Chapter 150: The Price Of Redemption

Chapter 150: The Price of Redemption

The hospital was suspiciously quiet, broken only by the rhythmic beeping of machines and the hurried whispers of nurses down the sterile hallways.

The smell of antiseptic clung to the air, sharp and suffocating, as Callian sat hunched in the waiting room, his bloodied hands trembling in his lap.

Elias stood nearby, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed tightly over his chest as though trying to hold himself together.

His jaw was set, his eyes hard, but the cracks in his composure were clear.

Every so often, he would look at Callian, who hadn’t moved since they arrived.

The clock on the wall ticked endlessly, each second dragged them further into an agonizing uncertainty.

"Any news?" William asked softly, stepping into the room.

Elias shook his head, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Nothing yet."

Callian exhaled sharply, his head dropping further.

His voice came out hoarse and raw. "She’s been in there too long... They should’ve told us something by now."

"They’ll come when they know more," Elias said, though his own voice lacked conviction.

A heavy silence fell over the room. No one dared to say what they were all thinking.

The door to the operating room opened suddenly, and a doctor stepped out with a grave face.

Everyone straightened, and looked only at him.

"She’s critical," the doctor said calmly but professionally.

"The bullet did significant damage. We’ve stopped most of the bleeding, but she’s lost a lot of blood."

Callian surged to his feet, panic came to haunt his face. "But she’ll be okay, right? Can you save her?"

The doctor hesitated, and in that pause, the air seemed to drain from the room.

"We’re doing everything we can," he said carefully.

"But... she needs a transfusion immediately. Her blood type is rare, and we don’t have it in stock. We’ve already searched nearby facilities, but—"

"What are you saying?" Elias interrupted, stepping forward.

The doctor glanced at him... "If we can’t find a donor soon, we’ll lose her. We don’t have much time."

Callian’s knees buckled slightly, and he grabbed the edge of a chair for support. "No... No, there has to be someone. Test me. Test all of us!"

Elias nodded. "Do it. Test us now."

"We already have," the doctor said quietly. "None of you are a match."

Callian’s hands flew to his hair, his breaths coming fast and shallow.

"Then find someone who is! There has to be someone out there!"

"There is," the doctor measured. "Her father."

The room fell into a stunned silence.

Henry, who had been standing quietly in the corner, finally spoke, uncertain. "I’m a match?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes. But we need your consent immediately. If you agree, we can prepare for the transfusion right away."

Henry stared at the doctor, his face pale and drawn.

For a moment, he looked like he might refuse, his lips parting as if to protest.

But then he shifted to Callian, who was staring at him with wild, desperate eyes.

"She’s... she’s pregnant," Callian whispered, his voice breaking. "Please. If you’ve ever cared about her, even for a second... please."

Henry’s mouth tightened, the pressure of his actions and failures pushed him down like a physical force.

He nodded slowly... "I’ll do it."

The doctor wasted no time, gesturing for Henry to follow him.

As they disappeared through the door, Callian collapsed into the nearest chair, his face buried in his hands.

Elias moved to sit beside him, placing a steadying hand on his shoulder.

"She’s strong, Callian. She’ll fight. You know she will."

Callian shook his head, feeling muffled. "I don’t know if she can this time. She... she was so pale, Elias. And the baby... What if...?" His words broke off into a choked sob.

Elias’s grip on his shoulder tightened. "Don’t do that to yourself. Don’t think like that. Eira wouldn’t give up, not on you. Not on the baby."

Callian looked up, his eyes red and brimming with tears. "What if I lose her?" he whispered. "What if this is it?"

Elias’s throat worked as he swallowed hard. "Then you’ll have done everything you could. You were there. You protected her. She knows how much you love her."

Callian let out a hollow laugh, shaking his head. "She deserves so much more than me... And now—now I might lose her before I even get to tell her everything I should have."

Elias didn’t respond immediately.

He leaned back in his chair, his own expression heavy with unspoken fears. "You’re all she ever wanted," he said finally, his voice low. "She loves you, Callian. That much was always clear."

The words hung in the air between them like a fragile comfort in the middle of the storm.

Hours passed like lifetimes.

Nurses came and went.

Callian remained by the door to the operating room, his body tense and rigid as if willing himself to stay upright.

Henry emerged eventually, pale and exhausted, his arm bandaged from the transfusion.

He avoided everyone’s eyes as he shuffled to the waiting area, sinking into a chair without a word.

Elias glanced at him. "Why’d you do it?"

Henry looked up, his eyes hollow. "Because... I owed her that much. After everything I’ve done to her, to all of you... I had to try to make it right."

Callian didn’t acknowledge him.

He kept staring at the door, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

When the doctor returned, everyone stood as one, their hearts pounded in one unison.

The doctor’s expression was serious, his tone sounded careful.

"She’s still alive...But her condition remains critical. The next 24 hours will be-"

Callian’s knees gave way, and Elias caught him, lowering him gently into a chair.

His breath came in shallow gasps as he struggled to process the words.

"She’s... she’s still fighting?" he managed to speak through trembling lips.

The doctor nodded. "Yes. But it’s going to be a long road."

Tears spilled down Callian’s face as he gripped Elias’s arm tightly.

"And the baby?"

Doctor composed himself, "as for the baby..."

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read