âHolden! Calm down!â Adrian quickly stepped in, grabbing Holden to prevent him from doing anything drastic.
At the same time, Soniaâs composure broke, and she began to cry out loud.
Sharing Holdenâs frustration, she turned to the physician.
âCanât we try something more? Is this really the end for Ariana?â
âIâm truly sorry.
I have done all I can,â the physician said as he finally found his glasses and put them back on.
He bowed slightly to Sonia.
Holdenâs glare intensified at the physician.
How could he continue saying that?
As Adrian held him back, Holden struggled, eager to confront the physician.
Adrian held on tightly, urging the physician to leave quickly.
Hearing Adrian, the physician made a quick exit.
After a tense moment, Holden calmed down.
The room fell silent, weighed down by sorrow.
Then, suddenly, Mitchel burst into the ward, looking disheveled with a wild beard and bloodshot eyes, holding vials and syringes in his hands.
âs
âIâve found a cure!â he exclaimed excitedly.
Under normal circumstances, Mitchelâs breakthrough in developing a targeted medication would have been met with joy.
But the timing of his arrival could not have been worse.
As he entered the room, it was clear something was terribly wrong; Ariana was already motionless, showing no signs of Life.
Shocked, the vials of medication Mitchel carried slipped from his grasp, hitting the floor with a sharp crack and scattering pieces of glass everywhere.
He stood frozen, his expression vacant and reflecting his profound devastation.
He was too late.
âDr.
Chadwick, please,â Sonia pleaded with tears in her eyes.
âYouâre not like those other doctors.
Youâre brilliant, a truly gifted healer.
Canât you do something to bring her back?â
But Mitchel seemed barely aware of her appeals.
With a distraught hand raking through his tousled hair, he leaned against the wall, shaking his head slowly as he spoke to himself.
âThis is impossible⦠She canât be dead.
I devoted myself to finding a cure for her.
How could she die like this? How could this happen?â
Overwhelmed by a mix of denial and desperation, Mitchel suddenly moved towards Ariana.
He shook her gently at first, then more vigorously, calling her name over and over in a panic.
When there was no response, he laid her down and started administering CPR in a frenzied attempt to revive her.
Just then, Holden, who had been in a daze, came to his senses.
With a surge of emotion, he pushed Mitchel away from Ariana.
âGet away from her!â he bellowed.
âItâs you who should get away from her!â Mitchel retorted as he struggled to his feet, limping toward Holden.
âI am a doctor; healing people is my duty!â
âDoctor?â Holden sneered, his tone dripping with contempt.
âShe doesnât need a doctor.
She isnât dead!â
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Biting his lip in frustration, Mitchel tried to move past Holden.
âI can perform CPR; let me try to revive her.
Donât stand in my way!â
âI wonât let you touch her, no matter what!â Holden stood firm, his hands protectively over Ariana.
âSheâs just sleeping.
Donât disturb her rest.
â
The scene was heart-wrenching, and everyone present could not hold back their tears.
Adrian turned away, retreating to a corner to weep silently.
Jennifer and Sonia cried uncontrollably, their sobs filling the room.
Tyler, standing nearest to Ariana, was more composed but visibly shaken, his fingers digging into his palms as he struggled to accept the reality before him.