What If?

Chapter 19 - Take a Breath

The pungent stench of disinfectant instantly hit Launa the moment she stepped inside St. Jude Hospital. The hospital corridors looked bleak, crowded with a long queue of emergency patients, and felt stiflingly cramped. The squeaking wheels of rolling gurneys and the faint sound of crying coming from other rooms were enough to send chills down anyone's spine.

Launa was practically running down the hallway, her tears still streaming down her face. Behind her, Glenn walked briskly to keep up with her pace, carrying her massive bag without a single word of complaint.

Outside the emergency treatment room, Launa spotted Grandma Emma sitting on a waiting chair, her face deathly pale and her body trembling.

"Grandma!" Launa cried out in a panic, immediately lunging forward to throw her arms around her grandmother. "Laura, Grandma?"

"Laura... Laura is already inside. The doctors are working on her right now," Emma replied, her voice shaking as she fought back tears.

Not long after, the door to the treatment room swung open. A middle-aged male doctor stepped out, his expression looking both exhausted and grave. Launa and Grandma Emma immediately stood up and rushed over to him.

"Family of Laura Evans?" the doctor asked.

"Yes, Doctor. I'm her older sister. What's wrong with my sister, Doc?" Launa asked impatiently.

The doctor let out a heavy sigh. "The patient suffered acute heart failure caused by a leaking heart valve defect. Her condition is critical because her oxygen levels severely dropped, which is what caused her to turn blue and pass out. We need to perform major surgery as soon as possible. If we delay, her life could be in danger."

Launa felt as if she had been hit by a massive boulder. Her legs suddenly went weak, forcing her to grab the armrest of the chair for support.

"I need a family representative to head down to billing and administration right away," the doctor continued. "You'll need to sign the surgical consent forms and settle the required deposit so we can schedule the procedure immediately."

After the doctor excused himself to head back inside, a suffocating silence took over. Launa stood frozen, her mind spinning out of control. Signing the consent forms meant she also had to be prepared to face a hospital bill that would undoubtedly be astronomical.

Her current savings wouldn't even come close. But if she didn't act fast, what would happen to Laura?

Beside her, Glenn swept his gaze across the corridor. He let out a soft click of his tongue, openly repulsed and uncomfortable with the conditions of this public hospital stifling, dirty, and backed up with long lines. In his eyes, trusting a child's life to a place this overcrowded was a massive mistake.

Without wasting a second, Glenn reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone. He pressed it to his ear, speaking in a cold yet commanding tone.

"Jer, get over to Valerius Grand Medical Center right now. Have them prep the most sterile VIP suite they have," Glenn ordered flatly.

On the other end, Jerry seemed to reply in complete shock.

Glenn clicked his tongue again in irritation. "Stop asking questions, I'll explain later. Just handle the transfer process for a patient named Laura Evans from St. Jude. Get the best pediatric cardiologists they have on standby. Make it quick!"

Hearing this, Launa snapped her head toward him, her eyes wide with shock. "M-Mr. Glenn? No, please don't. That's really not necessary—"

Glenn completely ignored Launa's protest. His gaze remained fixed and cold.

"And one more thing, Jer," Glenn cut in, still talking to Jerry on the phone. "Use my personal debit card. Cover all the expenses the ambulance, the hospital deposit, all the way to the kid's surgery bills. Get it all settled tonight. Send me the confirmation once it's done."

Glenn hung up on him without waiting for a reply. He lowered his phone, then looked at Launa and Emma, who were still standing frozen in utter shock.

"This hospital is too overcrowded; their response time will be slow and highly risky for a critical patient," Glenn said getting straight to the point, his voice sounding incredibly firm and commanding. "As for the surgical and accommodation expenses at Valerius, I’ve already taken care of everything. You two just need to focus on staying by her side."

Launa stared at Glenn, completely stunned. Her mind raced as she weighed reality. With Glenn suddenly extending a financial lifeline of that magnitude, this was the one and only way to save her sister's life. To hell with her pride or any future job risks the only thing that mattered right now was that Laura survived.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Glenn. I... I am truly, deeply indebted to you," Launa murmured in a raspy voice, her eyes welling with tears once again.

Glenn simply gave a subtle nod, keeping his expression neutral. "Now, go handle your sister's transfer and referral paperwork at the St. Jude administration desk. Tell them the patient is being transferred to Valerius tonight. The ambulance from Belmont is already on its way here."

"O-okay, Sir. I’ll head to administration right now," Launa replied frantically.

"Launa, I'm coming with you," Emma interjected, still visibly trembling.

"No, you should stay here. I'll go with Launa to sort out the paperwork," Glenn cut in, stopping Grandma Emma with a gentle yet firm gesture. He placed Launa’s massive bag into the grandmother’s arms, then turned his attention to Launa. "Let’s move. Hurry."

Launa nodded, and she and Glenn walked briskly toward the administration desk in the front lobby of the bleak hospital.

As it turned out, getting the referral paperwork sorted wasn't nearly as fast as Launa had hoped. The St. Jude administrative staff moved at a snail's pace, forcing Launa to stand waiting anxiously in front of the counter as she filled out several transfer forms for critical patients.

Beside her, Glenn stood with his arms crossed, calmly watching the clerk's every move with an intimidating gaze that made the staff member swallow hard multiple times and type faster.

Clutching the pen in her hand, Launa stole a glance at the sharp profile of Glenn’s face from the corner of her eye. Her logic kicked in once again. The tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars Glenn was dropping tonight certainly wouldn’t come without strings attached. Indirectly, by signing the papers to transfer her sister to the elite hospital of Glenn's choice, Launa knew she had just signed her agreement to plunge into the corporate danger zone Glenn had offered in the car this afternoon.

Twenty thousand dollars a month. A promise from her boss to put his life on the line. And tonight, her sister’s life was fully guaranteed.

Launa exhaled a long breath, steeling her heart in silence.

I’ll take the risk. For Laura.

*****