Chapter 2
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The boy’s thin arms were held down on the blood–draw table by two doctors, their hands gripping him like iron.
They weren’t risking any wiggling. The force was harsh, pressing deep into his skin.
“It hurts…” the boy murmured, his small voice shaking as he tried to pull back without thinking,
“Zach, honey, it’ll be done soon,” a nurse said gently, her voice warm and comforting. “We just need a little of your blood to save someone. She’s a wonderful, kind woman. You’re not afraid of a quick pinch, are you?”
Zach Valor stopped moving when he heard her. That soft tone settled over him, and he quit resisting,
He tilted his head, his innocent face–like something out of a classic painting–looking up at her.
“Really?” he asked, his voice quiet but genuine.
The nurse locked eyes with him, those big, trusting eyes full of hope, and felt a stab of guilt.
But then she remembered the hefty bonus she’d get if Mrs. Grayson pulled through fast.
Pushing the feeling aside, she nodded. “Yeah, little guy. One quick sting, and that nice lady gets to live. You’re the bravest kid I’ve ever met–no pain’s going to stop you.”
Zach’s expression hardened with resolve. “Okay! If it saves her, I’m not scared.”
His grandma had told him once that his big sister was gone for good–dead, no way to bring her back.
He’d pleaded to change it, but he couldn’t.
Now, though? A little pain, and even if it wasn’t his sister, he could save someone else. Another woman. He’d do it.
The moment he agreed, the needle stabbed into his thin vein. Bright red blood rushed into the syringe.
To make it quick, they’d chosen a big, adult–sized needle.
The sharp pain shot through him like a jolt, racing up his small arm and into his back.
His whole body flinched.
“Stay still!” one of the doctors ordered, his voice sharp and short.
Zach clamped down on his lip, tiny teeth digging in to stop himself from moving.
Tears stung his eyes, but he blinked them away.
He didn’t want to let the nurse down.
In his mind, he imagined saving her–the kind woman who might be someone’s sister.
He’d already lost his own. He didn’t want anyone else to feel that hurt.
‘It’s just pain,’ he told himself. ‘I can take it‘
The blood kept flowing into the bag, and his lips turned from pink to pale white.
Time dragged on, every moment a fight against pain so intense he could’ve passed out. But he held on.
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22:22 Fri, 11 Apr •
Chapter 2
Finally, the bag was full, heavy with his blood.
“Sir, should we stop?” The nurse’s voice faltered.
She paused, glancing at the head doctor.
They’d already taken enough to harm Zach’s growth. Any more, and he might not survive.
But it still wasn’t enough for the CEO’s fiancée.
Without it, that big fat check was gone.
The head doctor hesitated, then snapped, “Keep going!”
The room let out a quiet breath.
No one wanted him to back off now.
With Dane Grayson–the man who ran half of Bastion–behind this, they figured they were safe.
If the kid didn’t make it, it wouldn’t fall on them.
More blood, more money. Easy equation.
The nurse didn’t wait. She grabbed a fresh syringe–another oversized one–and stuck it back in.
Zach’s pale face grew even whiter, life draining out with every drop.
His breathing turned weak, shallow, like a flame barely holding on.
Just as it seemed he might fade completely, noise broke out outside.
“Bang!” A loud crash cut through the quiet.
The door to the room flew open, smashed off its hinges from the outside.
Every pair of eyes whipped toward the doorway.
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A.D
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