Chapter 347 She Will Have the Most Precious Corneas
Ellie's new heart was acting up, and the doc said the chances of her making it were only 20%. He also suggested her family come to be with her.
But Ellie had cut ties with her family, and the only one she had was Oliver.
Oliver hung up the phone and stood on the hospital rooftop, staring at the clouds swirling in the night wind.
The wind was strong, messing up Zoey's hair as she waited for Oliver to decide. She thought, if Oliver had any sense, he wouldn't fly to Windcrest, especially since Sarah needed him too.
Plus, Sarah had already missed out on those corneas because of Ellie.
Oliver stood there, smoking like a chimney, his cheeks hollow and his eyes deep.
After about five cigarettes, he finally turned to Zoey and said, "Get me a private jet to Windcrest. While I'm gone, take care of Sarah and Jacob. I trust you, Zoey."
Zoey, feeling bold, replied, "Mr. Windsor, I don't think this is right."
Oliver gave her a long, hard look.
Zoey didn't push it further, but she thought it was unfair to Sarah. Sarah was sick too and had given birth to Oliver's child. They were married, but Oliver never seemed to care.
That night, Oliver took off.
Olivia packed his bags, grumbling as she did, "What could be so important that Mr. Windsor has to leave now?"
She didn't expect an answer.
But as Oliver grabbed his luggage, he told Sarah, "It's an issue with a branch company in the Southern Hemisphere. I need to handle it personally. By the way, Dr. Scott said you're recovering well after the surgery. About the corneas, I'm working on it. Sarah, I promise, within a month, you'll see again."
Sarah lay in bed, listening to his supposedly heartfelt words.
A branch company in the Southern Hemisphere? He was going to Windcrest!
She found it laughable. He didn't love her, yet he kept lying. By now, his bad acting made her not want to pretend anymore.
Sarah's lips curled into a faint, mocking smile.
Oliver kissed her cheek and murmured, "The driver's waiting for me downstairs! Sarah, wait for me to come back."
She never saw him return.
That night, Sarah's retina detached, causing unbearable pain. After an exam, Stephen told Zoey seriously, "Mrs. Windsor missed the best time! Now her optic nerve is at risk of dying. If she doesn't get a new cornea within 8 hours, she'll never see again! Zoey, call Mr. Windsor and get him back here. Didn't he say he'd donate one of his corneas to her? It's not perfect, but it's the best option."
Zoey was frantic. She kept calling Oliver, but he was on a private jet, heading to Windcrest to be with Ellie.
Zoey was lost, and Stephen had no solution. He regretfully told Sarah, "Mrs. Windsor, I'm very sorry. We can only leave everything to God."
Olivia immediately dropped to her knees and begged Stephen, "Please, you have to find a way! Mrs. Windsor is so beautiful; what will she do if she can't see? My eyes are fine—I'll donate one of my corneas to her."
Stephen shook his head, "Your eyes won't work."
Olivia had glaucoma.
Ignoring her dignity, Olivia cried out loud, "Medicine is so advanced, isn't there any way to help Mrs. Windsor? She's so young, Dr. Scott, she's only 25!"
Stephen had seen Sarah's photos from before. He also felt it was a pity, but he had no solution.
Feeling down, Stephen comforted Olivia and then walked back to his office to discuss the surgical plan with his assistant. This meant that once the surgery was done, Sarah would never regain her sight.
Just then, a young, gentle-looking man walked in with the night breeze. His face was blank, and his voice faint as he said, "I want to donate my corneas to Sarah."
Stephen was shocked.
He exchanged a glance with his assistant to make sure he hadn't misheard.
After a bit, Stephen gently asked, "Do you love Mrs. Windsor?"
Lester shook his head and, opening up to Stephen, said, "She's someone I can never have, but my wife is the one who's actually here with me. I love my wife. But Dr. Scott, I can't keep living like this. I hate myself, and my life feels pointless."
Stephen thought for a moment and asked, "Should we talk to Mr. Windsor about this?"
Lester shook his head again.
Stephen respected his wishes and softly told his assistant, "Get ready for the cornea removal surgery. Also, let Mrs. Windsor know she'll be getting the most precious pair of corneas."
By the end, Stephen's voice was thick with emotion, and he nodded to Lester.
Lester looked out into the dark night, his voice rough, "I want this to stay confidential. Don't tell Mrs. Windsor before the surgery."
In the ward, Olivia got the news and was over the moon.
She held Sarah's hand and said, "What luck! Someone's willing to donate their cornea. Mrs. Windsor, you're so fortunate."
Sarah, with gauze over her eyes, reached out to hold Olivia's hand and softly said, "I have some money here. Later, help me thank the person."
Olivia nodded eagerly, "Of course! I'll find out, and when you can see again, we'll visit together."
As she finished speaking, thunder rumbled outside, and a storm began.
The surgery went really well. Stephen wrapped the final layer of gauze around Sarah's eyes and smiled, "Mrs. Windsor, in a week, you can take off the gauze and see again."
Sarah lay there calmly. She asked, "Can you tell me who the donor is?"
Stephen was quiet for a moment before he replied, "Sorry, Mrs. Windsor. According to the rules, I can't tell you that."
Sarah wasn't in a rush. She figured Olivia would find a way. She lay there peacefully, listening to the thunder outside, her heart pounding.
After the surgery, she felt uncomfortable and only fell asleep in the middle of the night.
In her sleep, she had a dream where something seemed to fall from a great height and shatter. When she woke up, her body felt weightless, and she twitched all over.
Olivia heard the commotion and came over, "Mrs. Windsor, what's wrong?"
Sarah was still trapped in the endless darkness. After a while, she softly said, "I had a nightmare."
Olivia sighed in relief. She tucked Sarah in lovingly and said, "You've had two surgeries in a row, so your body is weak, causing these nightmares. Once you recover, you won't have these dreams anymore."
Sarah settled back down, listening to the wind and rain outside, and asked, "Olivia, what time is it now?"
Olivia replied, "It's 5:30 AM! It's already getting light outside."
Sarah murmured in acknowledgment and fell back asleep.
It felt like she had just closed her eyes when she heard a woman's voice outside, seemingly calling Lester's name.
Sarah sat up and called Olivia, "Go outside and see if it's Lester's wife."
Olivia went to check.
She came back soon, closing the door with a sigh. "It's Mrs. Mitchell, carrying her newborn and asking all around for Mr. Mitchell. She seemed really worried."
Sarah felt a vague unease and told Olivia, "Go tell Zoey to help Mrs. Mitchell. She must be very anxious right now."
Olivia nodded and went out.
In the hallway of Brightview Medical Center, Alyssa was holding her baby, asking everyone, "Have you seen my husband? His name is Lester! He's gentle-looking, about 6 feet tall. Have you seen him?"
Olivia had spoken to Zoey and then saw Alyssa.
Olivia went over to comfort her, "The baby's clothes are all wet. I have some baby clothes you can change into. As for Mr. Mitchell, I've asked Zoey to help you find him."
Alyssa looked at Olivia, dazed.
At that moment, a commotion came from downstairs, "A man jumped off the building! Oh my God, his eyes seem to be missing, and he's covered in blood."
Olivia was stunned.
Alyssa stood there, frozen. When she came to her senses, she let out a piercing scream, "Lester!"