Chapter 63
55 vouchers
Payton hadn’t noticed the commotion outside the door. His body trembled slightly, his eyes red–rimmed as he spoke in a low, hoarse voice, laced with plea, “Doctor, please… just a little longer.
“I’m earning money. I’ll work as hard as I can to raise it. Don’t give up on her.”
The doctor looked at Payton and sighed, sympathy and helplessness flickering in his eyes. “We understand you’re going through a hard time. We can wait, but your mother’s condition doesn’t allow that. If we stop her medication, her life will…”
He didn’t finish the sentence, but Payton already understood. Without money, his mother’s life would be at risk, and even if she survived, she might stay in a coma forever, like a vegetable.
The cruelty of this reality hit him like a sharp knife, piercing his heart and leaving him gasping for breath.
His hands clenched into fists, his knuckles whitening from the force, as if he could cram all his helplessness and despair into that tight grip.
The room fell into an awkward silence, and the air was thick with a vague sense of gloom and heaviness.
Kayla had circled back. She stood at the door, watching everything unfold. Her heart felt tangled.
She’d never seen Payton so broken, helpless, and shattered. An indescribable sadness and sympathy welled up in her chest, spreading slowly through her veins.
It was as if she was seeing herself again, back when Marianna, Davon, and Tristian had pushed her into a corner, leaving her with no one to turn to, no tears left to cry, and no one by her side.
It had felt like the whole world had abandoned her.
The doctor walked out of the ward with a solemn expression, letting out a helpless sigh as he did.
Seeing that, Kayla stepped forward quickly, forcing an awkward smile. “Sorry, it’s me again.”
The doctor looked stunned. Before he could react, Kayla grabbed his arm and pulled him toward a corner because she was afraid that their commotion would alert Payton.
Half–dragged along, the doctor finally wrenched his hand free, his voice sharp with annoyance. “Who are you? What were you doing loitering outside the ward?”
Kayla’s furtive manner made her look like a thief. Anyone who didn’t know better might have thought she was up to no good.
Kayla ignored his irritation, glancing quickly toward the ward before lowering her voice. “Doctor, how is Payton’s mother doing right now?”
The doctor tensed up immediately. “Sorry, that’s privacy. Why are you asking?”
Kayla realized she’d been misunderstood. She waved her hands frantically to explain, “Sorry, I’m Payton’s friend. I heard his mom got into a car accident, and we want to help him, but we don’t want to add to his stress.”
At that, the doctor visibly relaxed. He studied Kayla for a moment, then sighed. “Alas, I see… His mother’s condition isn’t good at all. She needs continuous treatment.
“If you can pay the medical bills promptly, there’s still a strong likelihood that she will regain consciousness.”
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7:40 pm
Chapter 63
55 vouchers
He paused, his tone softening with sympathy. “But he doesn’t have a father. He’s the only one left in the family. As for the costs… well, it’s just too much for a kid like him to bear.”
The doctor didn’t need to finish, because Kayla already understood. She felt a pang of sorrow for Payton.
His father died young, and now, all he had was a run–down home, a mother in a coma from a car accident. He was simply left broken and helpless. It was as if all the misfortunes in the world had piled up on him.
“Great!” Kayla blurted out, a hint of relief in her voice that she couldn’t hide.
In her mind, if something could be solved with money, it wasn’t a problem at all.
But the doctor’s expression turned instantly complicated when he heard that. He stared at her in confusion with a faint look of disapproval in his eyes.
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