Chapter 182
Chapter 182 Conspiracy and Closed Doors
Chapter 182 Conspiracy and Closed Doors
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The sound of her mother’s voice was Harper’s breaking point. With her hair a mess and tears cutting tracks through the grime on her face, she dissolved into loud, wrenching sobs the moment Freya reached her.
Seeing her daughter in such a state tore at Freya’s heart. She wrapped her arms around Harper, rocking her slightly. “Shhh, it’s okay, sweetheart. I’m here now. Just let it out. You’re safe.” She kept her voice a low, soothing murmur, though her own worry was spiking.
“Where are you hurt? Tell us, honey, what happened?” Carter asked, his voice tight as he crouched beside them, his eyes scanning Harper for any visible injury.
It took Harper a few moments to get her crying under control enough to speak. She drew in a shaky breath, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. “I’m not… I’m not hurt,” she managed to hiccup. “It’s Dylan. He’s the one who’s hurt.”
A wave of palpable relief washed over both Freya and Carter. Their shoulders slumped slightly, but the reprieve was short–lived.
“What?” they said in unison, their attention snapping to the young man slumped beside their daughter.
Carter’s eyes widened as he took in the unnatural angle of Dylan’s wrist and the stark pallor of his skin. “My God. Dyla, what happened to your hand?”
“Some men… They broke it,” Harper interjected, her voice rising with fresh panic. “Mom, Dad, please, you have to find a doctor who can see him! They all keep saying no!”
The initial shock wearing off, Carter shifted into problem–solving mode. “Okay, okay. But we’re in a hospital. Let’s just get him back to an ER bay.” He moved to help Dylan stand.
“No, Dad, wait!” Harper grabbed his arm. “The doctors here already said they can’t. They said all their trauma teams are busy or understaffed or something. Do you know any other hospitals? Let’s hurry and take him somewhere else.”
Carter’s brow furrowed deeply. He exchanged a quick, troubled glance with Freya.
“Don’t panic, Harper. I will figure this out,” he said, pulling out his phone. “I’ll make some calls. We’ll find a place.”
He scrolled through his contacts and hit dial on a number listed under “Greg Anderson“, an old college friend who was now an administrator at this medical center.
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Chapter 182 Conspiracy and Closed Doors
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“Greg? Carter Macdonald. Listen, I’ve got a bit of an emergency. My daughter’s friend has a severe hand injury–looks like a bad break. We’re at your hospital and they’re turning us away. Any chance you could pull some strings, get a trauma specialist to take a look if we come to you?”
There was a pause on the other end, followed by a sigh. “Carter, I wish I could. You have no idea–we’ve had three multi–car MVCS roll in this hour. Every surgeon and resident is tied up in the OR or swamped in the ER. I honestly don’t have a single bed or specialist to spare. You should try another hospital.”
“Right. Okay, thanks anyway, Greg,” Carter said, his voice flat. He ended the call.
“What did he say?” Freya asked, her eyes hopeful.
“Swamped. Told us to try another,” Carter reported, his jaw tight. He let out a frustrated breath and found another number–this one for a surgeon named Mark Benson.
“Mark, Carter Macdonald. I need a straight answer–does your hospital have an ortho–trauma surgeon available right now?”
“Carter? You okay? What’s going on?”
“It’s not me. It’s a kid, my daughter’s friend. Compound fracture of the hand, needs immediate attention. Are you guys able to take a look or not? We’re running out of time here.”
Another pause, this one heavier. “Carter… I’m downtown, not at the suburban branch. The on- call hand specialist just left for the night after a twelve–hour shift. For something this specific, you really need the right specialist.”
“Got it. Thanks, Mark.” Carter hung up, the grim set of his mouth telling Freya everything she needed to know. The rejections weren’t about bed space or schedules anymore; they were a cold reminder of how quickly “friends” disappeared when your social capital vanished. The Macdonald family’s recent troubles were clearly common knowledge.
“I’ll keep trying other places,” he said, his voice weary but determined. “Honey, you call Dylan’s parents. Now. Have them start making calls too. We need all hands on deck.”
“Okay.” Freya nodded, already searching for Sarah’s contact in her phone.
It wasn’t long before Dylan’s parents, Zack and Sarah, rushed into the hospital lobby, their faces etched with pure panic. Sarah let out a sharp cry at the sight of her son.
“Dylan! Baby, look at you! What happened?” She dropped to her knees, her hands fluttering over him, afraid to touch the injured limb.
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Chapter 182 Conspiracy and Closed Doors
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Zack’s face darkened with a mix of fear and fury. “Dylan, who did this to you? Tell me right
now,”
Dylan could only respond with another low groan, his consciousness seeming to waver.
Still trembling, Harper looked at Zack. “It was these men, all dressed in black. From what they were saying… It sounded like Arabella hired them to do it.”
“Arabella?!”
The name hung in the air, sucking the breath from the group. shock.
Their eyes
widened in collective
“Arabella… that girl who used to live with you?” Sarah was the first to find her voice, whirling to face Carter. “Where is she? What is she playing at?”
“I have no idea where she is!” Carter replied, his own confusion evident. “We haven’t seen or heard from her in months!” The idea that Arabella could orchestrate a violent attack like this was both bizarre and terrifying. Since when did she have those kinds of resources or that kind of malice?
“That little witch!” Freya spat, her maternal anger flashing hot. “If I ever get my hands on her…” “Harper, are you absolutely sure about what you heard?” Carter pressed, needing certainty. “I’m sure, Dad,” Harper said, shaking her head for emphasis. “I’m positive.”
“That’s it!” Zack exploded, his face flushing with rage. “Arabella actually hired thugs to do this? I never pegged her for being so vicious!”
Hearing Harper’s confirmation, Carter’s face lost its last trace of color, replaced by a stony, furious pallor.
“Look, being angry at Arabella isn’t getting Dylan’s hand fixed,” Carter said, forcing a measure of calm back into his voice. He was still the most composed person in the frantic huddle. “The priority right now is finding a hospital, any hospital, that will treat him.”
Zack was already pacing, phone pressed to his ear, his voice strained as he pleaded with someone on the other end. Sarah remained crouched by Dylan, whispering useless comforts and brushing the hair from his sweaty forehead.
A few minutes later, Zack ended his call, looking utterly defeated. “What are we supposed to do? I’ve called every connection I have at four different hospital networks. Everyone is giving me the runaround–no capacity, wrong specialist, transfer not approved. It’s a brick wall!”
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Chapter 15Conspicy and Closed Doors
same herrandt face. The nothing but d No one can or will take him”
12:22 Fri, Feb 6 M
Chapter 183 Unconventional Remedies