They wheeled Kimberly back into the operating theater. The doors swung shut behind her, sealing in the chaos. Inside, a small army of doctors swarmed the table, their voices a tangle of urgency. Every second mattered.
"Clamp that artery-pressure's dropping again."
"Another unit-now!"
Metal clinked. Gloves rustled. Someone whispered numbers under their breath. The steady beeping of the monitor stuttered, steadied, then faltered again.
For hours, they worked to hold her in that fragile space between life and something quieter. Torn flesh was stitched. Blood wiped away. Hands trembled but didn't stop. Every motion felt like defiance-like they were wrestling with death itself.
Outside the double doors, Mr. Donald paced the corridor. Back and forth. His polished shoes squeaked against the floor tiles. He wondered what could have triggered her to behave like that. She must have gone through a lot. Under his breath,he muttered to himself-prayers half-remembered, whispered like a man bargaining with heaven.
"Not her too, Lord," he whispered. "Please... don't take her too."
He had buried enough already. Friends, business partners, his daughter and his wife,the one woman who had once made his world soft. He had watched monitors fade to flatlines before. But this girl-was different. She wasn't supposed to matter this much, but she did. She'd stumbled into his life by accident, and somehow, she'd woken something in him. Something he thought had died years ago.
Time blurred. Minutes bled into hours. The only rhythm was his pacing and the hollow echo of his shoes.
Then, finally, the doors creaked open.
Donald froze mid-step. His eyes went straight to Dr. Ken, the lead surgeon. The man looked spent-scrubs dark with sweat, mask dangling loosely around his neck, eyes dulled by fatigue.
Donald's voice came out rough, lower than usual. "How is she?"
He tried for control, but his throat betrayed him. "Tell me, Doctor."
Dr. Ken exhaled, tugged off his gloves. "She made it through," he said quietly, "but her condition's critical. We're moving her to the emergency ward for overnight observation. No one's allowed in tonight." He hesitated, eyes softening. "Please, sir... go home and rest. Come back tomorrow evening."
For a heartbeat, Donald just stared at him. Then something sharp crossed his expression. The words go home hit like an insult.
"Go home?" His voice was calm, but laced with steel-the kind that made boardrooms fall silent. "You're asking me to go home while she lies there, alone?"
"Sir, it's hospital protocol," Dr. Ken said carefully, already aware he was walking on glass. "She needs minimal contact, sterile environment-"
"Protocol?" Donald's jaw clenched. His tone dropped lower, quieter, far more dangerous. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"
Dr. Ken faltered. "Sir, I-"
But Donald had already pulled out his phone. His movements were slow, deliberate,the kind that carried weight.
"Brooks," he said when the call connected, voice cold and measured. "It's Donald. Come to Mercy Hospital. Now."
He hung up without waiting for a reply.
Within minutes, the hospital's CEO, Mr. Brooks, was on the line with Dr. Ken. His voice strained with forced politeness.
"Dr. Ken," he said carefully, "Mr. Donald is our largest shareholder. You'll give him unrestricted access and make whatever arrangements he requests immediately."
By the time Brooks arrived in person, he was panting slightly. He hurried down the corridor like a man trying to outrun bad news.
"Mr. Donald," he said, breathless and apologetic. "I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding. A suite is being prepared beside the patient's ward right now."
Dr. Ken reappeared, contrite. "My apologies, sir," he murmured. "Preparations are underway. You'll have a private suite next to Miss Kimberly's room. You'll be able to stay close to her at all times."
Donald's shoulders eased, but only a fraction. The exhaustion on his face deepened. He gave a small, curt nod.
"Good," he said. "That'll do."
He turned away and dialed another number. "Ben," he said when his assistant answered, voice steady again, "bring my clothes and essentials to the hospital. I'm not leaving tonight."
When the call ended, he stepped up to the glass partition. Beyond it, Kimberly lay still beneath the white hospital sheets. The fluorescent light washed her.The bandages framed her face, softening the bruises that told their own story.
Even like that wired to machines-she didn't look ruined to him. She looked like someone worth saving twice over.
Hours later, a nurse guided him into the adjoining suite. The glass divider stretched from wall to wall, giving him an unbroken view of her room. Machines blinked softly beside her, keeping rhythm with her breath.
Donald walked to the chair by the window. The city lights beyond the glass shimmered in the distance-too bright, too alive. He sat heavily, elbows on his knees, gaze fixed on the girl behind the glass.
Kimberly's chest rose and fell, slow and shallow. That fragile rhythm-her breathing was the only proof she was still here.
He didn't move. Didn't speak,he just watched her, thinking this girl, who had walked into his world like a storm-she had unsettled him, reminded him that caring still came with a cost. And now, she lay there, caught between this world and whatever came after.
A thought flickered, dark and unwanted: What if she doesn't wake up this time?
His hands curled into fists. He forced the thought out, whispering to himself, "No. Not this time."
Outside, the city went on-horns blaring, laughter spilling from distant bars, life pulsing without pause. But in that sterile glass room, everything had narrowed to one small, stubborn sound-the uneven beat of Kimberly's heart.
Donald leaned back, eyes fixed on her pale silhouette. The fatigue pressing on him didn't matter. The ache in his chest didn't either.
He'd seen too many endings to still believe in miracles. But tonight, he decided to wait for one anyway.
And he swore, quietly but with all the conviction left in him-he wouldn't let her slip away again. He will protect her at all costs till she can tell her story.
