AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Jennifer, what’s up?” she asked urgently, a little breathless.
She silently listened for a few seconds. I heard the vague tone of a woman’s voice but couldn’t make out any words given the state of my scrambled brain.
“What?” Her voice was louder, clear as a bell, eyes widened in alarm. “I’ll be there soon. She’ll be fine, okay?” she assured the woman on the call as she lifted her shirt off the ground, ignoring the bra.
“Daniel, I have to go. I’m so sorry,” she said as soon as she ended the call, shoving her T-shirt over her head and jumping off the desk. I quickly pulled my own clothes back on, straightening everything out.
“What happened? What’s wrong, Amy?” I was surprised by how much I actually cared about what was wrong. I wanted to help her fix whatever made her voice sound so worried. As she rushed around the small office, I wasn’t even thinking about what could be happening between us right now if she never got this call.
“Jordan… my sister. She was just placed on a ventilator.”
“Where is she? I’ll take you,” I said immediately, helping her grab her heavy bag.
“Saint Andrews Memorial Hospital.” Her voice broke and the eyes that moments ago had been clouded in pleasure were now full of sadness and worry.
“Let’s go,” I said, and we were both already half-way toward the lab door.
Chapter 23
Amy
Idefinitelyjinxeditwhen I thought nothing could ruin the day. Daniel and I made our way to the parking lot at the basement of the building. He tapped on the key fob and the car doors unlocked. He didn't try to be a gentleman by opening my door, he just hopped into the driver's seat and I got in the passenger’s seat. Everything happened so quickly, I knew he just wanted to get me to the hospital as soon as possible.
I had no time for distractions and barely registered the sleek silver sports car with Aston Martin inscribed on the trunk. If the situation was different, I would have given Daniel a hard time about his expensive taste in cars.
The exterior was beautiful, but the interior was simply astonishing and provided a much-needed distraction. The dashboard was fully digital, extending all the way to the front of the passenger seat, where I was now trying so hard to stay calm. Control panels were firmly fixed in the center console between the driver and passenger seats.
Daniel gently pressed on a button on the side of the steering wheel and the car roared to life. I fastened my seatbelt, and he did the same for himself. He looked into the central mirror and moved the gear to reverse. His tires screeched as he switched to drive and sped out of the basement.
This was not the first time it had happened. It was the third time Jordan’s entire respiratory system collapsed. The first time it happened, she was just five years old. Jennifer and I had been terrified, having no idea what was wrong. It was even scarier when the doctors explained what had happened to her. That was when I knew I had to find a way to help Jordan.
Saint Andrews Memorial Hospital had become my second home over the years. I knew the hospital inside out, and I led Daniel in the direction of the ICU where a woman was pacing the hall. The hall was long, almost unending. There were labeled doors on opposite sides of the hall, chairs separating each door. As we got closer to the pacing figure, a door labeled, “Intensive Care Unit", came into view, along with the pacing figure that turned out to be Jennifer. I let out a deep breath as I walked toward her.
Jennifer was still in her scrubs, probably called from work. She worked in senior housing, caring for the elderly. She initially took the job because of the pay, but she had hated the first two weeks. Eventually, she started telling jokes about the elderly people she encountered during her shift and grew to love her work.
I rushed up to Jennifer and wrapped her in a tight hug. She hugged me back, and I felt her body shaking with anxiety.
“It was terrifying, Amy. The doctor said something about an organ failing. Oh, my baby girl.” Her voice broke as tears fell from her eyes to my shoulder. I felt helpless to do anything but pat her back and try to provide a small amount of physical comfort.
I wanted to say that Jordan would be okay. But would she? I fought the urge to cry.
Jennifer was a very strong woman, the strongest I knew. She had been through a lot in the forty-two years of her life. She and her late husband had waited seven years before they eventually had Jordan. During those years, she had three miscarriages. To make matters worse, she had lost her husband to a car accident shortly after Jordan turned two. I wasn’t there. I was in college at the time, but I could still see the toll it had taken on her. Jordan was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy right after she was born. It was a really tough time and Jennifer worked round the clock to pay for insurance and other bills. I helped however I could. Jordan may not have been my sole motivation to study medical biochemistry, but she was the reason why I majored in it and bagged a Ph.D. I wanted to find a cure for her disease.
“Oh, Jennifer, this is Daniel, the CEO of Reed Biotech, my partner and the sponsor of my research.” I may have enjoyed teasing him, but I was suddenly glad he was here with me. Part of me also wanted him to see the importance of my research in person.
“I wish we were meeting under different circumstances,” he said to Jennifer, offering his hand. She pulled him into a hug instead. “But please let me know if there’s anything I can do. Seriously.” His voice was thick with emotion.
Jennifer released him, swiping the tears from under eyes.
“You’re already doing so much, funding Amy’s research and everything. Thank you.” She reached for a pack of tissues from her bag and pulled one out as I put an arm around her.
Daniel cleared his throat and shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Amy is the one deserving of this praise,” he said as he looked at me seriously. He made me blush. Despite everything going on, Jennifer watched us curiously. I would never have described Jennifer as the chatty type. Honestly, it was sometimes hard to keep conversation flowing with her. It wasn’t that she didn’t care–she probably cared too much about everyone she met–she just liked to give people their space.
But that didn’t seem to be the case with Daniel.
“I don’t want to keep you longer than I have to, Daniel.” I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to stay or wanted him to leave. He searched my eyes briefly before shaking his head.
