CHAPTER 01: SEARCHING FOR BLOOD DONORS
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MAINLAND CITY HOSPITAL, Mainland City
Nikki Lindsey stared blankly at the lush pink Chinese magnolia tree across from the bench where she sat. But no matter how beautiful its blossoms were, she couldn't appreciate them when her heart was breaking apart.
She had already lost count of how many sighs she hurled from the deepest part of her lungs, yet she still couldn't keep herself together. Her head was all messed up, racking her brain as she tried to provide Rh-negative blood for her mother.
"Alright..." Nikki sighed once more, calmed her troubled heart, and immersed herself in the tree's full blooms, but suddenly, someone blocked her view.
"Miss Nikki Noreen Lindsey?"
Nikki was still lost in thought when she looked up at whoever was standing in front of her...
She craned her neck and was stunned for a moment.
Like an angelic voice, he pronounced her name with such beauty, his Indian accent blending perfectly with his English fluency.
Soon, she recognized the man towering over her.
"Doctor Ben!" Nikki burst out nervously and shot up from the bench. Surprised, her face flushed as she realized she looked like an idiot in front of the doctor.
Nikki stayed with her mother all night. She hadn't showered or washed her face when she went outside to wait for someone to bring her breakfast that morning. Then Doctor Ben appeared so suddenly. Hence, she was very anxious when she greeted the doctor.
"Good morning, Doctor Ben."
"Good morning, Nikki!" Waving his left hand, Doctor Ben Ryan smiled warmly at her.
Meeting her gaze, the doctor seemed unbothered by how she looked this morning. Anyway, Doctor Ben had encountered more embarrassing situations in his profession, so why was she so conscious of her appearance?
'You are here to help your mother, Nikki. Not to flirt with her physician!' she scolded herself. Even if Doctor Ben sees her stressed face, it is no big deal to him. She's the only one who cares about anything.
Doctor Ben Ryan specializes in rare illnesses like her mother, Lucy Lindsey's. But as the doctor approached Nikki personally, worries began to creep into her chest.
Thus, in silence, she prayed Doctor Ben didn't bring bad news as he spoke with her in the garden, rather than asking his secretary to relay a message that he wanted to talk with her.
"I did call you in the hallway. But you didn't seem to hear me," said Doctor Ben, giving Nikki a worried look. He understood that Nikki had been doing everything for her mother. Seeing her lost in a trance, Ben couldn't help but feel pity.
"Are you alright, Nikki?"
"Oh, that… I'm very sorry, Doctor Ben. I didn't hear you calling out to me," she admitted and apologized. Indeed, she walked into the lobby with a clouded mind, worrying about her mother.
"Nah. It's okay! I just wanted to talk to you about something." This time, Doctor Ben pursed his lips into an understanding smile—the usual warm smile he gave to all his patients.
"Oh, okay, err, Doctor Ben," she said, trying not to stutter. Nikki gathered her thoughts as she braced herself to hear whatever Doctor Ben would say.
"I already explained everything regarding your mother's condition." Doctor Ben began. "But since her blood type, RH A negative, is such a rare one, I cannot assure the success of her medication without continuing the blood transfusion."
Nikki's world collapsed once again. In these past months, she's been looking nonstop for a donor who has the same blood type as her mother.
Maybe they were at the top of the list. Still, this blood type is uncommon for 7.8 billion people on this planet, especially in their country. Nikki always thought she wouldn't have this problem if only she could give hers.
Unfortunately, her blood type is different from her mother's.
"But don't lose hope, okay?" Doctor Ben's encouragement. "We never stop seeking a person with the same blood type as your mother. Even in the small towns of this country, we've been searching for someone willing to sell a bag of his blood," he added.
Before she replied, Nikki let out a long sigh and nodded. "Thank you, Doctor Ben. I also keep contacting my relatives, and maybe they know someone who could transfuse blood to my mother."
"Keep praying! Surely, an angel will descend from heaven."
Nikki smiled at the doctor's positive phrase, which brought her comfort. "Thank you, Doctor Ben."
She had nothing to lose if she believed in miracles. She hoped to heal her mother, but that wouldn't happen if she couldn't get someone who had the same blood type as her mother.
Where could she find that person?