Chapter 2: On the Brink

The speaker was a stunning woman, dressed in a sleek black office lady suit, her figure nearly flawless, and her beauty beyond reproach. She appeared no older than twenty-six or twenty-seven, her wavy, curly hair casually draped, every movement exuding mature charm. "So beautiful..." Fabricio couldn't help but be mesmerized. Only when the woman slightly furrowed her brows did he snap back to reality, awkwardly asking, "How... How did I end up here?" "You're asking me?" Muriel couldn't contain her irritation. Widening her beautiful eyes in anger, she stared at Fabricio and exclaimed, "You tell me, how do you walk? You just ran into the middle of the road out of nowhere. Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Her anger was understandable. Anyone in this situation would be upset, let alone her, being a new driver. In fact, it was just her tenth day driving alone, and she had already encountered such an incident, leaving her almost traumatized. How could she not be angry? "Uh..." Fabricio then recalled the prior events. Realizing it was indeed his fault, he quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, it wasn't intentional. I just got distracted..." A flicker of light passed through Muriel's eyes. After a moment of hesitation, she softly asked, "Is it because of your sister?" Fabricio jolted, exclaiming, "How... How did you know?" "...Your phone kept ringing while you were unconscious. One of the calls was from the hospital, so I answered it." "What!? The hospital?" Fabricio exclaimed in panic, forgetting everything in his urgency. He jumped out of the hospital bed and grabbed her shoulder, frantically asking, "What did they say? Tell me, please!" "You're hurting me!" Muriel cried out in pain. "Ah!" Realizing his actions, Fabricio quickly let go, apologizing, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... Please, just tell me, how is my sister?" Initially, Muriel was quite upset. She had kindly brought him to the hospital and waited for him to wake up, only to be treated this way. However, seeing the pleading look in Fabricio's eyes and his near-breakdown expression, coupled with the content of the phone call, her anger dissipated in an instant. Biting her lip, she said, "It was a call about the hospital bill. They said your sister's condition is very critical and requires expensive medication. If the bill isn't settled, even if she is saved, there will be severe after-effects." "What!?" Fabricio felt as if struck by lightning, his mind going blank. His legs gave out, nearly collapsing to the floor. Muriel quickly stepped forward to support him, saying urgently, "Don't panic, I haven't finished. I paid the bill for you, and just in time, so don't worry too much." Tears instantly welled up in Fabricio's eyes. Staring at the woman before him, it took him a while before he deeply bowed and choked out, "Thank you... I don't know how to thank you. Just... thank you..." As he spoke, a sudden ringtone interrupted him. Fabricio, startled, quickly pulled out his phone and saw it was the hospital calling. He pressed the answer button and spoke, "Hello?" "Hello, are you a family member of Waimarie York (杨岚)?" "Yes, I am." Fabricio asked with a mix of anxiety and hope, "Is my sister's surgery done? How is she? Is she awake?" "...I'm sorry to inform you, but your sister's condition is more severe than we anticipated. Due to continuous internal bleeding and pressure on vital nerves, her chances of survival might not exceed twenty percent. We're calling to ask whether to proceed with the surgery..." Fabricio's mind went numb, barely registering the rest of the conversation. "Hello? Hello? Are you okay?" Refocusing, Fabricio blankly stared at the woman in front of him. After a moment, he suddenly came to his senses, yelling into the phone, "Please don't touch her, wait for me. I'll be right there!" With that, he dashed off. "Hey, hey! Where are you going?" "To save my sister!" "Ah?" Muriel was stunned, but then, without knowing why, she found herself chasing after him. "Hey, wait for me!" "Where are you going?" "Aren't you going to save your sister? Why are you running out?" Fabricio turned back, surprised to see his savior following him. He called out, "I need to buy something quickly. Please wait for me outside the ICU. Once my sister wakes up, I promise to repay you for the medical bills and the damage to your car." "..." Was she being mistaken for caring about the money? Sighing, Muriel gave up the chase. Supporting herself on her knees and panting heavily, she thought for a moment before slowly walking back to the elevator and heading alone to the ICU. On the other hand, Fabricio, while running, glanced at his empty wrist, murmuring to himself, "I don't know why you're here or how you entered my body. But now, you're my only hope!" Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he bought a pack of silver needles from a nearby pharmacy and hurried back to the hospital. Exiting the elevator, he immediately saw Muriel waiting outside the ICU, along with several doctors, including his sister's lead surgeon, Malachy Lewis. "Hey, you're back?" Fabricio nodded at her, then asked breathlessly, "Dr. Lewis, how is my sister?" Dr. Lewis's expression was solemn. He slowly shook his head, speaking gravely, "I'm sorry. For your sister, Ms. Spark brought in the best surgeons from our hospital, including Dean Cannon and Dean Zeigler. But..." What!? Fabricio froze, realizing that the woman had not only paid for his sister's surgery but also managed to bring the hospital's best experts to help. But this wasn't the time for gratitude. He stored her kindness in his heart and quickly said, "I need to see my sister, now, immediately!" The doctors didn't mind his tone, assuming he wanted to see his sister for the last time. Dr. Lewis nodded and opened the ICU door, saying, "Come in." Fabricio entered without a word. "Your sister's main issue is severe intracranial hematoma pressing on the nerves, along with continuous unconscious coughing up blood. This symptom is typically..." Fabricio wasn't listening. With just one glance, he could see the severity of Waimarie's condition. "The legacy is real..." "Intracranial hematoma pressing..." "Several main nerves damaged..." "On the brink..." With these thoughts, he opened the newly purchased silver needles and, without hesitation, pierced one into his sister's head. This action stunned everyone present.