Elodie''s fever kepting back, and she never regained consciousness.
Everything she''d been throughtely had pushed her to the breaking point, and in
the end, her body just gave out.
Jarrod stayed by her side all night.
By morning, he''d already called Rosemary and Emile, asking them to get to the
hospital as early as possible. He made sure Esmeralda and the others didn''t get
left out, either. He knew they were Elodie''s closest friends-they deserved to
know what was happening, and he didn''t want them kept in the dark.
If he was being honest, part of him just wanted as many people there as possible,
hoping that maybe their presence could give Elodie some strength.
Elodie came to for only a brief moment before she was wheeled into surgery.
Jarrod forced himself upright and, using his wheelchair, made his way to the
doors of the operating room.
His grandmother arrived soon after. Seeing Jarrod in the wheelchair, she
approached, her eyes full of concern as she studied him for a long moment. "At
least you''re stepping up," she said quietly. "Your mother told me you''ve made up
your mind?"
Jarrod nodded. "This is the best option we have."
She hesitated, almost as if she wanted to say more, but finally just sighed. "I used
to hope you two would give us a child. But now, with Elodie''s health like this,
nothing matters more than her getting better. As long as you don''t regret your
choice, the rest of us have nothing to say."
She''d been through enough in her life to know when to let go. Even if she
disagreed, what good would it do to add to their worry?
Jarrod squeezed her hand gently. "You know me, Grandma."
He was far from perfect, but when he said he''d do something, he meant it.
His grandmother let out a worried sigh, but didn''t say anything else.
Soon Emile arrived with Rosemary.
Technically, Rosemary could have signed the surgery consent form herself, but
Jarrod insisted, "Let me do it. If she wakes up, she can me me for making this
decision for her."
Rosemary''s eyes filled with tears. To her, it just seemed like her daughter''s short
life had been nothing but suffering. With the risk this surgery held, she couldn''t
help but be anxious.
Emile put his arm around Rosemary and gave Jarrod a steady look. "Alright."
Once he finished signing his name, Jarrod realized his palms were slick with
sweat. Every nerve in his body was stretched taut, and a rare, creeping sense of
panic gnawed at him.
He''d never thought of himself as someone easily scared.
But now, his hands wouldn''t stop shaking.
Elias, now in scrubs and prepped for
surgery, came over and caught
Jarrod''s eye. "We''ll do everything we
can," he promised.
He''d made the same vow to Elodie-he''d get her through this.
Jarrod looked up and, after a moment, nodded. "Thank you."
Elias turned and disappeared behind the doors.
They swung shut with a finality that made everyone tense.
Esmeralda was so strung out she
could barely move; her hands were
sped together in silent prayer, lips
moving as she begged God for a
miracle. Alexander, noticing her rigid
posture, started nervously digging
his nails into his own hand just to
distract himself.
He let out a sigh, gently pried her hands apart, and offered his arm as a substitute
for her to clench.
Her grip was so strong he was certain she''d leave bruises.
The hallway went silent.
No one spoke-only the sound of Esmeralda''s restless pacing broke the stillness.
The length of the surgery depended on how things went.
But Elodie had been inside for nearly three hours already.
Esmeralda was sweating with
anxiety. "Tasked. They said it
shouldn''t take more than three
hours. Why is it dragging on so
long?"
Jarrod''s lips pressed into a hard line. He stared at the closed doors, his eyes
bloodshot and unblinking.
Several times, nurses rushed in and out, each time returning with more bags of
blood.
The sight made everyone''s faces drain of color.
It was obvious-there''d been serious bleeding.
Jarrod''s expression changed instantly.
His heart pounded so hard, sharp pain shot through his ribs.