Chapter 143
Time crawled by, second by agonizing second.
Inside the emergency room, the tension was suffocating.
"Prep the defibrillator! 200 joules!"
"Clear!"
Juliana shoved aside the assistant next to her and grabbed the electrode paddles herself, pressing them hard against Chloe's chest.
The girl's frail body jerked violently, then collapsed back down.
"No response!"
"One dose of epinephrine, IV push!" Juliana's eyes stayed locked on the monitor. "Again—300 joules!"
Another shock.
On the monitor, the flatline finally showed a weak, stuttering pulse.
Everyone exhaled in relief.
But Juliana didn't relax for a second. She looked at Chloe's paper-white face—a face that held a stubborn determination beyond her years.
It sparked something in Juliana. An unexpected sense of kinship.
"Scalpel," she said, extending her hand.
……
The next few hours were a tug-of-war with death itself.
David stood outside the door, watching through the small glass window at the figure in green scrubs surrounded by the surgical team.
He couldn't see her face clearly—just her focused profile and the occasional motion as she lifted a hand to wipe away sweat.
He'd never seen Juliana like this before.
In his mind, her name had always been tangled up with Lucas, with wealthy family drama, with Ashley calling her a "manipulative bitch."
More than once, Ashley had told him—in that casual, throwaway tone—to "take care of" this problem.
"She's just some nobody doctor, David. You know what to do. Don't disappoint me."
What had he said back then?
He'd smiled and agreed. Said he understood.
And now, this woman he'd once contemplated killing was in there fighting like hell to save the only family he had left.
The irony burned.
A searing wave of shame shot up from his feet to the top of his skull, heating his face and making his heart clench painfully.
What the hell was he?
A dog Ashley kept around to bite whoever she pointed at.
And he'd almost bitten the wrong person.
……
Finally, the emergency room light went out.
The door opened. Juliana walked out.
Her cool, composed face couldn't hide the exhaustion. Her scrubs were soaked through with sweat, a few strands of hair stuck to her cheeks. She looked rough.
The Andersons immediately swarmed her.
"Dr. Wells, how's our daughter?"
"She's alive." Juliana's voice was hoarse. She walked straight up to David. "But she's not out of the woods yet. The next 48 hours are critical. You—come with me."
For the first time, David felt something close to awe toward this woman.
He thought about Ashley telling him to kill her, that contemptuous look on her face.
For the first time, David felt bone-deep shame and disgust—toward Ashley, and toward himself.
He silently followed Juliana.
……
In Juliana's office, she peeled off the sweat-soaked scrubs, walked behind her desk, and sat down. She poured herself a glass of water and drained it in one go before looking up at the anxious man standing in the doorway.
"Come in. Close the door." Her voice still carried the rasp from surgery.
David did as he was told. The office door clicked shut softly.
Across the wide wooden desk, he opened his mouth but couldn't get any sound out.
Juliana watched him quietly.
Finally, David spoke, his voice bone-dry.
"They said... they said they were bringing Chloe back so their real daughter wouldn't have to marry some guy named Mr. Jackman. They said since Chloe's dying anyway, might as well make use of her..."
By the end, David's jaw was trembling. "I was trying to figure out whether to tell Chloe. Then I went to get water for like two minutes, and she overheard them on the phone with this Jackman guy... She just sat there in bed, looking at me with—with nothing in her eyes. And then... then she collapsed."
Juliana's fingers drummed lightly on the desk.
A teenage girl. In her most vulnerable state after surgery. Thinking she'd finally found her birth parents. Only to discover she was just a commodity, something to be "put to use."
How could people be this vicious?
Juliana looked at David. She didn't offer any comforting words. Instead, she picked up the internal phone on her desk and dialed.
"Director, it's Juliana. Give me the contact information for the family of the patient in room 2106. Leon Anderson."
Her tone left no room for argument.
The director on the other end hesitated, then quickly rattled off a phone number.
Juliana hung up and dialed the number.
David's head shot up, staring at her in confusion.
The call connected quickly. "Hello? Is this the hospital? How's my daughter?"
"Mr. Anderson." Juliana's voice was completely neutral. "I'm Chloe's attending physician, Juliana Wells."
"Oh! Dr. Wells! Hello, hello!" Leon's tone immediately turned obsequious. "Thank you so much! You've worked so hard! Is Chloe—"
"Not good." Juliana cut him off. "The patient just went through a high-risk emergency procedure. Her vitals are extremely unstable. For the next several weeks, she'll need to stay in the sterile ICU with round-the-clock monitoring and treatment."
"To prevent any possible infection or emotional distress, the hospital is suspending all visitation starting now. If there are any developments, we'll contact you directly."
On the other end, Leon audibly relaxed.
"Of course, of course! Whatever you think is best! We won't get in the way or disturb Chloe's recovery." He even added obsequiously, "We've heard Mrs. Sharp is an excellent doctor. We're completely at ease with Chloe in your hands!"
Mrs. Sharp.
That form of address made Juliana's brow twitch almost imperceptibly.
"That's all, then."
She hung up.
David stared at her, stunned.
With the simplest, most direct, and most effective method possible, she'd severed the Andersons' claws from Chloe.
"That's all I can do." Juliana leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. "I'll keep her alive. How you make sure she actually lives—that's on you."
David looked at her. Suddenly, everything Ashley had ever told him about this woman—every single judgment—felt like a complete joke.
Manipulative? A bitch?
No.
This woman lived with more clarity and strength than anyone he'd ever met.
"Thank you."
He bowed deeply toward Juliana.
"I owe you a life."