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The white walls of the hospital felt colder than ever. The empty, dark hallway sent shiver down her spine. Two small bulbs flickering.
Emily sat hunched on the narrow bench outside the ICU, her fingers nervously twisting the frayed hem of her sweater. Her eyes, red-rimmed and puffy, were locked on the glowing red sign above the door:
"Intensive Care Unit – Restricted Area."
Inside, her mother was fighting a battle she couldn't afford to lose.
Or rather — a battle Emily couldn't afford to help her win.
The bills were stacking.
The chemotherapy was urgent.
And Emily… was utterly, painfully broke.
She leaned forward and cradled her head in her hands, trying to still the wave of panic crashing over her. Her part-time jobs barely covered groceries, let alone hospital bills. The meager savings she'd scraped together during college had vanished within days of her mother's admission.
There was no family to call.
No one to borrow from.
No magic solution waiting around the corner.
She had cut ties with her father and step sister years ago. The last time she saw them was when she caught her boyfriend cheating on her with her step sister.
Her phone buzzed beside her.
Lana: "I'm downstairs. Bringing coffee. Don't you dare say no."
A soft, tired smile curved on Emily's lips for half a second. Lana was her best friend — loud, dramatic, full of attitude — but she had the softest heart. She had been her rock through it all, checking in day and night. Emily had tried to push her away, not wanting to burden her.
But Lana refused to stay away.
Before Emily could reply, a quiet voice pulled her back.
"Emily?"
She looked up sharply to see Dr. Hale, her mother's attending physician. He stood with his clipboard held loosely by his side, his salt-and-pepper brows furrowed. She hated that look — that look that always came right before bad news.
She rose to her feet. "Is something wrong? Is she—?"
"No," he assured, holding up a hand gently. "She's stable. For now."
Emily exhaled, but the relief was short-lived.
"I need to be honest with you," he continued, voice softer now. "Her condition is progressing, and she needs full-time care. Aggressive treatment. We've done what we can here… but it won't be enough."
She already knew that.
"What kind of cost are we talking about?" Her voice cracked even as she asked.
Dr. Hale looked away briefly. "Tens of thousands. Maybe more over the next few months."
Her throat tightened. Her knees felt weak. She lowered herself slowly back to the bench, afraid she might collapse otherwise.
"I know this is overwhelming," he said. "But there might be another way."
Emily looked up, eyes guarded.
Dr. Hale hesitated before speaking again. "There's someone I used to work with. A doctor — exceptional, but... difficult. He left the medical world a while ago, but he still takes certain cases. Quietly. Under specific conditions."
She frowned. "Why would he do that?"
"He doesn't do it for money," Hale said carefully. "He does it… when he's interested. And if he agrees to help your mother, she'll have a real chance."
"What's his name?"
"Dr. Darius King."
The name dropped like a stone in her chest. Something about it felt cold, powerful — unsettling.
"What's the catch?" she asked, suspicious.
Dr. Hale didn't answer right away. Instead, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small white card. It had only a name, a number, a company's name printed in bold:
D.KINGS.
"Go to this place," he said, pressing the card into her hand. "Tell him I sent you."
Just then, a gust of air rushed from the hallway as the elevator doors opened. Lana appeared — all fire and chaos — with two coffee cups and a tote bag slung over one shoulder. She took one look at Emily and paused, eyes narrowing at Dr. Hale.
"Should I be worried?" she asked sharply.
Emily gave her a weary look. "He's trying to help."
Lana walked up, handed Emily the coffee, then turned to Dr. Hale. "You doctors love being mysterious. What's in that card? A cure or a curse?"
Dr. Hale chuckled lightly, nodding toward Emily. "She'll decide that."
He offered a final nod and disappeared down the hall.
Lana sat beside her, already pulling out a protein bar and forcing it into Emily's hand.
"You haven't eaten, have you?"
"I'm not hungry," Emily muttered.
"Tough," Lana replied. "Chew or I'm calling security."
Emily let out a breath of half a laugh and took a small bite. Her hands were still shaking as she looked down at the card in her lap.
"Dr. Darius King," she whispered.
"Sounds like a Bond villain," Lana said, eyeing the card. "Are you seriously going to meet some underground doctor based on a whisper from your mom's physician?"
"I don't have a choice," Emily said quietly.
Lana fell silent.
For a long moment, the hospital lights buzzed overhead and the hallway emptied around them.
She had no idea who this Darius King was…
No idea what he'd ask of her…
And no idea that he would soon become the most unexpected — and dangerous — chapter of her life.
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