CHAPTER 6 — SHE OPENED HER EYES
CHAPTER 6 — SHE OPENED HER EYES
The scream ripped through the hospital.
"CODE BLUE! ICU ROOM THREE!"
Marcus drew his pistol.
"Protect Mr. Williams!"
I didn't wait.
I sprinted toward Emily's room.
Doctors.
Nurses.
Security guards.
Everyone rushed in the same direction.
When I reached the door...
It was open.
A nurse lay unconscious on the floor.
The heart monitor screamed.
A masked man stood beside Emily's bed.
One gloved hand gripped the ventilator tube.
The other held a syringe.
Our eyes met.
For half a second...
Neither of us moved.
Then he lunged.
Marcus tackled him.
The syringe flew across the room.
The man kicked Marcus away and crashed through a side emergency exit.
"After him!" Marcus shouted.
The bodyguards chased the assassin.
I ignored them.
My eyes were only on Emily.
Doctors swarmed around her bed.
"She's crashing!"
"Blood pressure is dropping!"
"Prepare another unit of O-negative!"
I grabbed the surgeon's arm.
"Save her."
"I don't care what it costs."
The surgeon looked me straight in the eye.
"This isn't about money anymore."
"It's about time."
An hour later...
The operation was over.
The chief surgeon walked toward us.
His face was unreadable.
"Mr. Williams..."
My heart stopped.
"We managed to stabilize her."
Relief flooded through me.
"But..."
"She suffered another lack of oxygen."
"The next twenty-four hours are critical."
I nodded silently.
Then something unexpected happened.
Sophia stepped forward.
"Doctor."
"I'm O-negative."
"So am I."
The doctor looked surprised.
"We're running low."
She rolled up her sleeve without hesitation.
"Take mine."
I stared at her.
"You don't have to."
She looked through the ICU window.
"That girl has done nothing wrong."
"My hatred was never meant for her."
"For the first time..."
I believed her.
Near midnight...
Everyone had left except Marcus and me.
Rain hammered the windows.
The hospital was almost silent.
I sat beside Emily's bed, holding her hand.
"I'm sorry."
"I failed your mother."
"I failed Lucas."
"I won't fail you."
A tear rolled down my cheek.
Then...
I felt it.
A tiny movement.
I froze.
Emily's fingers...
Had squeezed mine.
"Doctor!"
The medical team rushed inside.
The monitors accelerated.
Her eyelids trembled.
Slowly...
Painfully...
Emily opened her eyes.
"Emily..."
She looked around, confused.
The oxygen mask muffled her breathing.
I smiled through tears.
"It's okay."
"Dad's here."
For a moment...
She simply stared at me.
Then fear exploded across her face.
She grabbed my wrist with surprising strength.
"Dad..."
Her voice was barely audible.
"He..."
I leaned closer.
"Who?"
She struggled to breathe.
"The man..."
"...wasn't Uncle Richard."
The room fell silent.
"What?"
She shook her head weakly.
"I saw..."
"...someone else."
Marcus frowned.
"Who?"
Emily whispered one name.
"Victor..."
Sophia gasped.
The color drained from her face.
"No..."
"That's impossible."
I looked at her.
"You know him?"
May you like
She closed her eyes.
"I prayed I'd never hear that name again."
