Chapter 6 - Room 412
When Clara arrived at the hospital, her mother was waiting near the elevator.
She rushed forward as though the previous three years had never happened.
“Thank God you came.”
Clara stepped away from her attempted embrace.
“Where is Daniel?”
Her mother led her to the isolation unit.
Their father stood near the nurses’ station, looking older and thinner. He greeted Clara with a weak nod.
Through the glass, Daniel sat on the edge of the bed in a pale blue hospital gown. His face was drawn with exhaustion. When he saw Clara, he stood carefully and approached the door.
For a moment, they simply looked at each other.
The nurse explained the testing process. A blood sample would determine whether Clara was compatible. If she was a match, further evaluation would follow. No decision had to be made immediately.
Her mother interrupted.
“She’ll do it.”
Clara looked at her.
“I will speak for myself.”
A doctor handed Clara an information packet and a preliminary consent form.
“We want every potential donor to understand that participation is voluntary,” he said. “No one should feel pressured.”
Her mother waited until the doctor walked away.
Then she whispered, “Do not embarrass us here.”
Clara nearly laughed.
“You think embarrassment is the problem?”
Her father finally spoke.
“We made mistakes.”
“A mistake is forgetting a birthday.”
“We were afraid,” he said. “Daniel had lost his job. He was struggling.”
“So you used Lily’s medical trust to buy him a house?”
Her mother’s eyes widened.
Daniel heard everything through the partially opened communication panel.
Clara removed copies of the trust records from her handbag.
Her father’s shoulders collapsed.
“You knew?” her mother asked.
“I have known for two years.”
The corridor became silent.
Her mother looked toward Daniel’s room, then back at Clara.
May you like
“This is not the place.”
“No,” Clara replied. “The proper place is court.”
