Chapter 253 She Got Infected
Brooklyn's eyes narrowed sharply, and she said, "What do you mean by that? Are you cursing me?"
Piper sneered, her heavily made-up face showing disdain as she raised an eyebrow. "I don't have the time joking with you. You've been diagnosed with AIDS. Your medical report is with the deputy director, and it's clear he's trying to keep it under wraps for you."
"That's nonsense!"
Brooklyn lunged forward, slamming her hands onto Piper's desk and leaning in, her intense gaze locking onto Piper's seductive eyes. Her eyes were stormy with fury. "Piper, don't push me!"
Piper's expression remained calm, a touch of pity in her eyes. "Raging at me won't change anything, Dr. Mitchell. The facts are right here. You can't escape them. Don't believe me? Go see Dr. Carter right now and get the full picture!"
Brooklyn refused to believe it! She absolutely could not accept being infected.
She frantically jabbed at the elevator button, convinced it was impossible. She couldn't be infected—no way.
She stormed three steps at a time to Zach's office. "Dr. Carter, where is my health report?"
Her sudden intrusion caught him off guard. The pen in his hand fell to the floor.
"Dr. Mitchell..."
"I'm asking you where my health report is!" Brooklyn's neck was taut with veins bulging, her eyes bloodshot and wild, like a cornered beast in its final struggle. Her face was pallid and cold.
It was clear she'd heard something terrible.
Zach stood, closed the door, and drew the blinds. Slowly, he placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned in, his gaze locked on hers. "Listen to me, don't be afraid. I'm not going anywhere. No matter what happens, you will never be alone."
She thought, 'So it's true?'
Brooklyn's eyes, once full of life, now appeared hollow and empty as she looked up in a daze, her voice breaking, "I really…" Her throat caught, making her unable to finish her sentence.
Zach wrapped her in a tight embrace, his hands pressing against her rigid back. His own pain was no less, but he couldn't crumble now. "I'll be with you. Do you want to go to Jabari? We'll go together, okay? I'll stick with you until the very end."
Brooklyn was like a small bird with a shattered heart, her spirit barely fluttering in the wind. She made no move, issued no sound, and numbly endured his embrace.
"We'll leave tomorrow. I promise, no one here will know. You'll still be you, always. Just remember, whenever you look back, I'll be right there."
Her eyes burned with tears, her heart drenched in despair, weathered by the storm, yet somehow still intact.
"I love you, through health and illness. Nothing but death can stand in the way of my love for you. Promise me, don't lose hope. I'll be here for you, making sure you find happiness every single day."
His words were tender and loving but felt like fists pounding on a cloud with no real impact.
In his arms, Brooklyn suddenly coughed violently, blood spilling from the corner of her mouth.
Brooklyn's face turned ashen, a streak of blood stark against her pale skin. She made no move, her gaze distant, as if seeing nothing at all.
"Brooklyn, don't do this. Stop torturing yourself!"
Brooklyn crumpled like a withered rose falling from its trellis, collapsing to the floor. Her right hand weakly wiped the blood from her lips, her movements sluggish and disoriented.
Crimson blood.
She smiled, revealing a grin that was both grotesque and chilling, her teeth stained red.
Blood—the blood was infected with the most dreaded and loathed virus.
She thought, 'Brooklyn, is there anything left in your life that seems impossible? Nothing. Nothing at all.'
Zach knelt on one knee. "I've approved your application. I'll arrange for you to leave Aucester as a volunteer. Once you're in Jabari, no one will recognize you, and you can start a new life."
"A new life?" she asked bitterly, a faint smile.
She thought, 'What life is left for me? Each day ahead is a step closer to death. What life is there?'
Zach gently held her arm, wiping her mouth. She turned away, rejecting his touch. "Don't touch me. My blood is contaminated. You shouldn't be near me."
She swatted at his hand like a ragdoll, her vacant eyes devoid of any color.
Zach paused, his hand hovering. "I'm not afraid. Even if it means dying with you, I'm not afraid."
He persisted in wiping away the blood, but Brooklyn pushed him away with raw anger. "Zach, are you out of your mind?"
He cradled her head against his chest, his voice steady and resolute. "I'm not crazy. I know exactly what I'm doing. Brooklyn, let me be with you."
For nearly two hours, Zach's office remained shut.
When they finally emerged, Zach took her down to the underground parking lot. "If you want to leave quietly, I can take you right now. If you want…"
"I'll tell Sebastian. If I leave without a word, he'll come looking for me."
Zach gripped her fist gently. "I'll wait for you. Even if you can't get divorced in time, I'll wait."
She thought, 'Wait for me? I'm merely a dying person. What's the use of waiting?'
"Leave me, Dr. Carter."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
