3
437words
Why didn't she mention this last time? Because she needed a new lie to trap me.
"Doesn’t matter if he has three or thirty. You’re not taking any!"
Harrison gently pulled Amanda aside, signaling he’d handle it.
"Mr. Miller," he began smoothly, "consider this: Noah would be donating something superfluous, slightly damaged. A noble act."
"It saves another life! It’s a blessing!"
I snorted. "So stealing my son’s kidney to save your daughter is ‘noble’?"
Amanda gasped, shocked.
Harrison’s forehead glistened with sweat. He forced a stiff smile.
"Misunderstanding! That’s not the case!"
I fired back. "Misunderstanding?"
"Is the patient waiting in your OR right now your daughter? Waiting for Noah’s kidney?"
Amanda lunged to hit me again. I blocked her.
Her fury escalated when I resisted.
"Ethan Miller, you’re insane! Yes, Harrison’s patient is his daughter."
"But Charlotte’s kidney donor is secured! Harrison asked for other patients!"
Her lie ignited the crowd.
"She’s right! The kid has an extra one!"
"Selfish! It’s not like he only has two?"
"Get that kid into surgery! Donate the spare kidney!"
An elderly man’s eyes gleamed with greed—he didn’t even try to hide it.
This was a nephrology ward; every patient here would jump at the chance for a healthy, “spare” kidney. Who wouldn’t?
A gift from heaven. Who wouldn’t want it?
I kicked the report towards them.
"That report is fake!"
"I raised Noah from birth! I’d know if he had three kidneys!"
They weren’t listening.
Nurses flanking Amanda moved to pull me away.
I had no choice. I threw myself over Noah, shielding him.
"You want to take him illegally? You’ll have to kill me first!"
Amanda scoffed. "Illegal? I signed the consent as guardian!"
"You’re impossible! Forget donation! But his injured kidney needs treatment! Let us fix that!"
In the past, her compromise would have worked.
But not now.
I knew once Noah entered that OR, what happened to his kidneys was out of my hands.
A stern voice cut through the chaos. Hospital security followed.
"What’s happening here?"
The crowd scattered.
I scrambled off the gurney, stumbling.
The Chief of Medicine steadied me.
I seized his arm. "Chief, one demand: Harrison Sterling doesn’t touch my son. I demand a new scan proving Noah has two kidneys!"
The Chief’s sharp eyes darted between Harrison and Amanda.
He patted my hand firmly. "Don’t worry. I’ll arrange it immediately."
He turned to Harrison and Amanda. "Harrison, wasn’t your other surgery scheduled now?"
The implication was clear.
Harrison scowled, yanking Amanda towards the elevators.
The results came back. Acute kidney injury: true. Three kidneys: fake.
