Chapter 213
The hospital director hurried over, ready to explain the bill.
But my father went ballistic. “I’ll call the media!”
Antonio chimed in. “This is illegal!”
Mom and Lucia joined the chorus. “Explain yourself, or we’ll sue.”
J
Their voices overlapped, a cacophony of accusations.
Unable to get a word in, the director finally roared, “Shut up!”
Silence descended.
He turned to my parents, his voice tight with exasperation.
“Did you forget about Grace?”
It took a moment for the realization to dawn.
They remembered me, recovering from surgery after donating a kidney to Lucia.
Dad frowned, “She just gave Lucia a kidney. What’s the problem?”
Mom echoed him, “Grace is successful. She pays her own bills. This can’t be our responsibility, especially a body storage fee.”
A young doctor burst out laughing. “Are you serious? You make Grace donate a kidney and then quibble over the bill? You’re terrible parents! You’re monsters!”
“Are you crazy?” Dad clenched his fist, advancing on the doctor.
Chapter 213
The doctor didn’t flinch. “You’re despicable.”
Nearby patients and nurses tried to restrain her.
“I’ll file a complaint! How dare you? How can a doctor behave like this?” Dad fumed.
The doctor shook them off. “Go ahead!
“Grace has been dead for seven days. Did you even ask about her once?” she shouted. “Her room is right next door. Did you even bother to check?”
Mom grabbed the doctor’s clothes, shaking her head. “Don’t lie. Grace is alive.”
“How would you know? You haven’t even seen her?” The doctor shoved my mother, sending her sprawling to the floor.
Lucia helped her up, then rounded on the doctor. “Grace put you up to this, didn’t she? She’s angry you didn’t visit her. Tell her she doesn’t have to pretend.
“I know she didn’t really want to donate her kidney.
“If she wants it back, I’ll give it back.”
“Are you insane? The kidney’s inside you! You begged for your life, forcing Grace to donate!
You bitch!
You even stole her boyfriend. You should die!”
Antonio, standing beside the doctor, moved to protect Lucia.
The doctor grabbed him, her voice dripping with contempt.
“You piece of trash! You were with Grace before the surgery, now you’re with Lucia. You’re pathetic!”
She spat at all four of them. “Complain all you want. I’m sick of you!”
My parents. Lucia, and Antonio stared at each other, speechless, shamefaced under the gazes of the surrounding crowd.
Hearing someone call her a bitch, Lucia’s eyes reddened. She clung to Antonio. “Antonio, protect me.”
Antonio pulled her close. “Don’t worry. They’re just talking nonsense.”
Dad, frowning, started to leave after paying the bill on his phone.
The director stopped him.
“Grace is still in the morgue. Aren’t you going to take her body?”
Dad hesitated, clearly having forgotten, once again, that I was gone.