Chapter 84

Lucy’s heart ached with sympathy. “It’s all right, Teresa. Ms. Winters is lovely—she won’t mind. Try to relax.” Lucy reached out, intending to stroke the girl’s head. Due to chemotherapy, Teresa had lost all her hair and wore a fluffy pink beanie. Lucy knew Mark had bought the hat, and Teresa treasured it. A complex mixture of emotions welled up in Lucy, her eyes stinging. Her hand hovered before gently touching the hat. “Don’t worry, Teresa. Ms. Winters will definitely help with your brother’s case!”

“Thank you,” the girl replied, her nervousness fading into a bright smile. “Thank you so much, Lucy and Ms. Winters.”

From the front seat, Thalia sighed. Such a tragic situation. Why did misfortune always seem to target the suffering? Her empathy was profound; this affected her deeply, bringing tears to her eyes. Composing herself, she turned to the backseat passengers: “Lucy, could you help Teresa with her seatbelt, please?”

“Of course.”

Mark was in the same hospital as Teresa. It was an ordinary community hospital, with four beds in a small ward. Being early winter, the cold wind kept the ward windows tightly shut.

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Entering the ward, Thalia was met with a sour odor from the patient nearest the door. The man hadn't bathed in days, and Thalia nearly gagged, wrinkling her nose to suppress her discomfort as she followed Teresa further in. Mark lay in the bed furthest from the door, propped against his pillow, staring vacantly at the falling autumn leaves.

“Brother,” Teresa called brightly.

Mark turned. “Teresa, you’re here. Have you eaten?”

Teresa nodded, smiling: “Yes! I had something earlier.” She was lying; she’d slipped out that morning to seek Lucy’s help and hadn’t eaten. To avoid worrying him, she’d told a small fib.

“Lucy, you’re here too,” Mark greeted.

After acknowledging Lucy, Mark hesitantly asked Thalia, “And you are…?”

Lucy answered: “This is Ms. Winters, a solicitor from our firm.”

Thalia nodded. “Hello. Lucy has explained your situation. Would it be possible to discuss it? I believe I can help you claim compensation from your former employer.”

Mark’s expression grew complicated. “I… I’m terribly sorry, Ms. Winters, but I can’t afford legal fees…” He gave an embarrassed smile. “I’m struggling to pay medical bills. I truly can’t afford a solicitor… I apologize for wasting your time.”

Thalia responded seriously: “That’s not a concern, Mr. Bormen. You can pay after receiving compensation. I can take your case on a no-win, no-fee basis.”

Mark looked confused. “What does ‘no-win, no-fee’ mean?”

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Thalia explained: “It means if we lose, you don’t pay. It’s a conditional fee agreement.”

Mark’s expression changed. “Is that really possible?”

“Absolutely,” Thalia replied earnestly.

Mark nodded. “Well… all right then.”

“Good,” Thalia acknowledged. “Now, I need to ask you some specific questions.”

Lucy spoke up: “Ms. Winters, you two carry on—I’ll take Teresa back to her ward.”

After gathering information, Mark took out his phone. “Ms. Winters, that covers the basics. If you have further questions, please feel free to ask. Perhaps we should exchange contacts?”

“Certainly,” Thalia agreed, opening her messaging app. “I’ll scan your code.” Exchanging contact details with clients was perfectly normal.

After adding each other, Mark opened the Deliveroo app. His entire right hand was gone, his wrist wrapped in bandages. He struggled to navigate the screen with his left hand.

Thalia glanced over. “Let me help you with that.”

Mark smiled awkwardly. “Thank you, Ms. Winters. I appreciate it.”

Thalia took the phone and froze. The app displayed only meals costing less than ten pounds—the Budget Meals section. She’d never noticed such inexpensive options before.

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Thalia’s brow furrowed. How could meals be this cheap? They must barely cover the cost of ingredients. One could only imagine the quality.

Seeing her hesitation, Mark asked, “Is something wrong, Ms. Winters? Any option under ten pounds would be fine.”

Thalia handed back the phone. “I’ve just remembered a Burger King downstairs. Their meals are reasonably priced. Why don’t I go and get something for you? It would be quicker than delivery.”

“Oh? Wouldn’t that be too much trouble?”

Thalia shook her head. “It’s no trouble at all. I won’t be long.”

Thalia left and walked to a nearby Granger & Co. She messaged Lucy: “[Has Teresa had lunch yet?]”

Lucy replied quickly: “[I don’t think so. She came to find me around nine this morning, and we haven’t had time to eat yet.]”

“[I see.]”

She ordered meals for three—Fresh Avocado Toast and Ricotta Hotcakes, light and suitable for patients. Remembering something, she also arranged for two private caregivers.

Returning with the meals, the caregivers had already arrived—one male, one female. Thalia handed a meal to the man. “This is for Mark Bormen in Ward 503, Bed 4. He’ll be under your care.”

The male caregiver nodded. “Understood.”

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Thalia gave the other two meals to the female caregiver. “These are for the patient in Ward 602, Bed 3.”

Thalia then paid the outstanding hospital fees for the Bormen siblings.

Leaving the hospital, Thalia received a PayPal notification from Mark: “[Ms. Winters, you’re a truly good person. Thank you for helping us. The nurse just informed me that someone has paid all the outstanding fees for my sister and me. It was you, wasn’t it? Thank you so much. Once I receive compensation from the factory, I’ll repay you.]”

Thalia felt a heaviness in her heart and replied with a brief “Yes,” declining the money.

A biting wind blew through Thalia’s hair. Standing by the hospital entrance, she couldn’t calm her emotions. Lucy stood behind her, wiping away tears, her voice choked: “Ms. Winters, the hospital has just issued another critical condition notice for Teresa. They haven’t found a compatible bone marrow donor. If they don’t find one soon, Teresa… she doesn’t have much time left… Why is her life so difficult? She’s such a kind, lovely girl. She’s only eleven years old. Why is fate so cruel?”

Lucy sobbed uncontrollably. Thalia’s eyes also filled with tears. Standing in the cold wind, her nose reddened, her heart constricted. Teresa was eleven, with little time left. Mark, nineteen, had left school early to support his sister, now disabled and unable to work.

After a long silence, Thalia made a call. “Please connect me with a leukemia specialist at University College London Hospital. Also, come to the community hospital on Harley Street to arrange transfer procedures for a brother and sister.”