicked open.