Chapter 98 So Close to Death
"Ms. Foster, you need to hang in there. Close your eyes and don't try to speak yet. Everything's going to be okay," the nurse said gently, smoothing Grace's disheveled hair.
Grace's hair was matted with blood, completely soaked through.
She weakly closed her eyes, her consciousness drifting in and out. She couldn't even tell where she was or what had happened to her.
Soon, she slipped back into unconsciousness.
Alexander arrived at the hospital with Liam and Max just as the emergency room lights were still on.
Nurses constantly moved in and out, occasionally carrying bloodstained medical gauze that was horrifying to witness.
Max alternated between sitting and standing, pacing back and forth restlessly.
His expression was eerily calm—frighteningly so. Other children his age might be confused or scared, but he remained silent without crying. Behind his back, his small hands were clenched into trembling fists, and his face had lost all traces of its usual elegance and gentleness.
In contrast, Liam appeared remarkably composed, his eyes—so similar to Alexander's—holding a wisdom that seemed beyond his years.
Grace would be fine.
He had checked her pulse earlier. Those few needles had practically pulled her back from death's door.
At the orphanage, he had shadowed an elderly doctor, absorbing everything through observation and frequently reading his medical books.
The old man had been kind to him, and seeing Liam's deep interest in medicine, he had shared his knowledge generously.
Liam had developed a profound affection for the old doctor.
Even after Alexander brought him back to the Hayes family, he visited the old man every summer vacation.
The doctor had told him he had natural talent, though what he taught were lost medical arts, nearly extinct techniques.
Having no descendants of his own, the old man treated Liam like a grandson, teaching him everything without reservation.
Alexander glanced between the operating room lights and Liam, sensing something didn't add up.
Emily had claimed that Liam was just mimicking scenes from movies, randomly inserting needles into Grace's body.
But from what he knew of Liam, Grace was the person he cared about most—he would never dare hurt her recklessly.
Yet if it wasn't reckless, where could he have possibly learned such techniques?
Time crawled by, and Grace still hadn't emerged from the operating room. Her fate remained uncertain.
Max had gradually calmed down.
At this point, no news was the best news.
Liam suddenly tugged at his hand and patted the seat beside him, gesturing for Max to sit.
Max said, "You sit. I don't need to."
Liam replied, "She'll be okay."
Max asked skeptically, "How can you be sure my mom will be alright?"
Liam smiled, his eyes pure and innocent as moonlight. He didn't answer, but his gentle gaze somehow soothed Max's emotions.
Max sat down beside him.
Liam gently touched the back of Max's head, but Max pulled away awkwardly. "What are you doing?" He wasn't family—why was he acting so familiar?
Suddenly, Liam wrapped his arms around Max.
He hugged him tightly, and Max found he couldn't break free.
Liam's small hands were soft as he gently pulled Max's head into his embrace, pressing his small face against Max's cheek with tender affection. Max's heart immediately grew calm.
Time flew by quickly.
Before they knew it, dawn was breaking outside.
The horizon began to lighten with the first rays of morning.
The emergency room light suddenly flickered and went out.
The door opened from inside.
Alexander immediately stood up, rushed to the doorway, and grabbed the doctor's arm. "How is she?"
Recognizing him, the doctor immediately said, "Mr. Hayes, don't worry. She's initially out of immediate danger."
Alexander caught the key word, narrowing his eyes. That meant she was only temporarily safe.
The doctor continued, "We're preparing to move Ms. Foster to the ICU for twenty-four-hour observation. If she wakes up during that time, she should be essentially out of the woods."
Alexander glanced at the busy emergency room behind the doctor and asked with concern, "How serious are her injuries?"
The doctor spoke frankly, "It was touch and go. She suffered severe traumatic brain injury with massive bleeding. The fact that she's alive is already a miracle. I'm just afraid..."
Alexander's eyes turned cold with displeasure.
Seeing his sharp, icy stare, the doctor quickly finished his sentence, "I'm afraid she might slip into a deep coma and become catatonic. That would be quite complicated."
Catatonic.
Max caught fragments of these words, and his heart skipped a beat.
He knew what that meant—essentially no different from being dead except for basic vital signs.
Alexander was all too familiar with the term as well.
But even if she became catatonic, it was still better than losing her life entirely.
The doctor said, "Mr. Hayes, rest assured, we've done everything possible."
Alexander replied, "Thank you for your efforts."
The doctor hurried away. Soon after, nurses wheeled out the surgical bed.
Max shot up from his seat and rushed over, with Liam following close behind.
Both boys strained to see Grace, but the nurses blocked them. "Little ones, please step aside."
Alexander watched helplessly as the bed was wheeled past him. Several nurses worked together pushing it, some holding IV bags high, others supporting the bed frame. Through the crowd of medical staff, he caught only a glimpse.
Grace lay unconscious, her head wrapped in gauze, with dried blood still visible on her face and neck.
Her hands and body were connected to various tubes and monitors, an oxygen mask covered most of her face, and her entire complexion was ghostly pale.
For an instant, he felt as if his heart had been stabbed.
He had thought himself sufficiently cold-hearted, believing that even if something terrible happened to her, he wouldn't be deeply affected. But watching Grace being wheeled past him toward the distance, he couldn't help but clench his fists.
Strange emotions filled his entire chest.
Was it heartache?
Or the suffocating fear of loss?
It had to be an illusion.
It could only be pity.
Max stood there with red-rimmed eyes, tears threatening to spill but stubbornly holding them back.
Alexander said, "The doctor said your mom was treated in time. She's not in immediate danger."
Hearing this, Max's clenched fists gradually relaxed.
He looked toward Liam.
Could it really be true that Liam had saved Mom?
How was that possible? Could this seemingly simple boy's needle work actually be more effective than the hospital doctors?
Liam sensed Max's intense gaze boring into the back of his head. He turned around to meet Max's eyes and blinked innocently.
Max asked, "Was it you?"
Liam tilted his small head, apparently not understanding Max's question.
Max immediately shook his head. "Never mind..."
Had he lost his mind too, actually believing this seemingly simple boy could have saved Mom?