Chapter 26 RUBBY'S POV "Thank God you are here," the Matron exclaimed. "What's happening?" I asked She shrugged her shoulders and led me to the doctor's office. The hospital walls seemed colder than usual, their sterile white tones made my skin prickle. The air smelled like antiseptic and anxiety, thick and suffocating. I sat beside the little boy’s bed, watching his tiny chest rise and fall with difficulty. His breathing was shallow, his body too frail for someone so young. The sight of him, helpless and in pain, brought tears to my eyes. It broke my heart. The doctor’s voice earlier still echoed in my head. “He needs immediate surgery, but we can’t proceed unless his parents sign.” The matron and I had pleaded with them. We explained, over and over again, that he was an orphan

