Chapter 361
Zinnia was in a coma. She was already in poor health when the blood draw triggered a heart attack. Had Yannis and the others not kept a team of doctors nearby...
The situation remained grim. She showed no signs of waking up. Zinnia’s body was completely drained; she couldn’t take any more abuse.
“Zinnia’s condition worsens. We must schedule the surgery immediately.” Nathan wheeled himself slowly into the hospital room, his pale, gaunt face etched with grave sorrow.
Nathan gazed at Zinnia lying on the bed, her complexion ashen, the lively spark in her eyes extinguished, lips colorless, long lashes resting limply.
An IV drip was attached to her hand. The monitor emitted a cold, relentless beeping.
A week ago, after receiving the antidote, the deterioration of Nathan’s body gradually came to a halt. This universal antidote formula worked wonders, even slowly restoring his depleted body.
When Nathan woke up, he was told that Zinnia was in a coma. In that instant, it felt as if his heart was being torn apart.
Nathan thought, ‘Zinnia must have anticipated this outcome. No one knows her condition better than she does. In her current state, giving blood was practically trading her life for it.’
After waking up, Nathan checked Zinnia’s pulse and found her body had reached its breaking point. The strain had triggered a heart attack, leaving her in a comatose state.
Her body and her heart could no longer hold on. Zinnia remained in a comatose state solely because Nathan performed acupuncture to temporarily stabilize her condition.
But given her critical condition, the surgery presented only two possible outcomes: One, she died on the operating table. Two, the surgery succeeded, and she survived.
Zinnia’s life hung by a thread, sustained solely by Nathan’s efforts. But that fragile thread could snap at any moment. This time, even Nathan was powerless to help much.
One shock after another these days had pushed Zinnia’s heart to its breaking point.
At those words, Yannis and Jackson’s breathing grew labored.
Yannis‘ voice was hoarse, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Zinnia. “Is surgery the only option left?” he asked.
He gazed at Zinnia lying on the bed, consumed by guilt. ‘Had I not agreed to her request, she wouldn’t be lying here in a coma now,’ Yannis thought bitterly.
Surgery was now imperative. Zinnia’s life hung by a thread. Only two choices remained: life or death.
Nathan’s voice was strained. “We can’t delay any longer. If we keep waiting, things will only get worse, and the risks will skyrocket.”
There was no more time to lose. Jackson frowned and asked, “What about the heart donor?”
Nathan’s voice was hoarse. “I’ll handle the Evans family.”
“Yannis, Zinnia, how could this happen to her?” Maisie walked stiffly into the ward, and the moment she saw Zinnia lying on the bed, her eyes instantly filled with tears.
‘It’s only been two months. How could her condition have worsened so much?’ Maisie thought, overwhelmed by the difference.
“Why don’t you stay and talk to her for a while?” Yannis stood outside the door, listening to Maisie crying, and turned his gaze away. Neither of them could accept what was happening.
“Zinnia, it’s me, Maisie. Please wake up, won’t you? Talk to me, please?” Maisie stood beside the hospital bed, bending forward to grasp Zinnia’s ice-cold hand, her voice trembling with tears.
Yannis told Maisie that Zinnia might never wake up. When she got his call at school, her mind went blank with shock. Without a second thought, she skipped class and had her mother arrange a private jet to rush her over immediately.
But no matter how much Maisie pleaded, the figure on the hospital bed remained unresponsive.
“Zinnia?” Tears finally spilled down Maisie’s cheeks as she broke down completely.
Lydia and the others went upstairs but hesitated in front of the tightly closed hospital room door, none of them daring to push it open.
“Zinnia’s inside. You have thirty minutes,” Yannis said flatly as he opened the door.
Lydia’s usually calm and rational eyes were fixed intently on Zinnia, unconscious in the hospital bed. She froze completely.
‘How could this happen in just two months? The girl who was once so full of life is now lying here in a coma,’ Lydia thought, disbelief washing over her.
Zinnia was such a skilled doctor herself, yet even with all the top specialists and the best medical team, no one could save her.
The three of them entered with stiff, hesitant steps.
Yannis took in the sight of Maisie, Lydia, Ethan, and the others in the hospital room before slowly closing the door behind him.
“Lydia, why are you all here?” Maisie had been keeping vigil by the bed, her eyes swollen from crying. When she saw Lydia and the others enter, her voice came out hoarse.
“We noticed something was off when you left this morning, so we came to check on you.” Ethan’s gaze fell on Zinnia lying in the hospital bed, and, for a moment, his throat tightened.
Earlier that morning, Maisie received a phone call and rushed off in a hurry. Ethan and the others sensed something was wrong and texted her, but she never replied.
Later, Lydia suggested they go look for her. Since Zinnia had previously given Lydia the address, they managed to get there.
To their surprise, instead of going to Zinnia’s place, Lydia brought them to the hospital.
The hospital was on high alert, and it was clear something serious had happened.
Just as they arrived outside, they ran into Yannis, who then escorted them upstairs. They followed him all the way to the entrance of the VIP ward. The entire floor was eerily silent, so deathly quiet it sent chills down their spines. The oppressive quiet set their nerves on edge.
As they finally stepped into the hospital room and saw Zinnia lying motionless on the bed, all their worst fears were confirmed: Something had really happened to Zinnia.
Lydia dragged her numb legs over to the bedside and bent down. In a trembling whisper, she pleaded, “Zinnia, didn’t you say you’d be going home soon! Why are you lying to me now?”
Lydia took Zinnia’s hand, which was already cold, but Lydia’s hands were even colder, a chill that seeped straight from her heart. As she gazed at Zinnia on the hospital bed, fear flickered in her eyes.
Not long ago, Zinnia had promised she might be going to school soon. Now, that hope felt like a cruel lie.
Brian stammered, “My brother knows a leading heart specialist. I–I’ll ask him for help.”
Brian gazed at Zinnia on the hospital bed, pulled out his phone, and started typing, but his hands were shaking so much that he kept hitting the wrong keys again and again.
“Zinnia was always so kind. Why? Why did things have to turn out like this?” Brian choked out, his voice trembling with emotion.
Ethan and the others standing behind him couldn’t help but feel their eyes well up with tears.
Zinnia had promised them that once she was back, they’d all have a proper reunion. But seeing her now, it seemed that day might never come. It looked like Zinnia was about to break her promise to them.
After everyone had left and night had fallen, Yannis finally entered the room.
His gaze lingered on Zinnia lying motionless in the hospital bed. He quietly sat beside her, first tenderly moistening her lips with a cotton swab, then carefully wiping her pale hands and face with a damp towel.
Only then did he settle into the chair by her bedside, keeping silent vigil in the deepening quiet.
Yannis held Zinnia’s lukewarm hand resting on the bedside, his gaze lingering on her still form in the hospital bed.
“Zinnia,” Yannis said in a hoarse whisper, “I have to leave tomorrow, just for one day. When I return, we’ll take you for surgery. You’ll wake up soon after that. Wait for me, won’t you?”
Over the past few days, Yannis had been keeping vigil by her side day and night, the exhaustion clearly etched on his face.
Nathan was still in poor health, his body only just beginning to recover. The toxins inside him were stubborn and aggressive. It would take time before he could fully purge them.
“If you don’t answer, I’ll take it as a promise. You will wait for me to come back, won’t you, Zinnia?” Yannis couldn’t shake off a nagging sense of unease, though he couldn’t explain why.
Tomorrow was the anniversary of Grace’s passing. Yannis had no choice but to go.