Race Against Time
Donald acted as though he had only just noticed me.
Impatience flashed in his eyes as he yanked my arm and dragged me away from the office. "Don't get in Yvonne's way. You don't even have patients to tend to, so go home and get some rest."
I nodded, but my silence only made Donald more brazen. "I told you she was talented. Everyone used to call you the best healer in town, but she surpassed you easily. I have surgery later. You can go home by yourself."
He shoved the thermos into my arms, turned, and left without another word.
I saw him off and called the donation department. "I'm donating my whole body. Get the process done ASAP. And I'm starting from the kidneys."
The donation department's doctors were surprised to see me. "It's just one wrong diagnosis, Dr. Greenwood. Suicide is overkill."
"Yeah, this is beyond throwing a tantrum. I can see why they call you arrogant. Killing yourself just because the intern one-upped you is extreme."
Everyone wanted to talk me down and have me stay at home until everything blew over. I shook my head. This was my only chance at survival, but they had no idea, of course.
I had a rough idea of how Yvonne's healing ability worked, along with its conditions. If I wanted to live, I had to walk toward death myself and gamble with it.
Under my persistence, the doctors finally relented. But the earliest procedure they could arrange was at five in the afternoon. That was forty minutes before the kidney cancer would transfer to me.
I agreed to the schedule.
Once everything was arranged, I took the donation consent form and returned to my office.
Yvonne only saw thirty patients a day. By then, her workday was over, leaving only her and her group of admirers in the office.
"That's Dr. Greenwood. Best doctor, my foot."
"Exactly. Dr. Melson is much better. I say she should take over as department head."
Yvonne put on a show of modesty. "Don't insult Dr. Greenwood. I'd never have gotten the chance if she hadn't given me one."
Zoey Sunlese, the intern who was in Yvonne's batch, defended her, "As if! That patient would've been amputated if you hadn't stopped her. His life would've been ruined! If I were Greenwood, I'd be ashamed to see anyone, much less come to work. She should be a hermit!"
Yvonne kept pretending to stop them, but the smile on her lips gave her away.
"I have no idea what Dr. Flemont sees in her. If you ask me, you're a better girlfriend than her."
I clenched the edges of my shirt as tightly as I could as I checked the time. Then, in a voice cold enough to slice through metal, I said, "I know your secret, Yvonne."
Yvonne froze but she quickly regained her composure and feigned confusion. "I have no secret. You're letting your anger get to you, Dr. Greenwood. Perhaps you really should go home."
I stared into Yvonne's eyes and enunciated, "I know how you cured those people." Then, I looked at the clock again. "Thirty minutes left."
That finally broke Yvonne's mask of calmness. She snatched the letter of consent out of my hand, and her admirers burst into laughter.
"That's obviously fake, Dr. Greenwood. But I respect your decision if it's true. Not just anyone could donate their whole body for medicine."
Yvonne did not laugh with them. Instead, her face was twisted with rage.
"Get her!" She pounced at me like a panther, and I turned and ran for my life.
Her admirers panicked and joined the hunting squad without asking any questions. I ran as fast as my legs could take me, and I stood before the elevator, my breathing ragged.
If I could get back to the donation department, I was safe.
The hunters were closing in. I was getting worried, but the elevator finally played its sweet, sweet jingle.
"Fifth floor."
Before I could step into the elevator, a blast of agony exploded from my legs. It threw me off balance, and I fell to the ground.
The car crash victim's condition was replaying itself on my body.
