Her words hit Luke like a freight train. He had prepared himself for tragedy, but this... this was something else entirely. The pain and injustice of it all hung heavy in the air as the old woman wept openly.
"Without the small piece of finger, Lila's hand couldn't make a full recovery!" Mrs. Hannah's voice trembled, her eyes clouded with tears. She paused for what felt like an eternity, composing herself. Then, wiping her tears, she continued, "When the doctors performed surgery to repair Lila's finger, Lila's father knelt before them, begging them to save her hand. She was the family's only hope!"
"But despite their efforts, the doctor told us after the surgery that the joints in Lila's middle finger were too damaged. It would never fully recover. Her ability to bend the finger was sev
