Chapter 2

Something flickered in Gordon's eyes.

But only for an instant.

Because Marina had already dropped to the floor, both hands clutching her chest.

It was a scene that had played out almost daily in our old life together.

Sure enough, the next second,

Marina's voice came through, thick with tears.

'Gordon, it hurts so much, save me...'

Just like always, that sobbing, moaning plea pulled Gordon's eyes off me in an instant.

He sprang up from where he stood like he'd lost his mind,

and lunged toward the operating room.

He grabbed the nurse blocking the door by her collar, glaring with bloodshot eyes as he snarled,

'My friend's heart is killing her! What are you all just standing around for? Clear out the operating room now and let her in to prep for surgery!'

The young nurse, eyes brimming with tears, tried to explain.

'Sir, there are still three and a half hours until your friend's surgery. There's plenty of time.'

'And right now there's a surgery in progress inside, a very high-risk heart transplant, so please stop making a scene...'

'Who's making a scene?!'

Without another word, Gordon swung his hand and slapped the young nurse full across the face.

Blood ran down her cheek at once,

but Gordon acted like he didn't see it.

He raised his hand high again and slammed another slap across her face,

and this time her head struck the operating room door.

Blood poured out over her scalp in an instant,

but perhaps because the surgery inside really was that important,

even so,

the young nurse still guarded the operating room door with everything she had.

She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and looked at Gordon, teeth gritted.

'Sir, please, I promise we won't delay your friend's surgery. I'm begging you, don't do anything reckless.'

'If you actually delay the surgery on the patient inside and that patient dies, that's killing someone. That's a crime! You'll be held legally responsible!'

The bystanders around them stepped in one after another to talk him down.

'That's right, son. The hospital has its own schedule. Your friend looks perfectly fine to me. You've waited eighteen years, so what's a little longer?'

'Exactly, miss. If something hurts, let the staff take you to get checked. But you can't keep letting your friend charge at that operating room!'

'Right. I'm a lawyer, and I can tell you plainly, if you delay the surgery in there and the patient dies because of it, you'll be held legally responsible.'

The moment the lawyer said it,

a flash of fear crossed Gordon's eyes.

He really was scared now.

He looked hard in Marina's direction, clearly wanting to tell her to wait.

But I knew perfectly well,

Marina would never let it end there.

Sure enough,

before Gordon could get a single word of comfort out,

she shot to her feet and buried herself in his arms.

'Gordon...'

The moment those two words left her mouth,

the next second her tears had soaked straight through Gordon's shirt.

That was one trick I'd never learn in this lifetime.

'I think that specialist is dragging his feet on purpose because he doesn't want to operate on me. Because I just overheard the nurses talking, and the patient being operated on right now is that specialist's own mother...'

'The old woman must have cut in line ahead of me. Before I came I already looked it up online, my kind of surgery needs four hours of prep, and they still won't let me in, so obviously they don't want to do my surgery at all...'

Marina's forearms locked tight around Gordon's waist.

'Gordon, I have a feeling my life might end today. Forgive me for not being able to walk a little further at your side...'

With each new sob from Marina,

Gordon's face slowly turned a mottled purple...