Chapter 22

It wasn't until her legs had gone numb that Jacqueline realized she had been standing outside the operating room for a very, very long time. A few minutes ago, William had come out to meet her. He had stood there for a moment in silence, and then he shook his head, saying his condolences. Jacqueline refused to accept it. She kept asking the same question, "How is he?" But no one answered her. It was as if she had been thrown to the edge of the universe, where no one could hear her voice. The footsteps echoed from down the corridor, becoming louder as they got nearer. Fabian said breathlessly with a choked voice, "I'm sorry, Ms. Jacqueline. This was Mr. Gardner's last request." Before Jacqueline could react, pain flared at the back of her neck. Everything went black, and she collapsed to the ground. When she woke again, all she saw was a blinding white. She squinted in discomfort, and a realization hit her. She could see with her left eye again! But… Who had donated a cornea to