Chapter 7 - THE SURGEON WHO LEFT CHICAGO
Julian Mercer disappeared from Arthur’s life four days after his sister’s funeral.
No goodbye.
No explanation.
Just a resignation from St. Jude’s and a move to Seattle.
Arthur had assumed grief.
Now grief looked suspicious.
Norah sat beside Maya’s bed while Arthur called Julian.
To his surprise, the number still worked.
To his greater surprise, Julian answered.
“Arthur.”
No shock.
No confusion.
As if he had been expecting the call for years.
“You knew I would eventually find you.”
“Yes.”
Arthur’s grip tightened.
“Did you kill Catherine?”
Norah flinched.
Julian went silent.
Then:
“No.”
“Did Vale?”
Another silence.
“Yes.”
Arthur stood so quickly the chair fell backward.
Norah watched his face empty.
“How?”
“Catherine developed severe complications. She needed immediate delivery and blood products. Vale delayed.”
“Why?”
“He said the operating room wasn’t ready.”
“That’s not murder.”
“No.”
Julian’s voice cracked.
“What came next was.”
Arthur stopped breathing.
Vale administered medication that worsened Catherine’s bleeding.
Julian challenged him.
Vale threatened to destroy his license.
Julian tried to intervene.
Security removed him from the operating suite.
“Whose security?”
Arthur already knew.
“Richard’s.”
Norah covered her mouth.
Arthur’s voice turned lethal.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I tried.”
“When?”
“The night she died.”
Arthur remembered.
Julian had been sedated after supposedly having a breakdown.
“You were drugged.”
“Yes.”
“And after?”
“Richard showed me photographs of my wife and daughter.”
Arthur’s rage became very quiet.
“He threatened them.”
“I left.”
“You abandoned your sister’s son.”
Julian’s voice broke.
“I know.”
Arthur looked through the glass at Henry’s photograph on his phone.
Five years old.
Bright-eyed.
Quiet.
“I hated you for years.”
“You should.”
Arthur ended the call before he said something irreversible.
Norah remained silent.
Then she asked, “Do you believe him?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Because Richard used the same method on half the city.”
Threaten family.
Force silence.
That was his signature.
Then Norah’s phone buzzed.
Maya’s transplant coordinator.
A donor surgery slot had opened in forty-eight hours.
Norah immediately said yes.
Arthur immediately said, “No.”
She turned slowly.
“Excuse me?”
“You need another medical review first.”
“I’ve had one.”
“Not from anyone connected to this hospital.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“You think they’ll hurt me.”
“I think Richard controlled doctors here once.”
“That was years ago.”
“So?”
“I am not waiting while Maya gets worse.”
Arthur lowered his voice.
“I can move both of you to another facility.”
“No.”
“Norah.”
“No.”
He hated hearing that word from her because it reminded him she was right.
This was not his decision.
He exhaled.
“What do you want?”
She looked surprised.
“What?”
“What do you want from me?”
Not what should he do.
What did she want.
Norah looked toward Maya.
“Independent doctors. Outside this network.”
“Done.”
“And no threatening them.”
Arthur frowned.
“Define threatening.”
“Arthur.”
“Fine.”
A second evaluation was arranged.
The surgeons approved Norah.
Maya agreed.
Then, just before Norah signed the final consent, Maya asked everyone else to leave.
Arthur waited outside.
Ten minutes later, Norah emerged crying.
“What happened?”
She handed him another letter.
Maya had finally told her why she had originally refused the transplant.
Three months earlier, Maya received an anonymous message.
IF NORAH DONATES, BOTH SISTERS DIE ON THE TABLE.
Arthur read it twice.
May you like
Someone had known about the transplant plan before Norah did.
And whoever sent the threat still had access to Maya’s confidential medical file.
