Chapter 2

Grant lay curled on the floor, his face the color of wax, cold sweat soaking through his hospital gown.

Spencer shoved me down in front of Grant, staring at me with a look of desperate hope.

"Dr. Walker, they're right. Whatever else, just help my dad up first."

In front of Grant was a wide pool of blood, red going black. My brow drew tight at the sight of it.

"That color's wrong. He could be bleeding internally. We can't move him right now!"

Spencer dropped to his knees again, right there in front of everyone, and roared at me.

"Dr. Walker! I didn't drag you over here for a diagnosis. Are you really going to stand there and let my dad die at your feet before you're satisfied?"

The other patients and their families all started in too.

Someone took the moral high ground and lectured me like a saint.

"Dr. Walker, you've got parents, haven't you? When your own father's lying on the ground waiting to die, are you going to stand off to the side preaching like this? They say doctors have healing hearts. I'd say you've got the heart of a beast behind a human face!"

Someone else began questioning my medical skills.

"Why did Grant start vomiting blood? Because there's something wrong with the drugs you prescribed! I want a different doctor. I wouldn't dare let her treat me!"

One man went further and just held up his phone, going live.

"Everybody in the stream, take a look. This is the big-shot doctor who pulls in tens of thousands a month! And she's standing here watching a patient die right in front of her!"

My specialty is vitiligo, so most of my patients come to me for that.

Their faces covered in white patches, spit flying, they dumped every strange stare they'd ever endured onto me all at once.

Every one of them contorted, like vengeful ghosts crawled up out of hell.

I drew a deep breath and tried to explain.

"The treatment plans I give everyone are topical ointments. There is no way they could cause vomiting blood."

"Spencer said it himself a moment ago, Grant has a heart condition. The ER doctor will be here any second. Everyone step back, let the air move around Grant."

They heard my explanation, and instead of calming down, they only got worse.

【Smack!!!】

An old man rushed straight at me and slapped me across the face, cursing.

"You bitch! The man's dying and you're still dodging the blame."

"You're an animal. Grant won't let you off even as a ghost!"

I had my hand over my face, and before I could get a word out, an old woman grabbed my hair and slammed me down toward Grant with all her strength.

"Open your damn eyes and look! Grant's barely breathing!"

I clawed at the old woman's hands, just managing to keep myself from falling.

Grant was in critical condition. If I came down on top of him, there really would be no saving him.

Beside us, Spencer heard that the ER doctor was almost there, and his face went darker.

His bloodshot eyes fixed on me, he slipped around behind me and kicked me in the leg.

I couldn't hold on any longer and dropped to my knees.

And just then Grant's eyes flew open. Once he made out that it was me kneeling in front of him, he strained to lift his head...

【Ptooh!!】

A mouthful of old blood, spat squarely into my face.

Right after, Spencer's roar exploded next to my ear.

"My dad's throwing up blood again! Hurry up and save him!"

"Don't think that just because your family's got money you can look down on a life. If my dad dies and you don't pay me five million, I'll follow you around every single day!"

"Dr. Walker, you're bound to be alone sometime, aren't you? My life's worthless anyway. Trading it for yours is no loss to me!"

Spencer had my head pinned down and I couldn't move, but in one breath I caught the hole in what he'd said.

"How do you know my family has money?"

"We only have a doctor-patient relationship. Not even my coworkers at the hospital know about my family. So how do you know?"

The hallway, an instant ago in an uproar, fell suddenly silent.

People glanced at one another, doubt in their eyes, working it over...