Chapter 121
Calliope looked worried. "David, what are you saying? You expect me to just sit back and do nothing? I can't handle that! Do you even get how I feel? You're all I've got left!"
David hesitated, then gently ran his fingers through her hair, feeling guilty but not ready to give up.
Calliope switched gears. "David, has she come to see you?"
"Lily's busy too; she's got her own stuff going on. It's fine." He didn't need to ask; he knew she meant Lily. David's warm smile seemed to say he was okay and didn't need anyone worrying about him.
Suddenly, Lily's voice came from outside the hospital room. "David, I'm here to see you."
Lily's face changed when she saw Calliope. If she'd known Calliope was there, she wouldn't have come in.
"What are you doing here?" Lily's tone was sharp, almost accusing.
Calliope stared straight ahead and calmly said, "I'm just here to see David. Is that a problem? You're here too."
Facing David, Lily turned sweet and apologetic. "David, the company's been so busy lately. Don't be mad; I miss you a lot too."
"I get it. You've been working hard." David's eyes were full of affection for Lily.
Calliope felt a mix of emotions. David had never looked at her like that. She felt the sting of being left out.
"David, let me peel an apple for you." Lily shot Calliope a challenging look.
Calliope's anger faded. She didn't get why she used to hate Lily so much, but now that strong feeling was gone.
David's mouth twitched. He knew what Lily was up to and understood her motives.
Calliope didn't want to watch their lovey-dovey act. She casually said, "David, I have something to do. I'll come back another day."
"Okay, be careful." Before David could finish, Calliope was already gone, not giving him a chance to see her leave.
Lily pretended to be puzzled and looked at David. "Is Calliope okay? She seemed off today."
David smiled faintly. "Maybe she's got something on her mind. Little girls grow up and have their own secrets."
David started to worry. If Calliope didn't help him, he might not make it. He knew that besides Calliope, no one else could help him. And Calliope knew they were each other's support at home; they couldn't do without each other.
Tom and Rose, as parents, were just in name only.
As Calliope walked out of the hospital room, she finally felt she could breathe freely. Lily's presence made her uncomfortable. Clearly, Lily was ungrateful, but David refused to see it.
She couldn't stand Lily continuing to deceive David. She wanted to rush up and slap her, but thinking of David's condition, Calliope didn't want to make things worse for him.
Forget it.
Maybe one day David would realize it himself. People don't learn until they hit rock bottom.
Calliope walked alone into the intensive care unit. This was the general ICU, where dozens of people shared a room, and the environment was far from ideal.
She saw the boy who might provide the heart. His face was pale, and tubes were everywhere. The doctor's words were true; his life was nearing its end.
The boy's parents were by his side, their expressions unusually calm. Maybe after all the heart-wrenching pain, they had become numb.
Calliope stepped forward, her voice low and hoarse. "Hello, are you Mr. Wolf?"
Rex looked her over. "You're the one who wants to buy my son's heart, right?" He seemed to have expected her.
Calliope nodded slightly. "Yes, that's me." Looking at the dying boy on the bed, her heart was filled with guilt and pain.
"So when exactly are you planning to pay? If there's no movement in the next few days, I'll have to find another buyer!" The boy's mother suddenly interjected, her tone firm.
At that moment, Calliope couldn't help but feel sad for the boy on the bed. The child's life was hanging by a thread, yet his parents were more concerned about how much money his heart could fetch, indifferent to his final moments.
Calliope understood that such parents were not uncommon. Tom and Rose could probably do the same thing. No, not probably, but definitely.
"Can we talk privately?" Calliope suggested softly. She didn't want to disturb the boy on the bed, afraid he would feel worse if he heard.
In the hospital garden, Calliope and the couple began discussing the heart. When they learned that Calliope was the buyer, their attitude changed from one extreme to the other.
Walking deeper into the garden, Rex put on a smile. "Lady, when do you plan to pay us?"
Calliope was taken aback, not expecting them to be so money-minded, immediately talking about money.
"To be honest, $100,000 is difficult for me. I only have $10,000. My family is not well-off, and I've borrowed money from everywhere to treat David." Calliope had come to seek some understanding, knowing she couldn't come up with $100,000. But after seeing the boy, her heart softened. She felt guilty and also realized her financial limitations.
Rex suddenly stood up. "How can you go back on the agreed price? We agreed on $100,000! You only want to give $10,000. Do you think we're beggars?"
The woman also pointed at Calliope and echoed, "Exactly! This is robbery, trying to buy my son's heart for $10,000! Do you have any humanity?"
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