Chapter 258
Hospital Room
Just like the doctor warned, Evelyn’s will to live was hanging by a thread, and she hadn’t stirred since they wheeled her out of the emergency room. Brooks sat right by her hospital bed, refusing to leave her side for even a moment. The whole night, he fought against the temptation to close his eyes or let his mind drift, terrified that something might happen to her if he did.
He kept whispering words of encouragement to Evelyn, desperate to ignite some spark of life in her. But it was like talking to a wall. She could hear him, sure, but she didn’t give any sign of it. She just lay there, peacefully surrendering to whatever fate had in store, her life’s essence slipping away with each passing heartbeat.
It was like she had already decided she didn’t want to live anymore.
“Mr. Brooks, maybe bringing someone important to Evelyn might help,” the morning doctor suggested, having come to check on her.
The first name that popped into Brooks’s head was Charlie. He couldn’t stand the thought of leaving Evelyn alone in the hospital, so he quickly called his assistant to track down Charlie and bring her over as fast as possible.
After hanging up, Brooks leaned in close to whisper in Evelyn’s ear, “Evelyn, I’ve asked someone to bring Charlie. Think about her; she’s only five. She needs her mom. Please, don’t give up on yourself, okay?”
For the first time, upon hearing Charlie’s name, tears quietly slipped down Evelyn’s cheeks. Brooks noticed this change and felt a glimmer of hope, his eyes misting over.
But just as he thought things were looking up, the monitor by the bed started beeping like crazy. Caught off guard by the sudden change, Brooks was frozen for a second before he snapped back to reality. He didn’t even think to press the call button; he just bolted out of the room, yelling, “Doctor! Doctor!”
Luckily, the doctor was still nearby. Hearing Brooks’s frantic calls, he spun around and dashed back into the room, immediately starting the emergency procedures on Evelyn, racing against time.
Brooks stood there, his whole body chilled to the core, watching the scene unfold with a mind unable to process anything. Everything was a blur until Evelyn’s heartbeat steadied again.
Relief swept over him so intensely that his legs nearly gave way. He managed to catch himself against the wall just in time.
With the doctor gone, Brooks returned to Evelyn’s side, gently wiping away the tears from her eyes. Looking at her, so fragile and seeming ready to slip away at any moment, he held back his words.
His mind wandered back to a recent day when he’d accompanied her to pick up a coffee cup Charlie had made for Charles. After Charles had smashed it, the pain in her voice when she mentioned Charlie was palpable.
A suspicion had begun to form, and it was confirmed when his assistant called.
“Mr. Brooks, Ms. Evelyn’s daughter passed away a few months ago due to kidney failure.”
Even though he’d suspected it, those words hit Brooks like a freight train. No mother could easily bear the loss of a child, much less move past it.
How had she survived these last few months?
Brooks held Evelyn’s cold hand, his eyes full of empathy. He understood now why she was so lost in despair. Her grief was real, and her choice to end it all came from a place of deep sorrow.
But he couldn’t just stand by and watch her die.
What could he do? He’d already said everything he could think of. How could he make someone who had given up on life find the will to live again?
Brooks took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He knew that emotional wounds needed emotional salves. The one person who might reach her was Charlie.
With urgency, Brooks called his assistant, instructing him to gather everything related to Charlie as fast as possible.
Within an hour, his assistant had collected a treasure trove of clips from Charlie’s kindergarten teacher. The doctor had mentioned Evelyn could hear the world around her; she just didn’t want to wake up.
Among the clips, Brooks found a Thanksgiving video the kindergarten had recorded, intending to edit it as a gift for the parents. But Charlie’s passing meant Evelyn never got to see it.
Brooks played the video softly by Evelyn’s ear. He knew she could hear it.
The teacher’s voice asked Charlie, “Charlie, what would you like to say to your mom this Thanksgiving?”
Charlie’s sweet, innocent voice filled
the air, “Thank you, Mom, for
bringing me into this world, for
raising me, for being with me every day, for taking me to McDonald’s, for teaching me to draw, sing, and
dance.”
“Mom, you always tell me I’m your most precious treasure, that you love me more
than anything, and your biggest wish is for me to be healthy and happy.”
“Mom, I want you to know you’re the person I love the most. I’m so lucky to be your daughter.”
“Mom, I love you so, so much, and I wish I could be with you forever. But if my illness doesn’t get better, and I have to go to heaven like Jenny and Sean, please don’t be sad. You need to be strong.”
“Don’t be like Jenny’s mom, who got so sad she got sick. Getting sick and needing shots hurts so much, and I want you to stay healthy and happy.”
“Charlie hasn’t left you; I’ve just become a star in the sky. I’ll continue to be with
you, love you, and protect you forever.”
“Mom, can we promise? In the next life, I still want to be your daughter. I only want to be your daughter.”
As those words echoed, Evelyn’s eyes shot open, and she called out, heartbroken, “Charlie…”
She reached out, trying to grasp her daughter, but there was nothing to hold onto. Her hand lingered in the air.
Brooks, his heart aching, took her hand gently, “Evelyn…”
“Did you hear Charlie? She wants you to be strong, to be healthy and happy. She loves you so much. Knowing she’s left, seeing you torment yourself like this, imagine how heartbroken she would be?”