Chapter_36
Outside the emergency room, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Mrs. Jones was overwhelmed with emotion, her face streaked with tears as she paced anxiously. Darren stood beside her, trying to comfort her, though his own worry was apparent. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, though both of them knew that the situation was far from over.
Tyler, on the other hand, stood in silence, his gaze fixed on the emergency room doors. Despite his deep concern for Naomi, he couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling in his chest—how inhumane it seemed to ask Olivia to make such a sacrifice. Yes, Naomi’s life was hanging in the balance, but at what cost? The weight of what they were asking of Olivia weighed heavily on him. She was so young, so vulnerable, and yet, here she was, willingly offering up something so crucial, so selfless.
His thoughts were interrupted by a nurse approaching Olivia. “Are you anemic?” she asked.
Olivia, still in a daze, hesitated for a moment. “I don’t think so,” she answered softly, unsure of her own body’s condition.
The nurse nodded and said, “Okay, let’s take a look.” She drew Olivia’s blood, and though Olivia felt a sharp, stinging pain from the needle, she didn’t flinch. She simply held her breath, staying as still as possible.
“Hang in there,” the nurse encouraged, and Olivia could only nod, trying to remain strong.
Once the tests were complete, Olivia was escorted into the emergency room. Inside, she could see Naomi, who was lying on the first aid station. Naomi’s face was ashen, her lips almost colorless, and the sight made Olivia’s heart tighten. Her own face went even paler, the reality of what was happening sinking in.
As she lay in the adjacent bed, she could only pray that Naomi would make it through this. She had no way of knowing how much blood they were taking from her, but with each passing minute, Olivia felt weaker and weaker. Her vision blurred, the room spinning around her as if everything was slowly slipping away.
The beeping of the medical machines grew louder in her ears, and she heard the nurse’s voice asking the doctor, “More?”
The doctor’s curt response, “Yes,” made her stomach churn. Olivia didn’t have the strength to protest. She felt herself fading in and out of consciousness, the pain in her arm from the blood draw barely registering anymore.
With a final, quiet breath, Olivia succumbed to exhaustion and drifted into an uneasy sleep.
When Olivia finally opened her eyes, everything around her seemed hazy. The sounds of beeping machines filled her ears, and she found herself in a dimly lit room, with only one nurse standing by her side. The rest of the room was silent, and there were no other doctors in sight.
The nurse was watching over her, but Olivia’s gaze immediately shifted to the bed next to her. Naomi was still unconscious, surrounded by doctors, their attention fully on her. Tyler stood beside Naomi’s bed, his usual confident demeanor now replaced by a look of deep concern. He was so focused on Naomi that he didn’t seem to notice Olivia’s presence.
Olivia’s head was heavy, her body felt drained, and her limbs were weak. But she managed to sit up, her eyes darting back to Naomi, who was beginning to stir.
Tyler was the first to react, immediately stepping closer to Naomi, his hand gently brushing her cheek. He leaned down, his voice soft as he spoke to her. “Do you feel better now?”
Naomi’s eyes fluttered open, and despite her weakened state, she managed a small, faint smile. Her gaze first landed on her parents, and her mother threw herself at her in a flood of relief. “Naomi! Naomi!” Mrs. Jones sobbed uncontrollably, her emotions overwhelming her as she held her daughter.
Naomi, her voice soft and weak, whispered, “Mom, Dad, I’m okay.” She blinked slowly, looking around, and then her eyes locked with Tyler’s.
Tyler bent down and gently caressed her face, his voice barely above a whisper. “You’re going to be okay. You’re safe now.”
Naomi’s expression softened as she gazed at him, and her lips parted, barely able to form words. “Yes, I thought I wouldn’t be able to see you again.”
Her words hung in the air, and Tyler’s heart clenched at the vulnerability in her voice. He bent lower, pressing a kiss to her forehead before turning to the nurse. “How is she?” he asked, his tone still tense.
“She’s stable for now,” the nurse replied, but her eyes were clouded with concern. “We’ll need to monitor her closely for the next few hours.”
Olivia, still feeling disoriented, watched from her bed, her emotions a swirl of confusion and exhaustion. Her body felt like it was on the edge of collapse, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had done what was needed. Naomi had survived. That was all that mattered.
Tyler’s eyes briefly flicked to Olivia, who was lying silently in the bed behind Naomi. He couldn’t help but notice how pale she was, how exhausted she looked. The events of the day weighed on him—Olivia’s sacrifice for Naomi’s sake, her unwavering determination to help despite the risks.
He didn’t have the words to express what he was feeling. Instead, he stood there, watching over Naomi, his emotions mixed and uncertain.