Chapter 10
I couldn’t push him away. My strength gradually gave out, and I stopped fighting.
Tears slid down my cheeks, but then–I let out a sudden, breathless laugh.
“A brother?
“Mr. Lyons, you were just a friend of my brother’s, weren’t you?
“What happened–did you forget? You fell into the river too. Maybe it messed with your memory?”
Charley gripped my face tightly, forcing me to look at him..
His hands trembled violently now.
His eyes were bloodshot, filled with disbelief and confusion. “No… no, I don’t believe that. I won’t believe it!”
But his voice started fading, like it was coming from far away.
All I could see was the snow–and the figure lying in it.
Just days ago, Nolan had smiled at me, so gently, and said, “Let’s live. You and me–let’s both live well.”
Then, finally, Marlin came back outside, phone call finished.
He barely got out a casual, “Why aren’t you inside yet-”
Before catching sight of the scene in the snow. His expression changed in an instant, voice rising sharply. “What’s going on? Don’t just stand there–help him! A human life isn’t something you play games with!”
There was a loud ringing in my ears. My vision blurred.
Marlin rushed over and checked Nolan’s condition, then, with visible effort, hoisted him up and started carrying him inside.
As he passed us-
Charley still had a tight grip on me, barking, “Figure out who your real brother is before you worry about saving that guy!”
Marlin didn’t have a free hand, but his face darkened. Furious, he raised a foot and gave Charley a hard kick.
“Enough with the nonsense! A life’s at stake–argue later if you must!”
Caught completely off guard, Charley stumbled back and finally let go of me.
I scrambled to my feet in a panic, nearly falling as I rushed after Marlin into the house.
Nolan’s face had gone gray–his lips tinted with a pale, sickly blue.
My hands were shaking as I reached out, trying to feel for breath under his nose.
Marlin said, low and steady, “He’s still alive.”
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The crushing wave of fear and guilt that had been threatening to drown me finally eased–just barely.
Nolan’s condition was serious.
Thankfully, Marlin had brought medical supplies and equipment home with him because of his mother’s poor health.
He administered emergency treatment and started him on an IV.
Nolan still hadn’t woken up, but his breathing was stable.
That night, I laid a mat on the floor beside his bed and slept there.
It was easier to keep an eye on him that way–to check his breathing, to be close if anything changed.
Patients with heart failure couldn’t afford to catch cold.
After everything he’d been through that day, I was afraid his condition might worsen overnight.
The transplant was finally within reach. And now–right before the light–was when we had to be most careful.
Marlin looked at me, concern in his voice. “Are you sure you’ll be okay sleeping down there? I can stay up with him tonight, if you’d rather rest.”
I shook my head immediately. “It’s really fine. I’m used to this. I can sleep anywhere.”
He studied me for a moment, then said quietly, almost to himself, “I remember… you used to be a lot more delicate.”
I froze, caught off guard, a flicker of embarrassment rising in my chest. “You… recognized me?”
Marlin let out a quiet sigh. “You’ve gotten so thin.
“I remember when your face was round and fair–you were spoiled, mischievous, always full of life.
“Your parents and your brother doted on you… really, they-”
He stopped himself mid–sentence.
ત
After a pause, he asked gently, “Did something happen between you and your brother?”
I didn’t try to hide anything. “He doesn’t want to acknowledge me anymore.”
Marlin was an old family acquaintance.
Back when my parents were alive, he and my father had known each other.
If it weren’t for that connection, I never would’ve trudged nearly ten miles through a snowstorm to find him.
No one was obligated to give up their rare time off–to leave an elderly mother behind during Christmas–just to return to work for a surgery.
I just thought… maybe, if he said no, I could remind him of the past.
Of the bond our families once had.
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Maybe he’d show us that kindness.
But I didn’t want to force his hand either. If he wasn’t willing, I couldn’t bring myself to push it.
Marlin didn’t ask any more about what happened between me and Charley, nor did he question my relationship with Nolan.
After thinking for a moment, he simply said, “Heart transplants have the lowest success rate of any major organ transplant.
“As a doctor, I can only do my best–but you both need to be prepared for the risks.”
I was overwhelmed with relief and joy.
I opened my mouth to thank him, but the words caught in my throat–I was too choked up to speak.
He gave me a kind look and said softly, “Get some rest.
“You don’t look well either. If you have time, you should get yourself checked out too.”
We had a matching heart. And now, we had the best surgeon.
That night, I lay on a mat beside Nolan’s bed, staring out at the moonlight pouring through the window.
For once, the usually dim, washed–out light felt warm. Almost bright.
Like sunrise breaking through the cold.
It had been years since I’d felt anything close to hope.
The next morning, Nolan finally woke up.
I told him about Marlin’s decision to take the case, and he was just as happy as I was.
We were in the middle of talking when there was a knock at the door–and then it opened.
Charley stood in the doorway, stiff and awkward.
“Come down for breakfast. I made some.”
After yesterday’s argument, things between us were strained. Just being around him felt uncomfortable.
But we were still stuck in this remote mountain village, roads completely blocked.
And with Nolan’s condition, I couldn’t move him yet. For now, we had no choice but to stay.
I turned to Nolan. “Can you get out of bed? I’ll help you.”
”
But before he could answer, Charley spoke again from the doorway, “Mr. Huynh said he should stay in bed and rest.
“I asked the housekeeper to bring his breakfast up. He can eat here.”
Right on cue, the housekeeper came in with a tray and helped set up a small table on the bed.
Nolan looked at me and said gently, “I’m fine. I can manage–go ahead and eat.”
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From the doorway, Charley scoffed. “What, you think he can’t feed himself? It’s not like he’s lost a hand or a leg–unless you were planning to spoon–feed him too.”
