Chapter 7

• Eloise
• We hurriedly left the gala and slid into the car. The night air sharp against my skin as Mike and I sped down the empty streets, my heart raced with every second that passed and no matter how much I tried to calm myself, the panic kept creeping back.
• "Are you okay?" Mike asked, glancing at me briefly before focusing on the road.
• I nodded, not trusting my voice to hold up. I could feel tears burning behind my eyes, threatening to spill but i refused to let them. Not yet. Not until i knew what was going on with Max.
• It only took seconds and my world began to spin. A call from Grandma had been all it took. Max had collapsed. They rushed him to the emergency room.
• The words echoed in my mind. I couldn't make sense of it.
• When we pulled up to the hospital, I jumped out of the car before it had even fully stopped. My breath came in shallow gasps, my heart pounding in my ears.
• The harsh white lights overhead and the antiseptic smell hit me like a wave, dragging me back to reality. My heels clicked against the cold floor as I followed the nurse’s hurried steps, but my mind was two steps ahead—already in Max’s room, desperate to see him.
• “Eloise,” Mike said, his voice low but firm behind me. “Slow down.”
• I stopped short, turning to face him.
• “Slow down? Max is in there, Mike. My son is in there.” My voice cracked, and I hated how raw it sounded. But I couldn’t stop it—the fear, the guilt, the helplessness.
• Mike nodded, his jaw tight.
• “I get it. I’m worried too. Just… don’t burn out before you even see him, okay?”
• I closed my eyes, sucking in a shaky breath. He was right, but that didn’t make it any easier. My son needed me. I couldn’t afford to fall apart.
• When we reached the waiting room, I spotted my grandmother. She was sitting rigidly in one of the plastic chairs, her hands clenched tightly around the straps of her purse. Her face lit up when she saw me, but her relief was short-lived. Her gaze shifted behind me to Mike, and a frown flickered across her face.
• “Where’s Lucian?” she asked, her voice low but sharp.
• "The question was a dagger to my chest. I didn’t have an answer—at least, not one that didn’t sting.
• “He’s not here,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
• Grandma’s frown deepened, but she didn’t press. Instead, she stood, her frail hands gripping my arms.
• “Max needs you,” she said simply.
• I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. “I know.”
• The nurse reappeared, gesturing for me to follow. Mike started to come with me, but I shook my head. “Stay here,” I said softly. “Let me see him first.”
• He hesitated but eventually, he sat beside Grandma. I turned and followed the nurse down the long hallway, each step heavier than the last.
• When I entered Max’s room, my breath caught in my throat. He looked so small in the hospital bed, his dark curls tousled against the pillow. His skin was pale, almost translucent, and there was an IV line running into his arm. But his eyes—those big, expressive eyes that were so much like Lucian’s—opened as i approached.
• “Mom,” he whispered, his voice barely audible.
• I rushed to his side, my hands trembling as I brushed his hair back from his forehead.
• “I’m here, sweetheart. I’m right here.”
• A weak smile tugged at his lips.
• “I scared you, didn’t i ?”
• I let out a shaky laugh, tears welling in my eyes.
• “You did, you little rascal. What were you thinking, huh? Giving your mom a heart attack like that?”
• He chuckled softly, but it quickly turned into a cough. My heart clenched at the sound. I wanted to take his pain, to bear it for him, but all i could do was sit there, holding his hand.
• The doctor entered a few moments later, her expression serious. She introduced herself as Dr. Richards, but i barely heard her. My focus was on Max, on the way his breathing hitched when she began to speak.
• “Max’s kidney function is critically low,” she said. “The biopsy results suggest advanced kidney disease. We’ll need to start dialysis immediately, but long-term… he’ll need a transplant.”
• A transplant? I froze. The words echoed in my mind, but I couldn't make sense of them.
• "How... How long does he have?" My voice cracked.
• She hesitated, but then gave me a reassuring look. "We don’t know yet. It depends on the next set of results. But we’ll do everything we can."
• I nodded, feeling numb.
• “I’ll do it,” I said instantly. “Whatever he needs.”
• Dr. Richards hesitated, her gaze flicking to my chart. “Unfortunately, Ms. Eloise, based on your medical history, you’re not a viable donor.”
• The room spun.
• “What do you mean? I’m his mother—how can i not be a match?”
• “You may share a blood type,” she explained gently, “But your previous illnesses have compromised your kidneys. We’ll need to test other family members.”
• Max needed a transplant, but there was more to it. I knew the implications of kidney disease all too well. They needed a donor, someone with a matching blood type but I couldn’t donate. I had been disqualified due to my past health issues—years of complications, surgeries, treatments that had left me with a weakened body.
• I stood there, frozen, feeling like the walls were closing in on me.
• Max turned his head slightly and squeezed my hand. "Moml, I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me, okay?"
• But how could I not? How could I not worry when the only person who might be able to help him... was his father Lucian…
• I had no choice. I had to call him. He was the only one who could help. I had to put aside my pride, my anger and my hurt. Max needed me to reach out, and I would do it for him.
• I stepped out into the hallway, pulling out my phone with trembling hands. My fingers hovered over Lucian’s contact, the memories of our past crashing over me. The way he held Max as a newborn back to the way he had walked away, shutting the door on our family.
• I pressed the call button, my heart pounding.
• The line rang once, twice, three times. Then it went to voicemail.
• I tried again.
• Nothing.
• Desperation clawed at my chest as I opened the messaging app. My fingers flew over the keyboard, typing out a plea I never thought I’d have to make.
• Lucian, it’s Max. He’s in the hospital. He needs a kidney transplant, and I can’t… Please. He needs you… Call me back.