Ignoring the rage twisting Emerald's features, I turned and walked into the operating room. My heart sank as I laid eyes on Tamara. She was lying on the surgical table, pale as a sheet, her tiny body motionless. A nurse was preparing to extract bone marrow from her pelvis. When the nurse saw me, she froze in shock before fleeing the room.
Bone marrow extraction?
I could barely believe my eyes. "This isn't just drawing blood!" I cried out, my voice echoing in the sterile room. "They're extracting bone marrow!"
It made no sense. Tamara had vomited from the allergy, but there were no visible signs of swelling or rash. An allergic reaction like this didn't require surgery, let alone something as extreme as collecting bone marrow. What was happening?
No one responded. I could feel the weight of silence around me as they scrambled to fetch security, no doubt. But I had no time to waste. Without another word, I lifted my daughter into my arms, her body so light, and hurried out of the room.
Curious stares followed me as I carried Tamara down the hospital corridor. I could feel the eyes of other patients' families on me, watching the scene unfold, but I ignored them.
"What are you doing?" Clinton stormed in, his voice harsh. Emerald's pitiful expression quickly took over as she softly intervened, "Clinton, don't blame Celestine. She just spoils Tamara too much." She sighed dramatically, glancing at me. "Unfortunately, I can't perform the surgery now—my scrubs got contaminated."
Clinton turned to me with fury. "Put Tamara down! Emerald is a doctor—she knows better than you how to take care of her!"
He lunged forward, trying to take Tamara from my arms, but I stepped back, dodging him. Memories from my past life flashed before me—the moment Emerald took Tamara for surgery, the bone marrow transplant, and my daughter's death on that same operating table. And Clinton… he had stood by, believing Emerald's every word. My heart ached.
How could I ever trust either of them with my child again?
"Clinton," I said, my voice trembling with restrained fury, "you studied law, didn't you? Then tell me, why does a six-year-old with an allergic reaction need anesthesia and a bone marrow extraction? Is this legal? Are you really going to let them drain our daughter's bone marrow?"