Chapter 50: Miracle [Bonus]
A red-haired little boy sat silently on a cold metal bench, his small body trembling ever so slightly under the dull hospital lights. His face was frozen in a lifeless expression, the kind of look that shouldn’t belong to someone so young. His eyes, once full of innocence, now carried the burden of grief too heavy for his age.
Faint streaks of dried tears stained the skin beneath them—remnants of a long, silent weeping that had already drained him of any more emotion.
In his clenched fists, he tightly held a small, worn-out toy—its fur stained and faded, possibly the only piece of comfort left to him. He sat there, unmoving, waiting outside the operating theatre, staring at the sealed doors as if they were the gates of fate.
He wasn’t the only one there.
A few other children, all around the same age, sat nearby with downcast eyes, their shoulders hunched as though the weight of the world had settled on them. An old woman sat at the far end of the row, her hands folded together in prayer, lips trembling. The air was heavy with silence, only occasionally broken by muffled footsteps and the distant echoes of hospital machines.
Everyone waited... patiently... anxiously... helplessly.
Thud!
The sudden sound of the operating room door jolted everyone.
A doctor stepped out, dressed in white, the cloth of his coat rustling faintly. His face was pale, and his eyes lowered. He carried a clipboard, but he didn’t even glance at it. His lips were tight, shoulders sunken. Without a word, he looked directly at the old woman, then slowly shook his head.
"No..."
She whispered, her voice already breaking as she bit her lower lip to stop it from quivering.