Page 38 of Deadly Affair

He smiles softly and moves over to her side, checking her vitals. “How are you feeling, Zoey?”

“Better,” she croaks and looks between us. “What’s happening?”

“I have your results,” he tells us both kindly, but the sadness in the tilt of his lips indicates it’s not good news. My ears ring and my body shakes. I can’t lose her, I can’t.

“It seems you have a blood clot in your brain.”

I almost throw up as he explains what it means for my little sister.

“It is fixable,” he finishes. I missed most of what he said, but I fixate on those words as they make me slump. “With surgery.”

“Surgery?” I gasp. “You’re going to open her brain?”

He looks at me and nods. “If I don’t, she could bleed into her brain and she would end up back here. Worse, she could end up on machines or even brain dead. It has to be done to save her life. Don’t worry, we’ll take very good care of her. I’ve put it in as an emergency, so I should get a date very soon.”

“But I don’t even have health insurance,” I murmur in panic, making him freeze.

“Oh, erm, let’s talk outside,” he whispers under his breath to me, then he looks at my sister with that same warm smile on his face. “Don’t worry, Zoey. We’ll get you all fixed up. Just rest for now while I have a private word with your sister outside in the hall.” He squeezes her arm and steps past the curtain. With a worried look at her, I follow him out, shutting the curtain before walking into the hall. Once I join him, he sighs.

“I understand your worry, but if Zoey doesn’t have this surgery, the impact could be catastrophic,” he explains as I wrap my arms around myself as my world falls apart. “Unless you can find healthcare or come up with the money for the surgery, I’m afraid all we can do is give her medication to ease her pain. It won’t stop future attacks or the decline in her health though. She’ll have good days and bad days until the bad days get so frequent, she will be hospitalized. I realize this is a lot to process, and I empathize. Is there anyone we can call? Parents? Anyone to help you through these trying times?”

“No, it’s just us,” I whisper, my voice hoarse. “I’m all she has.”

And she is all I have too. I’d be lost without her.

“I’m so sorry,” he murmurs, squeezing my shoulder. “Take a moment to decide if we can proceed. If not, we can discharge her with some medication, but you must promise to bring her back if she gets worse.”

I nod, not really listening, still lost in the terror that’s saturating me. My eyes go back to the curtain where she waits for me to make it all better. To save her.

Sucking in a calming breath, I walk into her room, pull the curtain in place, and sit again at her side, holding her hand more for my own support than hers. There are tears in her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Layla. I hate to be a nuisance. Maybe I should move back to Jersey with Aunt Lucy,” she whispers, her lower lip trembling.

I squeeze her hand and force a smile. “Don’t be silly, sweet girl. You could never be a nuisance. I’ll find a way to fix this. I promise I’ll make all of this better,” I vow, kissing her hand. I never hide the truth from her or risk breaking this trust we have.

I need that money and fast before she gets too bad.

Money . . . I know where I can make it.

I close my eyes as she watches me. I know what I have to do.

If I want fast cash and lots of it, then I know exactly where men shower women with it every day. All they have to do is dance for it.

It might also chip away at their dignity, but who needs that when a beloved sister’s life is on the line?

I sure don’t.

CHAPTER10

Layla

Tease.

That’s the name of the strip club I’ve passed on my way to work a number of times.

Now, it teases me into thinking that maybe I can earn enough to pay for my sister’s surgery.

A blood clot.

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